One of my favorite things to photograph while working for The Salem News was the Topsfield Fair. A community photojournalists dream, there are so many moments to capture from animals, to rides, to games and tons of performers. One year I was asked to cover the New England Giant Pumpkin weigh-off which is one of the most anticipated events of the fair because of the big cash prize that goes along with the farmer’s bragging rights. I couldn’t believe the size of these pumpkins!! They needed giant trucks to transport them and a forklift to place them on the scale. I positioned myself by the scale, directly in front of the digital reader where participants could see their pumpkin’s weight. I was looking for the reaction shot, photographing everyone who jumped and shouted for glee as their pumpkin took over the lead position, then quickly running up to each contender to grab their name before getting back in position for the next person. Getting a good shot of the winner was imperative. It took a couple of hours and the suspense was palpable. This photo was the winner’s reaction, his monstrous pumpkin weighed in at 1253.2 pounds. It still makes me laugh. Much more subtle of a reaction than many of the other people I had photographed but the disbelief on his face is both comical and priceless. Patience pays in photography.
