The State Fair of Texas is a ton of fun, especially at night! I recently enjoyed walking around the Midway amusement park at night when the skies are dark and the rides are all lit up in neon colors. One of my favorite things to capture recreationally are the night skies and night lights using long exposures. The State Fair of Texas provides plenty of excitement at night with all the architecture, water fountains, recreational eating (I did my best, LOL) and the amusement rides. Watching people enjoy themselves and being happy is certainly fun too.
State Fair of Texas Midway Amusement Park
Speaking of happy, here are a few captures that made me leave feeling happy. I think night is definitely the best time to enjoy the fair for the sights, the cool air, and the food. All of the images below are long exposures to capture the movement of swirling lights.
About Long Exposures
Long exposures require the use of a tripod and ideally the use of a trigger release so as not to shake the sensor when the shutter releases. I did bring along both, unfortunately, the batteries in my trigger release were dead and I forgot to pack some extra. Never fear, thankfully, DSLRs today are made with a “mirror up” feature which allows you to lock the mirror inside the camera, into an up position prior to releasing the shutter to reduce any vibration. That was my back up strategy last night for optimal exposures. I also brought along my variable ND filter to tone down the highlights on the neon lights.
I think I did alright. I love the shapes the rides made with their neon lights. Aren’t the colors amazing? So is the food including the beer, corn dogs, tornado potato fries, cucumber and jicama with chili and lime, frozen lemonade, fried pickles and strawberry topped waffles. I told you I did my best to eat. Hope you enjoy the fair!
See more posts with long exposures:
