Why Fairgrounds Make an Ideal Winter Photography Subject

Fairgrounds tend to be mainly associated with summer time, when they are filled with hustle and bustle, screams and laughter, thrills and spills. I almost never photograph fairgrounds in summer, and if I do, it’s in early morning when the funfair is closed.

But winter is different. While some fairgrounds may open for the winter holiday season, many of them lie empty and silent, a complete contrast to how funfairs are meant to be.

But empty fairgrounds make ideal subjects for photography. They are full of shapes, colours, patterns and different structures. By their very nature they aim to be eye catching, so even when abandoned for the season they retain their attraction, adding to their potential as photography subjects.

On two recent winter mornings I strolled around an empty fairground on the lookout for potential images. I embraced the vibrant colours of the different parts of the fairground but I also tried to embrace the weather conditions which were dull and bleak, and place the fairground in that context. The use of black and white was effective to create this effect, as was shooting into the early morning winter sun on day two, creating silhouettes reaching up to the winter sky.

Although my photography sessions were somewhat rushed during these times, I still enjoyed the outings. I felt that, in a way, I was capturing a winter fairground narrative—a tale of silence and emptiness now, yet one that also held the potential for fun and laughter at another time.

Here are some of the images I captured.

I think monochrome works well for this image.

I like the way the sun catches the seats of the big wheel although I could have done more with the editing.

There is something about this image that appeals to me. I think it's the combination of different shapes and the colour palette of various shades of blue/grey. The shapes and colours work well together, in my opinion.

Final Thoughts

Although an empty fairground does have great potential for photography, I found it somewhat challenging to discover good compositions. I tried to be creative rather than just take snapshots. As well as some establishing shots I took some close-up, detailed images and some abstract ones. However, I felt somewhat outside of my comfort zone and was not sure that any of them really succeeded.

Maybe there was too much choice and I wasn’t able to isolate a subject, but I experimented with different ideas and ended up with a few images I was pleased with.

My key takeaway is that it's always beneficial to challenge yourself in photography, to step outside your comfort zone and try something new, even if it proves difficult.