If we’re talking NASCAR parlance, I treat Competition Season as a tour through the big tracks. The New York State Fair is my Daytona 500, the Iowa State Fair is my Darlington, the Big E is the Bristol Motor Speedway, and the Durham Fair is Loudon.
The Altamont Fair, however, is my Martinsville. It’s tight, it’s local, and it’s beloved.
It’s also extremely competitive. The top artists bring their works to Altamont for competition and judgment. I’ve been competing at Altamont since way back in 2009. After a few fallow years, I finally broke through with ribbons in 2011; later claimed blue ribbons with images like After the Rain and Washington County, 2:30 a.m.
But that was the past. This is the now.
As is my tradition with the Altamont Fair, I don’t post my submitted entries until AFTER the Fair opens, due to my not wishing to influence any judge who reads my blog.
A little bit about them.
WE SERVE WAYWARD STRANGERS
Honestly, I couldn’t resist entering this image. It’s creepy and it’s off-putting, and it’s local and deep and powerful. It’s already claimed a 2nd place in Iowa, and it’s being shown at the New York State Fair. And in anticipation of submitting this photo for other art shows and whatnot, I had it professionally framed as a 24×36 big-ass artwork.
AS SEEN FROM SCREVEN COUNTY
I’m really hoping this image wins some awards. So much so, in fact, that in anticipation of entering this image in other competitions, I actually sent a print to Artbeat Studios in Anaheim, California to create an aluminum print of the image. You’re actually seeing photographic reflections off the aluminum substrate in that photo.
PHOTOGRAPHING THE FIREWORKS
This is actually my lenticular photo from 2021. I combined six different fireworks shots into one image that explodes and morphs as you walk past it. And I’ve been waiting to share this image at some point. Let’s see how it does.
AMERICAN LEGION 927 SALUTE
This is my image of the American Legion rifle team who participated in a military salute during this year’s Memorial Day parade. And granted, I was on the fence about entering this photo, but I chose to enter it because the marksmen in the photo were all trained in the use of their weapons and were using them in a responsible manner … and I got muzzle flash on the last photo. Yeah. Muzzle flash.
So these four images are at the Altamont Fair right now. And tonight, I’ll drive over to see how they did. If you get there before I do … don’t tell me. Let me find out how they all did when I get there.
And here we go.
Chuck The Writer 
I don’t see the connection between your pictures and NASCAR
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Not trying to harsh your mellow Chuck, but I’m easily confused.
You didn’t submit American Legion 927 Salute to the NYS Fair because “without signed model releases for all five Legionnaires, it would get bounced from competition in a heartbeat.”
Is Altamont more lenient?
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Yes. You don’t need a model release for Altamont photos.
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