In the Field: Photo Blog by Richard Wong

Photography field reports by Richard Wong. Richard’s work has been published in magazines, books, advertising, and offers fine art prints of his work. Images may be licensed as rights-managed stock photos by contacting Richard directly at Richard@rwongphoto.com or (626) 422-6151. California stock photography, fine art prints, photo blog: www.rwongphoto.com

2007 L.A. County Fair

Posted on | September 19, 2007 | 2 Comments

There’s not really an appropriate blog post to follow the previous one, so it’s probably best to shift directions into a happier one.

Two weeks ago was the opening of this year’s L.A. County Fair and I went on that first Sunday morning. I had read on the website that there was going to be pig races every day of the fair so I knew I HAD to photograph that. I had never heard of pig races before so the curious person inside of me compelled me to go for full price admission. (Wednesday and Thursday after 5 p.m. is $5 admission compared with the $15 weekend admission.)

I go to the fair almost every year because I live nearby but there is always new stuff at the fair. Besides with so many people and interesting attractions happening along with the classic american fair sort of subjects, it is impossible to thoroughly cover the fair. It is one of my favorite things to photograph. Photographing the L.A. County Fair really puts a test on your photography skills because there are so many people and things happening so fast that if you aren’t prepared mentally then it probably will drive you nuts trying to photograph this event.

My approach to photographing people and events is similar to that of street photography photojournalism. My goal often times is to use my wide angle lens and get as close to the subject as possible without affecting the scene or moment. I rarely zoom in on anything, I just get closer if need be. I try to stuff as much into the foreground as possible and have a layered composition of related elements in the background. The goal is to tell a story in a single frame.

Barnyard Racers Pig Race at the L.A. County Fair, Pomona, California Picture of Barnyard Racers Pig Race at the L.A. County Fair, Pomona, California

What you don’t see in my photo is how funny the pigs were when the race started. The pigs just sort of stood around sniffing the ground like a dog until one pig would start running and they would all follow. During one of the races, there was a pig that walked around the track instead of running. The whole crowd was screaming for him until he finished then broke into a large uproar of cheering. It was hilarious.

An interesting aspect to shooting “on-the-fly” is that often times the most interesting details are of the smaller details not originally seen by the viewer or even the photographer sometimes. Many times the people or objects in the background can help tell the story as much as what is in the foreground. Studying photojournalism is probably the best lesson a photographer can learn, no matter what genre you prefer to shoot because it is about the art of visual storytelling. Good, well-versed photographers study outside of their genre in order to bring a new perspective to their work. Those who don’t seek evolution and are closed off to new ideas stagnate and are doomed to repeat themselves no matter how good they think they are. Look at dinosaurs for example. They are the most fearsome creatures to have ever ruled the earth and yet they are extinct. The little mammals who adapted from that era have evolved into the top predators of today’s world.

Okay, back to the fair now. In my previous shooting sessions at the fair I have focused mainly on livestock and a little bit of the midway carnival. There is so much more however so I plan to focus on “fair food” subjects (ie. deep-fried, chocolate-dipped twinkies) and more carnival games in my upcoming visits. Now if only this storm will pass through today so I can do some shooting tomorrow…

Click the link to see more of my L.A. County Fair photography.

Category: Fair, Los Angeles
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Comments

2 Responses to “2007 L.A. County Fair”

  1. bernie kasper
    September 20th, 2007 @ 6:44 pm

    More great info Richard, I always feel awkward shooting in front of other people so I have never really had any interest in street or event photography. But it is something I would like to pursue in the future, did you ever feel a little funny about shooting in public, and is this something normal or am I just weird?

  2. Richard
    September 20th, 2007 @ 8:10 pm

    Thanks Bernie. Well it never really gets easier. Just that when I want a picture of something, I’m going to get it. That usually ends up outweighing any shyness or apprehension I might have. It’s about blending in with whatever is going on and anticipating something before it happens. No tripods, no flash, etc…

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