Luis got first place at the Maryland State Fair for his painting this past weekend. Unfortunately, if you are viewing this on Instagram you will need to check Facebook or the business website for a photo of him posing with his picture and the first-place ribbon due to the inflexibility of how Instagram works. Instead, people on Instagram get a photo of the giant Jigglypuff he won which I am sure his daughter deems to be the more important trophy he won of the day anyway.
Anyway, I don’t usually photography fairs. They are challenging. You are contending with either harsh sun or cloudy or a mix of both for light. Meanwhile, you are battling crowds for lining up a good shot while also attempting to protect your gear. You also have to keep in mind that fairs are laid out for the rides and the food, not for photographers so lining up your shots may pose a challenge.
That stated, there are a few things you can do to fair better. First, travel light. You want only the essentials and nothing else. Next, keep an eye out for less crowded areas and work when you got the space. I suspect with enough experience with crowded areas you start to develop a sense of how to work through them so as always practice makes for better shots. Also, get an understanding of where things are. You can photograph more events if you know where they are and get to those locations but also know you will be working around a crowd. If you want the best place show up early but don’t be surprised if someone decides to setup right in front of you.
A lens filter and lens hood gave my gear extra protection. I did a lens change out but ideally you would want to avoid it because lens changes at crowded events are all sorts of risks.