I spent a day at the South Dakota State Fair. I wandered about with my Leica IIIc loaded with FP4 but despite the crowds I just wasn't catching much. Partly to look for more interesting subjects, and partly to get out of the hot sun, I went into the cattle barns. They were abuzz with people scurrying about, preparing for the big contest (Grand Supreme Champion), and leading large animals to and fro. It was a mix of cattle, cow poo, cowboys, and pretty cowgirls! The light was dim so I switched to using my Nikon D500 with Sigma 17-50mm f2.8. I was finding interesting scenes everywhere I looked! Sometimes you just don't see anything worth photo'ing, other times the potential photos going flying past you like ducks on opening day! It's very difficult for me to pick just four, but I'll try.
1. Cow beauty parlor. Getting your kid's 4H project cow ready (here, an Angus heifer) is a job for the entire family. All hands are busy grooming, washing, and trimming. Discarded beauty products litter the ground. Most families have a "beauty secret" they won't share. There isn't much money in it if you win the blue ribbon, but there is a lot of pride to take it home, and then display it on your stall next year.
2. A kiss for luck. I saw a few girls kiss their cow (actually feeder calf of either sex) for luck while waiting to enter the arena. I didn't see any guys do that though.
I asked the kids if they had named their cow, and all had. I was surprised. Most farm kids learn at an early age to not get emotionally involved with the farm animals. Eventually all are sold and loaded on the truck to become hamburger. It's a tough way to grow up. After taking the photo, I told the girl that if she kissed her Simmental again it might turn into a prince, albeit maybe a chubby one. She blushed.
3. Little kid; big Hereford. It was amazing to see these little kids handling animals that were twenty times bigger than they were!
This little 4H boy was clearly proud of his 1435 pound steer!
4. The pay off. This kid came in fifth with his Hereford feeder calf and received a $20 bill and a ribbon. That's enough to buy a big bottle of "Mane & Tail," maybe.
These photos are of an tradition that is disappearing. As farms & ranches grow bigger and more mechanized, there are fewer people living on them. I saw corn planters at the fair that could plant 36 rows at a pass-->60 feet wide! Cattle herds on a single ranch can be over a thousand head. (There are 5 cattle for every human in the state.) As I wandered about I had to wonder what the fair will look like in ~50 years. I do not live on a farm but mix easily with the people who do. Most are friendly, especially at an exciting annual gathering such as the state fair. I had no problem walking up and beginning a conversation, usually joking around a bit. This quickly put them at ease as I wandered about the spaces tightly packed with people and large animals, and took a few liberties with where I took photos from. I think my photos might have been a little better if I used my flash (Nikon SB-910), but I was very hesitant to start popping off flash in a place full of anxious/nervous animals considerably larger than I, and only nominally under the control of 10 year old girls!
I did consider putting these photos on the "street showcase," as they are candid shots about the interactions in a crowd (albeit interactions between people and animals.) In the end I think these are a better fit for photo journalism. Any thoughts on this? Any thoughts on the photos as a group? Did you get a sense of being there from them?
Kent in SD
