That’s right! What’s fair is fair and the Fair has come and gone! What? In a moment of temporary loss of sanity I let my friend talk me into entering some photographs in the county fair. It’s been ages, I mean AGES since I have done that! Quite literally somewhere around 8 or 9 years. So I spent a few days pouring over images and looking through the category lists and finally came to terms with 39 photos that I felt were county fair appropriate with a chance of bringing home some bacon! Judging was Tuesday of last week and I waited until Friday to go check out my score. All in all I was pleased. As is the case with any contest, there were some places where I disagreed with the judges’ choices (someone had an amazing bumble bee photo that took 2nd and definitely should have been 1st!).
Me crashed on my kitchen floor, surrounded by fair photos, on a pillow of ribbons
(with the Moose in the corner)
I thought I would share my Fair experiences with you and show you all what my winners were (and maybe the ONE that I was disappointed to say took home a big fat notta!). I’ll tell you what category & place they took and why I chose the image.
Color Brides: 1st Place
Chose because of the lighting and star reflections on the water. Just love this image
Black & White Floral: 3rd
Chosen because I love the dark background and how the lily really pops
(*note* as a general rule, we used to never enter lilies-they’re overdone in contests)
Black & White Farm Animal: 2nd
Honstly, I just love his face. Plus I like the Bokeh in it-his eyes in focus but everything else out.
Black & White Pet: 1st
My kids chose this…it’s their cat. I do love the image though…the face is not TOO much in shadow-you can see the details, but the highlights in the fur are awesome.
Black & White Architecture: 1st
I chose this image because it ties back to my Courage & Katrina project and I really believe this is a striking image. The tree and the building both so abused and in such a stark surrounding are very vivid.
The Tivoli Hotel & Little Tivoli, were the site of the highest number of deaths in one location in Mississippi as a direct result of Hurricane Katrina. The Little Tivoli collapsed under the pressure of the storm surge, claiming the lives of 9. Seen above-The Tivoli Hotel just before demolition.
Black & White Character Study: 1st
I chose this because the image is good technically, good highlights and blacks with a good range of grays…but also because it really does show the child’s character.
Black & White People Other: 1st
I chose this because it is just an interesting and intriguing image. This is Red. He is a man left homeless by Hurricane Katrina. He’s on the eccentric side, but full of life. He survived when his trailer home was washed away by the storm surge, because he was in jail further inland for being drunk & disorderly outside a casino the evening before Katrina hit.
Black & White What is it: 1st
(It’s looking down into an Iris)
I chose this because it’s beautiful and because it’s obscure.
The following 5 images were entered as a Black & White Collage. It took 1st place.
I chose these because they are beautiful soft images of a baby that are not the images that people normally take of their child. Together I think they are a fantastic set.
Black & White Bride: 1st
I chose this because of her eye. The look is so soulful and so serious.
Color Water Scene: 2nd
I love this image. It came from my archives and is about 9 years old.
Color Pets: 1st
Chosen because it shows the curious nature of puppies and because the reflection in his eyes is great. Also the background is not distracting, so that is a bonus.
Color Architecture: 2nd
I chose this because people rarely think of interior shots as architecture yet this image clearly shows the incredible architectural details of this historic home in South Carolina. The muted colors and soft light are just beautiful.
Color Reflection: 1st
This is a self portrait (duh!) that I took in Gulfport, MS after Hurricane Katrina hit. I loved that someone scrawled these words on a broken mirror. They’re very telling of the attitude and resilience of the people of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I chose the image for the contest because I think it makes you want to know the story behind it.
Color Misc.: 2nd
I chose this because I think its a beautiful image. I love the lighting, the color, the way the rusty old metal contrasts the baby’s soft feet and the dried up dandelion over to the left. All in all I love this composition.
Color What is it: 1st
(It’s hand sanitizer…no joke!)
I chose this because it is just a fun image. Good highlights and darks, lots of colors, and kind of vague in subject matter…that is, after all, the purpose of the category.
Color Babies: 2nd
I chose this because come on…it’s pretty flippin’ cute! I love the eyes, they really pop. The somewhat distracted look and of course the mess on the face really give the feeling that I caught him off guard. Besides, who doesn’t love seeing a photo of their baby win (I sure did with this one!).
Color Industrial: 2nd
This was a sort of last minute decision to use this image. I have very little industrial work, but this 1940’s John Deere tractor (photographed for my Born & Bred documentary project currently in the works) has a beat up old industrial feel to it.
Black & White Farm Scene: 3rd
Honestly, I forgot I entered this category and had to throw something together. I like this image because it was shot from a hay loft and it is an angle that is rarely seen in photographs. I don’t think its a spectacular photograph though. I would not normally share this work with my followers, it’s not up to par in my opinion. The lighting was too dull this day to get a really interesting image.
Black & White People at Work: 2nd
I chose this image because I love it. I love everything about it. I love the tattoos, the dirty hands, the old motor, the working class feel to it. Plus it’s my husband and my pick up truck so there’s a little extra love in there for that!
The only image that I entered that took nothing and left me disappointed was this.
I adore the colors and clarity of this image but I don’t think it showed enough of the flower to really win the category of Color Floral. All in all I walked away with a great memory and a healthy premium check! Not too bad for a weekend’s work!
I had a great time entering this contest again. It was a real blast!