Hull Fair is very much Hull’s thing, you either love it or hate it. It is old tradition and celebrates the last fair event of the year in the UK as all ride owners and food stalls go to sleep for a winter.
As a photographer, you go to Hull Fair to practice light movement, slow shutter speeds and nail the beautiful colours in the every capture. You can also photograph various food stalls and people behind the tills, pleasing every visitor with chips and mushy peas, candy floss and toffee apple. But once you’ve done that you have to step outside of your comfort zone and trigger the real emotions that Hull Fair brings. Or the gene of Hull Fair.
Even on the first Friday, you can see masses of people stumbling each other, not bothered about the slow walk and queue for food and sweets. And than what people leave behind them.
Colours, flashing lights, smell of urine down the back of the food stalls, balloons and cheese burger leftovers on the pavement.
I triggered my audience and picked the angle that I will use through out the Walker Street and off I go.
I must say – I was scared, but adrenaline made me not to care. I was geared up not just with camera but also with full beam Speedlight facing the victims.
I have recently been inspired by Martin Parr and Peter Dench to captivate the English, The British, but it can never really work because I am not either. But what I can see is truly mesmerizing, because this is bold culture in what I live in and even though this is not the only “face” of Hull, this is a big part of it.
Yes, I might be bias and harsh [with light and equipment], but these images are relating to our experience at the Hull Fair.
Tag your friends if you can spot them in these images.
ANETE SOODA PHOTO 