A day at a fair is unpredictable, full of fleeting expressions, quirky details, and little surprises that vanish if you’re not ready. Capturing that mix of spontaneity and structure demands a flexible setup, especially when you want to move from candid portraits to wider documentary shots without fumbling with gear changes. That’s where a versatile lens kit proves its worth.
Coming to you from Michael Sladek Photography, this thoughtful video explores what it’s like to shoot an entire day at the Washington State Fair using three Sigma zoom lenses. The first is the Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 Contemporary, which Sladek used most of the day. The draw is clear: one lens covers a huge range, letting you grab moments without switching glass. That meant close-ups of barbecue workers at 172mm or framing a child’s awards ceremony at 300mm without stepping into the scene. The tradeoff is aperture: at 300mm you’re working with f/6.7, which isn’t ideal in low light. Sladek leaned on the other two lenses once daylight faded, but during bright hours the 16-300mm proved adaptable enough for portraits, environmental shots, and quiet storytelling.
The second lens was the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 Contemporary. Sladek used it with a tripod and an 8-stop neutral density filter for long exposures at night, chasing light trails and layered carnival movement. He described it as both fun and slightly addictive, since each attempt brought a different rhythm of glowing shapes. The last of the trio, the Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 Art, brought stronger rendering and low-light ability. Sladek paired it with a white mist filter, though he admitted the quarter strength was too heavy for his taste and plans to swap to 1/8 next time. With this lens, details like a quiet fairgoer’s spoon and fork tucked into a pocket or abstract bokeh shots of carnival lights stood out.
Throughout the video, Sladek emphasized how certain moments benefit from reach and compression, while others call for context or abstraction. He shows both the strengths and weaknesses of the 16-300mm, particularly autofocus struggles when tracking fast-moving subjects like kids on slides. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Sladek.