I’ve been waiting for results to post for the state fair in Puyallup so I could do a summary on how my entries did in both it and the county fair. Overall I’m pleased. Scratch that. I’m delighted.

Let’s get to the results, shall we?

First, to refresh your memory, check out this post to be reminded about exactly what I entered into each fair.

Two photos (out of four entries) have been accepted into the exhibition hall at the Puyallup fair (the Washington State Fair). Same as last year, though I think this year’s photos, overall, are stronger.   So, if you go to the fair keep an eye open for these two:

I didn’t win any ribbons at the Puyallup, but it’s an honor to get into the exhibition hall. There’s actually first-round judging to determine even that due to the shear volume of entries. This year they received 499 for the Washington State Photographers Exhibition and it looks like about half of those will be displayed. We’ll be going to the fair next weekend, so I’ll get to see my work on display.

I did much better in the Thurston County Fair this year. Last year I got two third place ribbons and one honorable mention. This year I got the following ribbons on the following photos (out of eight entries total):

First:

Second:

Second:

First:

What’s changed since last year? Well, shooting every weekend has helped to improve my general skill-set. I’ve also learned a lot about composition. And continue to learn. As well as light. And I did acquire that lovely little macro lens that I absolutely adore. This upcoming year I’m planning on learning more about landscapes. I love a sweeping vista, but my landscapes don’t feel particularly strong. Oh, and I switched to shooting in RAW and learned more about post-processing.

Post-processing is kind of the bane of my existence.  A certain amount of post-processing is absolutely necessary when shooting in RAW.  But, I’m kind of a natural photographer. I really prefer my photos to look as close to real-life as possible.  What does that mean? Well, sometimes the sky is not impossibly blue, colors are not impossibly jewel-like.  I did pop the colors (when printing) on all of my entries this year, particularly those for the Thurston County Fair.  It seems the judges really like colors that pop.  But, I’m only willing to go so far.  Gotta remain true to me.

So, that’s how I fared.  Pretty darn cool, huh?  I also got three second place ribbons and a People’s Choice for the dahlias I entered into the county fair.  I can’t help myself…I’m a sucker for a ribbon.