For years I had always wanted to enter the Oregon State Fair photo contest. I had been entering the Lane County Fair photo contest for several years and the competition was STIFF !!! I think the best I ever got was honorable mention. I figured that you had to win at the county fair level to enter the State fair level. Before I achieved any coveted awards I moved to Central Oregon and Deschutes County. My first summer I went to the county fair and …. was disappointed at the quality of the photo displays. I could not say I was disappointed at the photos because all I saw was a jumble of poorly displayed 4×6 photos on construction paper with an occasional 5×7 and 8×10 photos thrown in the mix. I didn’t enter my photos in the next years photo contest…. Truthfully my photography had also taken a hit with lack of funds, a new hobby Quilting, and a new interest Volunteer fire fighter…. Photography was not on my radar anymore. Several years later I had moved into Fire Prevention and volunteered at the county fair at the new Fair Grounds…. One of the forest service Fire Prevention officers and my friend Karla, said lets go look at the displays. We wandered around and eventually came to the photo displays. My impression of them was similar to my first impression. Very jumbled, but slightly better at least the 4×6 on construction paper were gone…. Later that year our prevention co-op worked at the state fair and again Karla said let’s go look at the displays. What a Big Difference everything was neat and organized and while I don’t remember much, I remember looking at the photographs and enjoying walking around the room looking at them. One photograph still stands out to this day almost 30 years later…. A simple Black and White of a Calla Lily on a black background and framed with a black mat. Karla always said you can do that….. I will always miss her, but I still hear her encouraging me with that little chuckle she had…. You can do it!!!!
Several years later the Volunteer Firefighter Fire Prevention officer is no longer, and the quilting has been put on the backburner (maybe) but the Photography has come back strong with new equipment that achieves my photo desires. I had joined a group of photographers online and we participated in a 52-week photo challenge…. by year 3 I had made many photographer friends, and each challenge was a contest to see how I could do better than the year before or even improve on another photographer’s idea….
This was one of my favorite photos. It was a layering technique that I had planned out. I knew that this prescribed burn was going to happen, near my home and when they lit up the fire, I was able to take a photo of the smoke column rising over North Sister, from the front of my house. Later in the day I went down to the fire and photographed it from the road while the wildland firefighters were working on the mop up… I used the photos for two different weekly competitions. I was encouraged by Neil, Maryanne, Nicole, Jim, David….. and many other people in the group… While I was active in the photo challenge, I looked up what it would take to enter the Deschutes Co. Fair and the Oregon State Fair. I found the county fair was a jumble but easy to understand, with many different categories. Way too many categories…. The State fair I saw 4 categories and one special category. I really didn’t understand what they wanted….. So I did nothing. My printer had run out of ink during the covid pandemic and when I did get new ink it would not work with my laptop or my new desktop computer. They were not communicating.
Over time my interest in the 52 week contest had waned and many of my biggest supporters had also lost interest. I looked for a different social atmosphere and a way to get exercise…. I joined a swimming pool class that looked fun and after about a year was invited to join a group of ladies called the Pool Pals. A variety of ladies with a wide variety of experiences. Also, we all had similar political interest…. When the current president was elected there was a lot of shock and disbelief…. There are many different levels of activism within this group of ladies, and I admit I am one of the lowest …. I really don’t like to go to rallies…. I chose to use my camera as my protest…. I also like to go hiking or even walking, so 4 of us gelled and started hiking at least when we could… Thanks for those hikes, Susan H, Robin, and Geri…. for me those hikes are a support that say, “You can do this”…. A quiet affirmation that getting out and taking photos, walking and talking with friends is a powerful thing…
I bought a Constitution of the United States booklet and the parchment paper style printed documents that included The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights….
Adding a faded flag that I had hung during COVID pandemic. I photographed them, I even had notecards made from them. I wanted to submit that original photograph to one of the fairs but for the county fair I needed to get my photo printer working, for the State fair I needed to decide on what I was going to submit and it had to be done in by July 20th. Then I had to make sure I could print them. I missed the deadline for the county because I hit a snag with the printer. I had it working a couple days later. I did get the 3 photographs that I had chosen to enter the State Fair in. I waited until the last day and just before I was ready to submit I rephotographed the flag constitution photo without the booklet.
In my mind I could hear the encouragement of the many friends, saying ” You can do this”,” Just Do It”,” I dare Ya…..” I think the last phrase is my Friend Lynne, I don’t think she actually said it, but she has that twinkle in her persona that could have…
This is a long post, and you will notice there are only 3 photos. These are the photos I submitted to the Oregon State Fair in my first ever entry…. The first photo did not get accepted; I knew that the competition for that entry would be stiff… But it represents to me the values of my friendships and that each of my friends, have provided me with the words on those glass beads.
The other two, the layered wildland fire fighters, and the constitution flag shots were accepted but did not win any awards. They do say to me that I can do it… and that I can “Up my game” in the photography genre.
It is to all of my friends I send up a special THANK YOU for all the positive you provide me and the inspiration you provide in my journey to be creative.
Thanks to the ladies of Cinco’s who have been friends for more than 20 years, Lynne, Marcia, Yetta and Susan T. always look forward to our morning posts on FB.
Thanks to Susan T who has been willing to go with me to Salem several trips in just a few weeks (still have one more to go). I only got lost a few times each trip.
Special thanks to Maureen and Vicky for making an effort to go to the state fair on the day that Susan and I went and met up with us in the photo area also the rest stop….. You really made my day on that rainy day….. I am not sure the photo section could recover from some of the current pool class hijinks…. at least we didn’t hold up the flow…
And Robin I am still working on that Question ” What if I ???? for Next years Entries….
Deanne Dements Photography 