L.A. County Fair 9-16-05

I like to shoot the simple things in life.






The fair offers plenty of opportunities for photographers including several photography contests. I found the Heritage Farms area to be interesting photographically with all the kids and animals running around.



The carnival area was interesting for pictures as well although I didn’t quite capture it the way I had pre-visioned. It was very crowded as it got later in the day at the carnival so it was difficult to get the right angles and moments in. There’s no excuse though for poor performance, so I will try again in the future.

The home and gardens area had potential with some old rusty doors and gardening equipment mixed in with flowers.

The California history area was small but had some of interesting structures and activities. Not on par with Columbia State Historical Park obviously, but this is a county fair after all.

The one negative thing about the fair is that some people get way too drunk. What spoiled it for us was when a drunk came up next to us while we were “talking” to a cow. He kept saying how he (sexual act) the cow and would like to do it to the other cows as well. Then he proceeded to ask me why I was taking pictures of it. Part of me wanted to say something sarcastic in response to his bestiality fantasies but I ended up just growling “Because I feel like it.” and walked away. His behavior was quite disturbing even for my twisted mind. The rest of the visit to the fair was pleasant as it was before the drunken idiot came along.

Remembering Great Times: New Orleans Part 1

Witnessing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast leaves me feeling very sick for my country. There is a certain charm in that thick southern air in New Orleans that I haven’t experienced anywhere else in my life. The town will find its way back because nothing can kill such a spirit. The people there have gone through so much over the past several hundred years and still manage to be happy, so there’s no reason to believe they won’t again.

With that said, I can’t believe the destruction that the storm brought to the city. Yes there were concerns about the levees’ ability to withstand such a hurricane for years and yes the people were ordered to evacuate but it is just surreal to see such an incredible city under water. Some of my life’s best memories took place in Cajun country. This past week’s events have made me treasure those memories ever more so.

The saddest part of this ordeal is that we have 100,000 plus troops stationed in a region that doesn’t want our help nor is relevant to most of us, and yet we can’t get adequate support to one of the poorest regions in our country. It’s pathetic. I can’t help but think it’s about economic racism aka. greed. Comparatively speaking, my life is a lot easier than a lot of others so my family has donated to the Red Cross for relief efforts along with 10% of the proceeds from my most recent licensed image.