How to Photograph a County Fair

Contributor

By Richard Burke
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (10 Ratings)

The County Fair

August is the beginning of "County Fair" season in Pennsylvania and in most other agricultural states. The fair is inexpensive, exciting, fun and one of the best opportunities for photography you will have all summer. When was the last time you strolled on the midway, saw a tractor pull or took a ride on the ferris wheel? In addition, you will see some of the most beautiful animals, taste award-winning pies, and maybe if you are lucky, actually win something on the midway. So grab your camera and the kids-and follow some of these tips for getting great pictures at the county fair.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A Camera
Sun Block
About $10 for admission

Step 1

The Tractor Pull

Plan your trip to the fair. They usually last for about a week, so you will not be able to see all of the events. Find the event you want to see the most and plan to go to the fair on that day. I had never seen a tractor pull, so I decided to go on that day. I didn't realize that it lasted from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. There were 12 classes of tractors and each class had at least 10 entries. That's a lot of tractors.
Step 2

Wheels Up

Start your event in the grandstand, but walk around to get the best angle of view. I chatted with a State Police Officer for a little bit who let me stand at the entry to the infield. This angle was better than the grandstand and I was able to get a couple of pictures like this one with the tractor's wheels coming off the ground. He also let me shoot a lot of video from this vantage point, which I will someday edit into a tractor pull scene.
Step 3

Photograph the People

The fair is full of interesting people. Most competitors don't mind being photographed. They are there to compete and actually like having their pictures taken. Don't be surprised if people come up to you and ask if you could give them a copy of the picture you just shot. This is especially true when taking pictures of livestock. People are real friendly at the fair and will tell you a lot about their tractor, horse or cow. Usually, if you talk to people for a while they will not object to being photographed.
Step 4

Look away from the Action

Look away from the action. Sometimes, the best shots have nothing to do with the action. I love the framing and motion in this picture of the judge's boot at the grandstand. They were having trouble getting the sled operational. The sled is what the tractors actually pull, and these two seem to be trying to fix it from a distance.
Step 5

Farm Animals

When you are done with the grandstand it is time to head over to see the animals. They will have steers, cows, lambs, pigs, chickens, rabbits and horses, usually housed in separate buildings. In addition to seeing the animals you can actually buy animals at the fair. I saw a lovely pair of saddle horses named Tom and Jerry on sale for $6,000 for the pair. Too bad I don't have a ranch.
Step 6

Prize Winner

This prize-winning steer was being groomed for his turn in the judge's ring. They had all his trophies on display from previous fairs. I watched them brush this steer for at least 10 minutes before I moved on. Once the animal is groomed and brushed, he will be covered in with a blanket to keep him clean until he enters the ring.
Step 7

Judging

Make sure you take in some of the judging. This lamb was being held by the owner in the ring so the Judge could see how pretty he was. It is like a dog show where the owner will pose the lamb for the judges so they can see the conformance and judge the quality.
Step 8

Food and Games

Of course, taking all the pictures makes you hungry, so don't forget to stroll the midway where you can find everything from sausages to funnel cakes. After getting a snack you can try your hand at the games and maybe win a Kewpie doll.

Comments

JasneJ said

Flag This Comment

on 8/18/2008 I love taking fair pics here in Pennsy. I like taking shots of the kids and their animals in the barns, but the light & the crowds can prove challenging!
See you at the fair!