Harrow Fair Entries 2016

When I was little,The Harrow Fair was the best time of the year.

We'd spend all summer making crafts and getting ready to bake entries, hoping to win a few ribbons come Labour Day Weekend.

And then I took about ten years off from entering anything, as I no longer had an interest in crafts, and the amount that I'd spend on pie ingredients in the hopes of winning that $5 grand prize just didn't seem worth it (plus, let's be honest, all the old ladies out in the county can whoop my ass at pie-making).

Then last year I decided that I may as well enter some of my photographs, because nostalgia and why not? I didn't end up doing well that time, walking away from the Harrow and Colchester South Agricultural Centre ribbonless for pretty much the first time ever, but I learned a bit about catering to an audience.

Of course the ruralites judging the entries aren't going to be impressed by a perfectly timed shot of Tim Armstrong jumping on stage when there's a guy with an acoustic guitar and cowboy hat right next to it. The Fair is a rural event, something that needs to be kept in mind when submitting these photos.

So this year I chose with a little more care, and ended up placing in two of the fourteen categories that I entered. And not only placing - coming in first! Eight year old me is beside herself with joy. Twenty-five year old me is like "score. That's like, ten bucks right there. I can get at least two forties of Schlitz with that!"

But it's still pretty cool. So here are my entries:

Night Scene

Ripples

Digitally Enhanced

Portrait

Music Expressed

Hats

Life is Good

Nature Closeup

Canadian Landscapes

Architecture/Machinery/Man-Made

Black and White

Abstract/Patterns

Explore the Shore

Fair Theme "Farmer's Bounty"

I know by now the anticipation must be killing you...Which two won?! Luckily, Dad and his trusty iPhone have come to your rescue with photos of photos!

The music expressed one I'm definitely pleased with, considering the fact that I consider capturing musicians to be my specialty! But this was definitely a cool shot of The Sadies playing at Higher Limits for 420, so that's even better.

The hat photo was more last-minute, and taken explicitly for The Fair, so I'm extra glad that this one got some recognition. This photo features my Dad's two Tilley hats - the one on the left was his first, purchased over 25 years ago, and the one on the right is brand new, a replacement sent for the dead one thanks to their amazing lifetime guarantee! (I wonder if I'll get kickbacks for the plug?)

So if you're around the fair at all this weekend, keep an eye out for my stuff! It'll be there until the event's end on Sunday.

I'd also like to give a shoutout to Mom, for taking time out of her vacation to deal with the matting while I handled a ridiculous work schedule. She's the bomb!