How we roll for Strassenfest

As contestants waited behind the curtains for the announcement of winners, Hannah Welp, 8, and Sullivan Maher, 7, both of Jasper listened in rapt attention to contestant Ashlyn Ackerman, 19, tell them about her experience as a Little Miss Strassenfest contestant in 1996, where she was Second Runner-Up. This year, Ackerman was again Second Runner-Up, this time for Strassenfest Queen, and Welp was crowned Little Miss Strassenfest.

Landscapes, Colorado

Just a few landscapes from our place in Colorado. It's a pilgrimage for me.

Basement Weightlifting

You can't make this stuff up

Lindsey Schaeffer, 12, of Huntingburg, and her heifer Diamond had a calm moment before entering the ring at the Dubois County 4-H Beef Show on Wednesday. "She's calm when she wants to be," explained Schaeffer, "but when she wants something, like grass, she'll go after it. She wants her way, and she gets it." Schaeffer had trouble handling Diamond in competition, losing control at times, but determinedly made it through the show.

The Cliche

Pig Wrestle

Early Morning Fair

And then a cow got loose and I had to climb a fence. 4-H Fair!

Sewing

Greg Kreilein, 12, of Jasper, earlier this month put the finishing touches on the lining of a mouse costume he will enter at this year's Dubois County 4-H Fair. Greg's cousin Aidan Schue, 2, will model the costume in the Showcase of Fashions at the Fair Tuesday.
I loved the way this kid sewed-- with his forehead pressed against the machine, in deep concentration.

Enterprise

Kind of a rough day, for no good reason. Enterprise.

South Pacific

And this went in the paper.

The Blues

Backstage at the dress rehearsal for South Pacific at the Jasper Arts Center.

Queen

And then the opposite happens, and it's about the moment and not the aesthetic. Trying to bring them both together. This is the 4H Queen competition. And my dad, Alvin, was here to witness it. These girls made a pageant as fun as it could be, dancing in the halls and joking with one another. I do love this town.

Trees vs Golf vs Existential Work, via early morning

I was reading this old question and answer session with Michele McNally last night, directed by someone's blog who I would love to give credit to but I've forgotten. I read this, and then this morning took this picture early in the morning on the golf course.

"The most important work a young photographer can do is existential. You must figure out what kind of photographer you want to be, what do you want to say and how are you going to do it better than others have done before you."

Things in Themselves

Wylie came to visit Indiana, and we had a perfect, quiet weekend in a cabin in the woods. Fried eggs and local peaches!

4th of July: Goodnight

Watching the fireworks in Otwell, In. Sweet dreams.

4th of July: Morning

I have the flu, so everything feels mostly surreal, especially photographing the 4th of July in rural Indiana. Here is the morning take. I'm trying to shoot wider. I'm going out again this evening.