Two Years, Two cameras; One Lens, One Frenetic (yet calming) Event

(Photo above from Welland Steam Fair 2025)

The last two years I have taken the Nikon 180mm AF lens to Welland Steam Fair. I meant to post some of the photos last year, but I didn’t get any further than about half way through a draft, so I thought I’d combine them into a post this year. I really enjoy taking photos at this event, and on both years I’ve ended up with some images I really love from an event me and the family really enjoy attending!

This is going to be a fairly image heavy post. I have more to say about the camera kit, but I’m going to share those thoughts in a separate post. Last year it was with the lens on the Nikon Df and this year it was on the Monster Adapter on the Zf. Since I’m writing a series about the adapter, it makes sense to keep those thoughts elsewhere. Actually, not least as I’d like to keep this post almost entirely about the photography.

Going back three years, I photographed the event with my 85mm lens. I think this was around the time I’d really started to realise just how much short telephoto lenses feel like cheating (in a good way) to me. They are so much easier than wider angle lenses when it comes to both creating aesthetically pleasing images and telling stories – in my opinion and experience, of course – I wrote a bit about this growing preference here.

Welland steam fair presents a slightly different problem though, especially if like me, the main interest is capturing the people. Now don’t get me wrong, I find all the machinery on show fascinating too. The range of vehicles goes far beyond steam engines with all manner of agricultural, civil and military vehicles and equipment on show and being demonstrated. But, from a photographic perspective, I like taking photos of the people there even more.

The issue is that many of the people I want to take photos of are behind railings or safety barriers. Or at least, that’s where my thinking started. I wanted extra telephoto reach to give me the ability to capture the people on or using the machines, but when I got there last year, what I found was that I was also able to capture the atmosphere of the event exactly as I saw it – which I was quite surprised by given the focal length of the lens.

It just seems to work for me though. To begin with, I absolutely lean into the advantage the shooting distance brings me in terms of how unaware of me the people I am photographing are. Occasionally someone might spot me, but for the most part, I’m able to capture people unaware and so experiencing the event on their own terms.

Some of the photos feel like just straight up portraits, but even these – to me at least – have a vibe of the event. Being late July, it’s almost always really hot, dusty, smoky etc. and everyone looks in some way affected by this environment. Certainly the individual portraits I like taking are of folks who either look like they have been working on or with the equipment there, or are just taking a bit of a breather from the heat.

And then, of course, there’s the people using and demonstrating the equipment. There are various areas within the show that the demonstrations take place, all of them are incredibly noisy. Despite this, the people driving or demonstrating the vehicles always look so calm and relaxed.

Finally, I also find satisfaction in taking photos of just the pure atmosphere of the place, people chatting, spending time with friends and family, as well as little vignettes and shots of the various equipment and demonstrations there.

These images combined just capture the vibe perfectly for me – the 180mm focal length just seems to work. The event is big enough and the shooting distances great enough that I don’t lose out on capturing context, but the reach of the lens also allows me to capture the quiet within the noise.

The whole event is an absolute assault on the senses. You can probably see that this year was even more smoky and dusty than last year – probably due to the very dry weather we have been having. But it’s also incredibly loud, and there’s really no escape. What I think I enjoy the most about the place though is that the frenetic atmosphere created by the noise, dust, smoke and energy of the demonstrations and equipment is counterbalanced with a laid back vibe that the people bring. Some of this might be the heat, but I also think it’s because of the type and historical nature of equipment. This is essentially just a big event where a load of people just gather to enjoy their fairly eccentric hobbies, so they’re just there enjoying themselves in a place they feel at home and comfortable. A lot of the people attending and demonstrating at the event are totally used to the sensory assault, and can completely relax within it. As an outsider to that world, photographing it in the way I do, I find myself drawn into that calm too – it makes for a really enjoyable experience, both as an event, and as a photographic opportunity…

… the kids enjoy it too!

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