They are days just like any other days, except they involve 50,000 people, livestock, music, carnival rides and food that is almost never good for you — it’s the opening weekend of the Georgia National Fair.
To capture the life of the event, Mark Johnson’s advanced photojournalism class at the University of Georgia’s Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication worked with eight professional visual storytellers to not just show what the fair looked like but to dive into what it means.
For 16 straight hours, students explored, interviewed, consoled, chatted up and documented the lives of fair-goers. They’d work for an hour or two and then head to a makeshift newsroom where the pros would go through their images, frame by frame, talking about light and movement and moment, helping them find the story of the day. When asked, those professionals – drawn from around the Southeast – would walk the fairgrounds and consult in real time.
This was the second year the class took on the fair and the workshop was supported with a grant from UGA’s Office of Service Learning and funds donated through the university’s Georgia Funder site. Students from Mercer University and Georgia Southern University also joined for part of the day.
Morning visitors arrive to the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Heather Fulbright, heatherfulbright@gmail.com)
Bryan Smith, 53, a worker at Gabbys Meat at the Georgia National Fair, from Brooksville, Florida, lays ribs on the grill before the gates open in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Emily Jenkins)
A line horseback rider outside the gates of the Georgia National Fair on Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Perry, Georgia. The Georgia National Fair attracts a large audience of both participants and competitors. (Photo/Lauren Taylor Watt, lwatt@uga.edu)
Carter Willard, 12, from Perry, Georgia, calms her cow, Athena, while she is being prepared for their upcoming show at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Willard has been showing her family’s cows for four years now. (Photo/Rachel Harris, rharris@uga.edu)
Carter Willard shows off her favorite show belt while getting ready for her upcoming competition. Willard, 12, from Perry, Georgia was among several competitors showing their heifers at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, Saturday, October 10, 2015. She has been showing her family’s cows for four years now. (Photo/Rachel Harris, rharris@uga.edu)
Carter Willard and her heifer, Athena, pause before entering the competition arena while her mom grabs her competitor’s number. Willard realized last minute she was wearing her number from a different competition, so she had to wait for her mom to bring her the correct one. Willard, 12, from Perry, Georgia, was among several competitors showing their heifers at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, Saturday, October 10, 2015. She has been showing her family’s cows for four years now. (Photo/Rachel Harris, rharris@uga.edu)
Carter Willard took fourth place showing her heifer, Athena, in the fifth heat of the second division at the Georgia National Fair. Willard looks at Athena as a part of her family, and has a very deep connection with her. Willard, 12, from Perry, Georgia, was among several competitors showing their heifers at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, Saturday, October 10, 2015. She has been showing her family’s cows for four years now. (Photo/Rachel Harris, rharris@uga.edu)
Darby Quakenbush, 15, of Banks County, Georgia, gives her six-month-old sheep, Roman, a bath before showing him at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2105. Quakenbush went on to win her competition in showmanship with Roman later that day. (Photo/Emily Selby, es10150@uga.edu)
Darby Quakenbush, 15, of Banks County, Georgia practices showing her sheep, Roman, before showing him at a showmanship competition at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2105. Quakenbush won first place in her showmanship competition with Roman. (Photo/Emily Selby, es10150@uga.edu)
Darby Quakenbush, 15, of Banks County, Georgia, shows her six-month-old sheep, Roman, during a showmanship competition at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Quakenbush went on to win first place in the competition. (Photo/Emily Selby, es10150@uga.edu)
Camrye Powell, 16, of Elbert County, Georgia, struggles to shave Tilly the cowÕs face before the Showmanship Competition at the Georgia National Fair Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Perry, Georgia. (Photo/Adrienne Andrews, ala1993@uga.edu)
Joan Couch, 75, a retired flight attendant at Delta, from Perry, Georgia, sits in her 1964 Corvair Monza with her husband, Tommy Couch, 73, car lot owner from Oxford, Mississippi, at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. The couple met at a car show and were married four and a half years ago. (Photo/Hannah Kicklighter)
A row of Chevrolet Corvair cars line up on display at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Savanna Sturkie, ssturkie@uga.edu)
Owen Pitchford, 12 years old and from North Hall, Georgia, leads Flo the cow before her Commercial Dairy Heifer Competition at the Georgia National Fair Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Perry, Georgia. (Photo/Adrienne Andrews, ala1993@uga.edu)
Fairgoers throw up their arms on a swinging ride at the Georgia National Fair Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Perry, Georgia. (Photo/Adrienne Andrews, ala1993@uga.edu)
Michael Armour, 35, a dairy showman from Cleveland, Georgia, shaves Cool Whip the cow for her showing in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Catherine Braun; catybird@uga.edu)
Claire Waldrop, 15, an equestrian from Oglethorpe, Georgia, prepares for a performance with the Southern Sweethearts riding group at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on October 10, 2015. (Photo/Catherine Braun; catybird@uga.edu)
Olivia Claire Moore, 3, a preschooler from Phoenix City, Alabama, gets her face spray painted at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Moore says she wanted her face to be painted to look like a tabby cat. (Photo/Emily Jenkins)
Feet of ride goers on the chairlift at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Hannah Kicklighter)
Makenzie Driggers, 14, a 9th grader from Effingham County, Georgia, her lamb, Calliope, and Driggers’ mother, Catherine Driggers, walk back to the preparation area after Drigger’s placed fourth in the 9th grade showmanship competition at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Driggers is new to sheep showing, and was pleased with her fourth place win. (Photo/Hannah Kicklighter)
Addie Bridges, 13, from Chattooga, Georgia, braids the tail of her cow at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Bridges is part of the Chattooga Dairy Team, which raises dairy cattle to show at the Georgia National Fair. (Photo/Heather Fulbright, heatherfulbright@gmail.com)
Travis Hogan, a 37 year old from Fort Mitchell, Alabama, holds his granddaughter TaÕliah on his shoulders as they watch the Mutton Bustin’ competition at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Jazmyn Wormely, jazmyn8@uga.edu)
Cash N. Merida, a 6 year old from Warner Robbins, Georgia, Emmie Kate Thomas, a 7 year old from Smiths Station Alabama, Georgia, Pierce Zohban ,a 7 year old from Kathleen, Georgia, and Swayer Fain, a 5 year old from Kathleen, Georgia, prepare for the Mutton Bustin’ competition at the Georgia National Fair Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Jazmyn Wormely, jazmyn8@uga.edu).
Participants wait anxiously for the Mutton Bustin’ competition to begin at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Jazmyn Wormely, jazmyn8@uga.edu)
Members of the group Phenomenal 4 take a break at the Georgia National Fair on Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Perry, Georgia. Phenomenal 4 advertises as “A Family Business for Family Events” and consists of four dancers in four different costumes. (Photo/Lauren Taylor Watt, lwatt@uga.edu)
A member of the family band known as Kazual sings to the crowd at the Georgia National Fair on Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Perry, Georgia. Kazual is a band of three brothers and their cousin that mixes the sounds of R&B, hip hop, and pop together to create the “Kazual” experience, according to their website. (Photo/Lauren Taylor Watt, lwatt@uga.edu)
The operator of the Starship waits as riders transition at the Georgia National Fair on Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Perry, Georgia. The Starship encloses riders and then spins them at a fast pace. (Photo/Lauren Taylor Watt, lwatt@uga.edu)
Susan Denton, 58, and Ronnie Denton, 59, both raised in Perry, Georgia, but currently living in Savannah, Georgia, wait for the 10:30 a.m. Tricky Dogs Show to start at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Ronnie, a former deputy sheriff, has been to the fair every year and used to work security. (Photo/Maggie Harney, mkharney@uga.edu)
Trenton Kelley, 6, and Cayden Cowart, 4, both from Andalusia, Alabama, enjoy the ÒJumping JumbosÓ ride together at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Maggie Harney, mkharney@uga.edu)
Leah Sirmans, 2, from Ocilla, Georgia, checks out the sheep as her mother, Stephanie Sirmans, 27, snaps a photo on her phone at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Maggie Harney, mkharney@uga.edu)
Jiles Coble, 11, from Waynesboro, Georgia, shaves his cow, Sugar, at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Coble has been showing cows for three years and recently won Reserve Grand Champion with Sugar in a competition out of fifteen classes. (Photo/Rachel Eubanks, www.rachel-eubanks.com)
Gracie Swain, 10, of Hazelhurst, Georgia, plays in a parakeet exhibit at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Eudora Farms, who set up the exhibit, owns a drive-through petting zoo to educate visitors about exotic animals from around the world. (Photo/Rachel Eubanks, www.rachel-eubanks.com)
Dr. Ronnie Thomas, a 47 year-old from Warner Robins, Georgia, grooms “Dixie” in preparation for the cattle show at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Savanna Sturkie, ssturkie@uga.edu)
Alexis Wilson, an 18 year-old food truck employee from Sarasota, Florida, makes a caramel apple in the Taylor’s Doughboy food truck at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 15, 2015. (Photo/Savanna Sturkie, ssturkie@uga.edu)
Jada Moore, an 8-year-old from Nashville, Georgia and Jara Hallback, a 5-year-old from Nashville, Georgia, take a break from riding rides and enjoy candy apples at the Georgia National Fair on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Casey Lemmings, cklemm@uga.edu)
Riders on the Agri-Lift at the Georgia National Fair on Saturday, October 10, 2015. in Perry, Georgia. (Photo/Casey Lemmings, cklemm@uga.edu)
Children ride the swing chairs at the Georgia National Fair on Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Perry, Georgia. The Georgia National Fair takes place at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter. (Photo/Jenny Goldberger, www.jennygoldberger.com)
View of the Agri-lift in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Catherine Braun; catybird@uga.edu)
Natalie Stovall and the Drive perform on the WDEN Stage at the Georgia National Fair on Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Perry, Georgia. The band is an American country music group. (Photo/Jenny Goldberger, www.jennygoldberger.com)
Visitors of the Georgia National Fair ride the Agri-Lift on Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Perry, Georgia. The Georgia National Fair takes place at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter. (Photo/Jenny Goldberger, www.jennygoldberger.com)
Paddleboat riders watch as the sun begins to set over the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Savanna Sturkie, ssturkie@uga.edu)
Visitors to the Georgia National Fair await to ride the Yoyo on Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Perry, Georgia. The ride takes approximately six to seven minutes to set up, so waiting time can be lengthy. (Photo/Casey Lemmings, cklemm@uga.edu)
The sun sets at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Heather Fulbright, heatherfulbright@gmail.com)
The Skyflyer lit up by the fair lights at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Rides are illuminated by the colorful lights of the fairgrounds throughout the night. (Photo/Emily Jenkins)
Harry Colbert, 59, a retired police officer from Macon, Georgia, looks at the spectacle of the Georgia National Fair at night on Saturday, October 10, 2015, in Perry, Georgia. Officer Colbert served on the force for 36 years before retiring in August. (Photo/Rachel Eubanks, www.rachel-eubanks.com)
Gary Hughes, 26, from Fort Valley, Georgia, dances and sings with performer Natalie Stovall during Travis DenningÕs performance at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Hughes and Stovall knew each other from meeting at the fair a previous year. (Photo/Maggie Harney, mkharney@uga.edu)
Lorene Welch, a 70 year-old from Wray, Georgia, and Glenn Pollock, a 73 year-old from Lester, Georgia, watch the sun set at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. (Photo/Savanna Sturkie, ssturkie@uga.edu)
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