When Andrea reached out to me, she asked if I had ever photographed a session at a fair. I hadn’t but told her that I was more than happy to give it a try. Andrea really wanted her engagement session to include a carousel and we worked hard to find different locations that would have carousels that we could use. After coming upon many dead ends, we decided to venture to the Minnesota State Fair for their engagement session.
What I didn’t know was that Andrea and Mic are State Fair aficionados. I’ve only been to the State Fair twice. The first time, my now husband and I met friends who go to the State Fair many, many times each year. I’ve learned that the only way to do the fair is to have a detailed plan and a really good mental map of the fairgrounds.
Luckily, Andrea and Mic understand the ins and outs of the Minnesota State Fair and were ready with specific locations and a route that was organized by the most important backdrops for their photos. We made it to the iconic State Fair locations like the Ferris Wheel and Sweet Martha’s Cookies, we explored traditional fair venues like the cotton candy booth and the arcade games, and we incorporated personal moments like the bench where they sat on their first State Fair date together.
I’ll be honest, this isn’t the engagement session venue for everyone, but it is a great option if you are a frequent visitor of the Minnesota State Fair and you don’t mind having your photos done in front of large crowds. Here are some tips if you plan to give it a try.
1. Meet your photographer at an easy-to-find landmark.
2. Have a detailed plan and include more than you think you’ll need, but don’t be upset if you can’t get through everything.
3. Trust your photographer to get good photos along the way.
4. Have a friend come along to help carry phones, wallets, etc.
5. Go during one of the slower times. Avoid the busiest days of the fair.