Our second day of Dallas vacation was all about the nutmeats of our trip there — the State Fair of Texas. When we visited two years ago Patty was all, “Oh, and while you’re here we can go to the state fair!” and we were all, “Whatevs. We’re not fair people,” and then we got there and we were all, “WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL US ABOUT THIS SOONER???” The State Fair of Texas is the awesomest place on earth, and is a photo hobbyist’s greatest dream come true. Last time around we had but one camera and had only been using it for about six weeks. This time? We came armed with two cameras (upgraded ones!), many lenses, and at least a vague notion of how to use them. (Emphasis there on “vague”. Seriously, we don’t have a clue.) And we timed our trip to get a sunset ride on the Texas Star (except Schnookie’s tendency to worry about missing shit and getting places way early meant we… didn’t see the sunset on the Texas Star), and an evening spent taking pictures of bright lights on the midway. Oh, and somewhere in there, we ate fried food. Oh, and before we went to the fair? We went to Stars practice. Yeah, we know how to live. Here’s a sampling of our pictures.
Practice through the fisheye, by Schnookie
Deep fried beer, with Big Tex bokeh. It’s a preztel-dough ravioli, essentially, filled with warm beer. It was worth being able to say we tried it, but probably not worth ever eating again.
Deep fried latte and deep fried frozen margarita. Both are truly excellent foodstuffs. Seriously. Try them as soon as you can.
The swing ride thing lit up, by Schnookie
The swing ride thing, bokeh-style, by Pookie
The swing ride thing, in the gloaming, by Schnookie
Ride lights and the Texas Star, by Schnookie
You’re a star, by Pookie
Love Bugs, by Schnookie
The swing ride thing, with Lensbaby bokeh, by Pookie
Pookie, by Schnookie
The Texas Star is made of bokeh, by Pookie
The swing ride thing lights in motion again, by Schnookie
Love on the Texas Star, by Pookie
Fisheye Big Tex, by Pookie
The love picture is charming-emotion as well as good photo.
The swing thing in the gloaming is awesome.
Love the love bugs.
This set is really fantastic-certainly worthy of winning a photo contest! (I’d be scouring Texas tourism and AAA contests were I you!)
Aw, thanks Sarah! Based on the photos that won ribbons at the Fair, I’m going to guess we wouldn’t be winning any contests… But after we get out there for a bluebonnets tour in a few years, maybe! :D
Thanks so much, Sarah! To say that there wasn’t a TON of self-congratulatory back-patting when we got back from the fair and uploaded our pictures would be a complete lie. We were very proud of our work! Again, it’s SUCH a wonderful place to be with a camera, though. It makes it easy! :D