Tuesday night. Finished up all my things at the day job, jumped into my Chevrolet and drove up I-87.
On a Tuesday night.
Why not?
Well, the plan is to see how my nine artworks did at the Saratoga County Fair’s Photography Competition. This is my first year entering this show, so this is a whole new territory for me.
The Saratoga County Fair is tucked into a shaded wood in Ballston Spa, and all I have to do is find some available parking.
There were plenty of “park in my front yard” $5 parking spots along Prospect Road, and I took advantage of one. Of course, if I drove just another few feet, I would have found the Fair’s own “free parking” lot. Oh well.
Now to enter the Fairgrounds.
These are the artworks I submitted. I have nine chances to pick up some silk here. Now if awards are offered, they are for certain categories, but a person must enter only one photo in a specific category, up to nine total entries. I can’t cram nine flower photos into the show; I have to spread them across various categories.
And with that in mind … These were my nine entries.
Of these nine submissions, two have claimed silk before – 17 Jewel Movement got an honorable mention in Iowa in 2024; Soaring on a Manhattan Morning claimed a blue at the Big E. That being said, three other photos – A CO Railfan’s Dream, Herbie Jr. :v) Was Here, and a non-lenticular shot of The Shooting Star – were entered in Iowa this year, but all three were turned away. Nertz.
Okay, now all I have to do is enter the Lewis Building on the Saratoga County Fairgrounds and …
No. I drove all the way up here, I can’t just barge into the building and see my work and then go home. That’s not how it’s done.
And if you’ve read my blog for any discernable period of time, you know that I have specific traditions and rules. Before entering the art building at the Altamont Fair, I must stop at an eatery named Josie’s and eat at least $15 of food. Before entering the Harriet May Mills Art Center at the New York State Fair, I must walk around the Fairgrounds until at least 1:00 p.m. And before entering the New England Center at the Big E, I must visit the Agawam Lion’s Club charity breakfast booth and purchase a bacon egg and cheese on a toasted English muffin.
So, yeah. I need a tradition of some sort.
Looked around at some fair food options. Kind of the usual offerings here. Eventually went for a fish fry from a Ted’s Fish Fry food truck.
Walked back towards the Lewis Building, and saw –
Wait, is that a walk-in bird feeding station?
Ah, why not. I walked in. There were about three dozen parakeets in the walk-in cage. And for $3, I could take a peant-butter-and-bird-seed stick and offer it to the birds for food.
They took to it like it was their last meal.
I should note that feeding the birds does not cost tuppence a bag – more like $3 for a schmeer of bird seed and peanut butter. Oh yeah, and a hand-washing afterward when one of these parakeets “blessed” my hand afterwards. Did you know that birds do NOT have sphincter muscles? I found that out pretty quickly.
Okay. Time to go to the Lewis Building and see how my artworks performed.
Let’s see. Look, there’s my macro photo, 17 Jewel Movement. And it has …
No ribbon. Nuts. Well, it did pick up a silk two years ago at Iowa, maybe it just needed a winding.
Let’s try the flower shot of those three cactus blooms.
And …
Yeah, nothing here.
Third photo. The Union Bee. Give me some love… and …
Um … I wouldn’t mind this, but they hung the photo sideways. Dang it. Three whiffs.
Maybe my film shot at Saratoga Harness … come on, down the stretch they come … and …
Nuts. I think it broke stride.
That’s four whiffs. I’ve entered nine pictures. Come on. Come on. The Shooting Star has to claim something … right?
Ugh. This is not my day. Oh well. Four photos left. Deep breath. Let’s hope for some success.
And … how about the Union Pacific 4014 Big boy shot from East Bethany NY? First time showing it, maybe, maybe, maybe …
Now we’re talking. Second place in its category, first time showing this photo in competition. Excellent.
Hey, over there is my reverse Manhattan-henge shot Soaring on a Manhattan Morning. That’s the only photo to claim a blue ribbon for me last year, a blue silk at the Big E … and here we go … give me some love here … and …
Now that’s more like it! A second blue for this sharp shot!!
My next chance might be A CO Railfan’s Dream, my mixture of digital and film of the Saratoga, Corinth & Hudson Railroad shot across the Sacandaga River. Looking for a chance. Looking for some hope. Looking, looking, looking, and … and … and …
Yeah! First place in its category, first silk for this capture!! This works for me!!
One photo left. My macro shot of the dead wax graffiti in a 12-inch dance record. And it’s over here … and …
Nuts. It’s hanging upside down. I ask a fair volunteer to rotate the picture to its proper orientation, and in doing so … look what fell out.
There we go!! Herbie Jr snagged its first blue!
Now we’re talking here!
Three blue ribbons and a red. Pretty stellar for a first-time entrant. Especially after I previously struck out like a fifth grader at a wiffleball pitch this year in Iowa.
This boosts my confidence. And with Altamont, Syracuse and the Big E up next … could some of these pictures get a second silk? Or maybe a third? Is it possible?
Well, hell, anything’s possible.
But this “possible” feels really good. And I’ll take it for sure.
Chuck The Writer 
Well done, Chuck!
LikeLike
what an amazing outcome, congrats! the suspense must have been building as you found each one, and what a terrific ending with turning the pic, and finding another blue –
LikeLike
Maybe if you shake the ones that ‘didn’t win’ another ribbon will fall out.
LikeLike