For the Townsman
The 38th Annual Kootenay Country Fair, will be held September 13, 9 am-4:30 pm, at Fort Steele Heritage Town. This event, hosted by the Kootenay Country Fair Society is one of the best family events held in the East Kootenay. There are many Sections to enter including cut flowers, needlework, baking and photography to name a few.
Anyone with a camera and an eye for what they like will take a picture. If this is you and you would like to share your view join us at the Fair on Sunday, Sept. 13. This is better than facebook or Instagram because you can win a ribbon if you have the best photo in your class.
There are some guidelines to follow when submitting your pictures. Make sure your entry forms are in by Tuesday, Sept. 8, 5 pm to be judged. Drop off entry form only at Top Crop locations and Cranbrook Photo.
You can also email your entry to kootenaycountryfair1@gmail.com
Photos to be no larger than 8x10 and pictures in collections must not exceed 5x7 and the collections must be mounted as one piece.
Your work must be original and not shown before at the Fair. Please make sure that your picture can be hung on the pegboard otherwise it may not be accepted.
The beauty of the Fair is that they only charge 50 cents per item entered. If you are entering the Section (L) for Adult photographers (limit three photos in each class per exhibitor) you can enter pictures of people, animals, landscape, flowers, plants and other.
Be creative. You can share pictures from your far away vacation or your stay-cation, action shots, close ups, that winning smile. You can enter colour or black and white collections of 3-5 photos. As well, you can enter a class with digital manipulated photos. There is a class for Professional and Commercial Photographers with pictures submitted in colour and black and white.
To help you decide of you fit in the amateur or professional category here is how the internet defines professional and amateur:
Professional: someone who earns his or her entire living from producing images.
Amateur: may earn some money — even a lot of money — but photography is not his or her sole means of support. You know who you are and where you fit. Please enter according to what you know.
Section (M) Junior photography is broken down into age categories 6-12 years and 13-16 years. In the age 6-12 class you can enter up to three photos in colour and three to five photos in the colour collection. Yes, six-year-olds have an eye for things they like and their perspective is unique. Try taking yourself to their height and see how different your pictures will be.
13-16 year olds can enter up to three photos in colour and black and white or three to five photos in the colour or black and white collections and they can enter the digital manipulated photo class. Teens have a view of the world that amazes.
The Best of the East Kootenay is a class in both the Junior and Adult photography section. Here you can submit pictures in colour or black and white of things that you feel represent the East Kootenay. Wildlife, rivers, lakes, iconic landscapes and more. Make your photos memorable, impress the judges with your framing, perspective or the silhouette of that bugling elk against a darkening sky. This class is sponsored by Cranbrook Photo and there will be a unique gift for the winner in each of the classes Junior and Adult Best of the East Kootenay. You have been challenged to impress with your press of a shutter.
The Kootenay Country Fair is a part of the BC Fairs Association. In October the BC Fairs will be hold a conference where there will be on display some of the items from some of the Fairs around the province. If you want your knitting (infinity scarf, hand knitted), photo (Birds of Flight) or arts and crafts (bird house, no kits) entered to win $50 and a plaque, you have to have entered the item in a local Fair. Photographers, if you have the ultimate picture of a bird in flight enter it in our local Fall Fair at Fort Steele on September 13 and see if you can win that cash prize.
All exhibits for the Fair, photography included will be accepted at Fort Steele Opera House on Saturday September 12 between 1:30 and 3:30pm for judging. You pay 50 cents per item, collect your tags and take your items to their respective locations. Photography will be shown at the Wildhorse Theatre. If you have any questions about the Fair and being an exhibitor in any of the Sections from garden produce to arts and crafts contact Gwen at 250-426-4953 or Trudy at 250-489-1956. They will direct you to the convenors.
Don't forget the auction of Fair items that takes place at 4:30pm on Sunday. Bring your cash and bid high on the pie. Money raised goes to scholarships.