District Fair Time!

[John Kasaian]

I was at the Feed & Seed this morning and found that the new entrant's catalog for the District Fair was out. I brought home a copy and it occurred to me to post this question:

Does anyone here ever enter their prints in local fairs? If so, what are your experiences?

I entered a few portraits several years ago (35mm) and while I didn't win anything I have to say it was a really fun exercise.

What I am very curious about is have you noticed any advantage to contact prints over enlargements in these kinds of exhibitions? I know that content is everything, but all things being equal --content-wise--would an excellent contact print be unique enough to merit consideration?

I've seen this exhibition nearly every year since almost forever and I've yet to understand what the judges are looking for a criteria. I guess that is to keep the entrants on thier toes ?:D

The minimum size prints allowed in our local fair is 8x10, which of course is right up my alley!

[domenico Foschi]

I doubt even the judges would realize they are contact prints, or most of them know what a contact print is.

[Jim Galli]

Play to your audience? 99.9% will be digital camera prints digitally printed. What have you got that looks any different?

[Brian Ellis]

I've entered things in two different fairs. Both fairs shared a couple common traits - the photographs were very poorly displayed and the people in charge of the photography exhibit knew nothing about photography. I've seen some outstanding work submitted in these fairs but you had to hunt to find it since all the photographs were jammed together on a couple walls, almost from floor to ceiling, and most of the work wasn't all that good. I'm sure not all fairs are like that but the two with which I'm familiar are. The people involved with these fairs wouldn't know what a contact print is and there certainly would be no advantage to submitting a contact print vs an enlargement. In fact a big enlargement would most likely have an advantage over a smaller contact print though the fairs I know of place a limit on print size.

[Tori Nelson]

I can't speak for all the fair photography contests but I am very familiar with the San Diego County Fair (formerly the Del Mar Fair). It is the largest fair photography exhibit in the state of California, by a very large percentage. This year there were over 3,800 entries and at least 1,100 will hang. Most entries are from California but quite a few are from out of state. I don't have a count from this year but there are usually 10 to 20 entries from other countries as well.

There are many categories available to enter including 4 separate B&W categories and a creative/alternative process category. Digital images have their own contest although digitally printed images are allowed in the photography contest. This link has all the info about submissions: http://www.sdfair.com/fair/pdf/08entry_photoshow.pdf

The judges are all involved in photography at some level, whether they be teachers, professional photographers, printers, camera store owners etc. This year there were 10 3 judge panels. Each judge is given cards numbered 1-5 and will hold up one card for each image shown. The numbers are added up and a score is recorded on the entry list and on the back of the image. 1st through 4th place are picked by these same judges from the highest scorers in that category and honorable mentions are given to any images of the judges choosing. There is no limit to HM's given.

The panel I served on judged B&W Scenic, B&W Portraits, B&W Architecture and Cityscape, B&W Nature, Other and Creative/Alternative process. I won't say we were ruthless but the judging was tough. Printing was a very high priority to us! If it "looked" like a digital print, it wasn't going to hang, with rare exception. I am in no way an expert but one of the other judges on my panel was Gene Nocon, a master printer and a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society among other titles. I can assure you that he most definitely knows a contact print when he sees one.

I would invite anyone who is in the area between now and July 6th to check out the exhibit at the fair, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.

[Turner Reich]

Yes quite a long time ago but the show is the same with the exception of a digital section. It's a PPA show so there are photographs from all over the world and some are damm good, all are quite nice. Lots of categories and all are judged.

If you feel so inclined go ahead, see if you win the best of show or a blue ribbon, judges choice etc..

[Mark Sawyer]

At the Pima County Fair (in southern Arizona), the categories seem to be Cutest Kid, Cutest Pet, Most Wildflowers in a Single Frame, and Most Saturated Color in a Sunset. Pretty much everything that doesn't place gets an honorable mention.

If only I were a famous and cynical art photographer, I suppose I'd enter, just to list a "County Fair Honorable Mention" on the resume, maybe in between a solo show at the Met and a retrospective at MoMA...

[shmoo]

The Los Angeles County Fairplex is one of the better "fair" shows. It's run by the Millard Sheets Gallery and is one of the tougher shows in which to get shown, but I think the quality is there. A lot of pros and students get shown.