Meade County Fair Family Photos | Brandenburg KY Family Photographer
We Almost Didn't Make It to the Fair
I'm pretty sure family photos at the Meade County Fair need to become a yearly thing.
But this session almost didn't happen.
It had been sprinkling, the sky was gray, and we were doing that wonderful Kentucky weather game where you check the radar 47 times and still have absolutely no idea what it's going to do.
We decided to go for it anyway.
And I am SO glad we did.
This family met me at the Meade County Fair in Brandenburg, Kentucky, and instead of trying to turn the fair into a traditional photo location, we just let the fair be the fair.
We walked around. The boys played games. They checked out prizes. Dad carried one on his shoulders. They held hands, laughed, played and did what they would normally do during a night at the fair.
I just followed along with my camera.
The sprinkles didn't ruin anything. If anything, the cloudy skies gave us beautiful soft light and made all those crazy fair colors stand out even more.
Sometimes waiting for perfect weather means missing something really freaking good.
This was definitely one of those times.
Family Photos Don't Have to Mean Standing Still
This is the kind of family photography I LOVE.
Of course, we stopped for a few of everyone together because I will always want you to have that photograph.
But then we went and actually did stuff.
They played carnival games. We photographed underneath walls of ridiculously colorful stuffed animals. We used the Ferris wheel and carnival lights as our backgrounds. I photographed the boys' reactions instead of constantly asking them to smile.
And that's when you get the photos that actually feel like your family.
One kid is still little enough to ride around on Dad's shoulders.
They're still walking through the fair holding Mom and Dad's hands.
Mom can still pull both boys in close.
Those things feel completely normal right now.
One day they won't be.
That's why I love the walking-away photos, the laughing photos, the playing-a-game photos and all those little moments in between just as much as the perfectly posed portrait.
We're not creating a fake memory just for a photograph.
The memory is already happening. I'm just there to catch it.
Okay, Meade County Fair Sessions Need to Happen Every Year
I'm officially calling it.
Meade County Fair family sessions need to be a yearly thing.
The fair has SO much personality for family pictures. Ferris wheel lights, carnival games, stuffed animals, bright signs, rides, food stands and about 9,000 different things happening in every direction.
It's colorful. It's chaotic. It's fun.
And especially for families with kids who don't want to stand still and smile for an hour, it's kind of perfect.
I don't want these sessions to be about lining everyone up in the exact same spot for a few quick pictures.
I want you to actually experience the fair.
Play the games. Get the fair food. Let your kids pick out the ridiculous prize. Ride something. Hold hands. Carry your kid when they get tired. Laugh. Let them be weird.
You have fun with your family. I'll worry about the pictures.
So if you've been searching for a family photographer in Brandenburg, Kentucky or Meade County, KY, but traditional family pictures don't really feel like your family, let's do something different.
Your family session can be at the fair. At a creek. On a baseball field. Downtown. On your family's property. Or somewhere that starts with, "Okay, this might sound weird..."
Those are usually my favorite ideas anyway.
And as for the Meade County Fair?
Yeah. I'm definitely putting this one on my list for next year.
