The Photographic Journal

Five Days at the Fair

Essay 499 • May 2nd 2022

I spent five days photographing the fair. Delta variant was surging and about half the population wore masks. That number dwindled as the sun went down.

Among the animal competitions and fair rides people donned political gear as children roamed free with toy guns. One man bought three booths to tell people that dinosaurs are only a few thousand years old. A man soared into the air on a water jet pack in a pool next to an inter-species animal race track. I was surrounded by conspiracy theorists and reality avoiders and felt like I was in a different world.

















 

Chris Nesseth is a photographer based in Portland, Oregon. He is drawn to gatherings and anything where people are participating in their passions, from dog shows to religious rallies. He also spends time freelancing for a local newspaper.
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