State fairs represent a quintessential American summer tradition, filled with fried food, carnival games, and the thrill of winning oversized stuffed animals. Photographer Carlos Gonzalez recently captured this magic at the Minnesota State Fair, creating striking portraits of fairgoers proudly displaying their hard-won prizes. His work showcases the pure joy and wonder that defines the American fair experience.
Gonzalez employed a distinctive photographic approach, using intense flash photography to freeze moments in time and create images with a traditional street photography aesthetic. He relied on a Canon EOS R1 camera paired with the company's RF 24-105mm f/2.8L IS USM Z lens. For lighting, the photographer chose the Flashpoint eVOLV 200 Pro, which is Adorama's branded version of the Godox AD200 Pro pocket flash.
"I knew that I wanted to strobe these portraits to make them stand out from just available light photos in the middle of a summer day," Gonzalez explained to PetaPixel. While he would typically prefer a softbox with a 600 or 1200Ws battery-powered strobe to overpower daylight, the photographer recognized that such a large lighting setup would be impractical for solo work at the crowded fair. Instead, he opted for the more portable 200Ws strobe.
The photographer's technical approach was both strategic and adaptable. He used a grid and barn doors for individual portraits to achieve a focused beam of light, while removing the grid for group shots to create a wider spread of illumination. This minimalist equipment strategy proved effective, as Gonzalez limited himself to just one camera and lens to keep his gear manageable while moving through the fair.
The combination of the grid system and the RF 24-105mm f/2.8's fast, wide aperture allowed Gonzalez to create direct, focused lighting that helped minimize the visual distraction of the busy fair backgrounds. This technical choice proved crucial in making his subjects and their prizes the clear focal points of each image.
Finding subjects at the Minnesota State Fair proved remarkably easy due to the event's massive scale and diverse attendance. "I just went out looking for people with stuffed animals," Gonzalez noted. "The larger stuffed animals always grab my attention." The fair's ability to bring together people from all walks of life and various age groups provided the photographer with an abundant variety of potential portrait subjects.
Gonzalez's subjects ranged from young children to adults, all united by their pride in their carnival prizes. His portraits featured individuals like Juan Antonio, 4, from Cumberland, Wisconsin, photographed with a bubble gun; Nevaeh Blackburn, 15, Tramaine Braziel, 14, and Imani Wright, 15, all from Minneapolis, captured with their stuffed animal prizes; and Maddie Hostetler, 20, from Andover, also shown with her prize.
The photographer's approach to connecting with his subjects was refreshingly straightforward and personal. "When I saw someone that I wanted to photograph I just walked up to them, introduced myself, told them what I was doing and asked if I could make a portrait of them with their prize," Gonzalez remarked. This direct, honest approach clearly resonated with fairgoers who were happy to share their moment of triumph.
Working for The Minnesota Star Tribune, Gonzalez had complete creative freedom to interpret the assignment's theme of "Prizes." The Minnesota State Fair holds particular significance in the state, prompting extensive coverage from the newspaper each year. Having covered the fair for many years, Gonzalez was confident in his ability to find compelling subjects and stories.
The assignment proved to be exceptionally rewarding both professionally and personally for the photographer. "This would rank very high in terms of fun factor because it's lighthearted and who doesn't want to see a person win," Gonzalez observed. His portraits successfully captured not just the visual excitement of fair prizes, but the genuine human emotion behind each victory, creating a body of work that celebrates the enduring appeal of America's state fair tradition.
