People reveal themselves differently within a crowd than they do in a one-on-one encounter. Within the energy and movement of a county fair, I am able to find moments where I quickly connect with an individual to create an environmental portrait, while also searching out and documenting the larger activities and rituals taking place around them.

I am fascinated by the transformation of ordinary farm fields into temporary worlds of excitement and spectacle. Midways and enormous rides arrive on trucks, assembled overnight. Bright lights powered by large generators illuminate the landscape, while the blaring sounds of music, machinery, laughter, and the aromas of fried food and grilled barbecue fill the air. For a brief time, these fields become places of celebration, competitions, and community.

Many families attending these fairs are taking a few hours to escape from the long days and hard work of everyday life. They come for the rides, to see friends and neighbors, play the games, to sit and watch a tractor pull, or to participate in the agricultural and 4H competitions that celebrate generations of farming traditions.

Winner in the professional category of Culture and Daily Life series to be held at the 12th Pollux Awards Collective Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain