Fairground Photography!

Emerson Photography, reportage wedding photographer north east.  Contact Jamie Emerson. 

Emerson Photography gets paid to go to the fair.  Brilliant!

As a wedding photographer, it's completely necessary to keep learning.  I do this in various ways including workshops, second shooting for other photographers, arguing on internet forums and occasionally, by taking on work outside my usual sphere.

I do like a challenge now and again - a leap into an area of photography I haven't done much of.  So when the owner of a travelling fairground asked me to capture people having fun at his fair, I was delighted to oblige.  Most weddings throw up a technical challenge of one kind or another; mixed lighting is a common problem to overcome, guests' flashes going off can cause issues, very strong sunlight is less than ideal - the list is endless.

But nine times out of ten, I'll have dealt with whatever obstacles are sent to plague me before and I'll know exactly how to deal with them.  A fairground, at night, with very, very fast rides is a very different kettle of fish and exactly the sort of challenge mentioned earlier.

The daytime shots were challenging for other reasons - given the prevailing paranoia concerning cameras and kids, I was slightly concerned about wandering around taking photos of other peoples' children.  So I borrowed a hi-viz waistcoat from the security guys and just got on with it.  I needn't have worried - within a few minutes I was being repeatedly pestered by 12 year olds high on candy floss and adrenaline, all wanting their photo taken.  When it came to smaller kids on rides, I simply asked mum and dad and all were more than happy.  Phew.

Here are some of the photos...

Oh, did I mention that a couple of the crew from Geordie Shore turned up to film for the show?  No?  Well they did.  The poor guys were immediately surrounded by a shoal of teeny-boppers.  They actually got a wee bit intimidating and we had to retreat to the car park and come back in stealth mode!

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Screeeeeeaaaaaaaam!  Screech!

And on to random people looking terrified.  All the night time people shots were taken using slow-sync flash -my wee SB-600 proved more than adequate, mostly zoomed in to 70mm which pretty much turns it into a flash 'spotlight'.

Rather you than me - this thing looked pretty terrifying...

Below, I bring you the owners of the Big Balls.  No, honestly - that really is the name of the ride.  Less sniggering at the back!

This one, well, what to say, other than 'Why?'

The waltzers (below) really were a challenge.  Lasers and flashing lights all over the place, dry ice and phenomenal speeds coupled with noise levels designed to disorientate combined to create a photographic nightmare...

This poor lady (below) floated away shortly after the photograph was taken.

We do this for fun?!

At this juncture, I got the tripod out and went for some long exposure, light trail type stuff...

And finished up at Penshaw Monument looking down onto the site.  Good times :-)