Fond memories of the Rock County 4-H Fair

Photograph of Rock County 4-H Fair Taken 7-26-12 The Rock County 4-H Fair has now come and gone. The annual fair occurs at the end of July each year. I anticipate the fair each summer and regard it as the pinnacle of the summer season. Unfortunately, August sets in immediately at the end of the fair and back to school ads begin to dominate advertising everywhere. 

This year, I had a blast at the fair: I spent almost everyday out there taking photographs. I am reminded of growing up in Fond du Lac County where I loved going out to the fair as often as I could snag a ride into and out of town. But this year was different: I was at the fair to take photos of all the activities. Naturally, I gravitated to the stock barn for many of the judging events. As the days passed by, I found that I started to recognize all of the kids--after all, I had taken many photos and several of the 4-Hers participated in quite a few contests. 

What struck me is the hard work and dedication that these kids put into whatever activity they were in. Moreover, the amount of respect given to the judges made a lasting memory on me that I don't think a photo could ever capture. While taking photos of the rabbit judging, for example, I struck up a conversation with a woman that was standing next to me. She pointed out her daughter, who was showing three New Zealand White rabbits from behind three long tables placed end to end. The young girl won a trophy for her rabbits. No sooner was the trophy in her hands before she handed it off to someone else and walked all the way down to the end of the table, crossed to the other side, and then walked all the way back down to catch a somewhat startled judge. The young girl took the judges hand, shook it, and thanked her for the award. The judge, trying to remain composed, said something about the rabbits being the best she's seen. 

The second the young girl walked away, the judge, who was an older lady, turned her face away. But when she turned her face it happened to be towards me. On her face, which I gather does not show much expression, she briefly wore a smile bigger than any young kid on a midway ride. 

Fleeting moments like this, and capturing those moments in a photo, are the very attraction of photography, at least for this photographer. I posted almost 4000 photos from the fair in the clients section of this web site in the "Rock County 4-H Fair" collection. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Jason Mielke