Charge the batteries! Format and load the flash memory card! The Ventura County Fair opens August 2, 2017. Oh what fun! This year's theme: “Rooted in Tradition”.

In between my obligatory editorial photos, get out of my way! Day and night, so many photo ops all over the Fair!!! A photographic fun house! But sad to say... no mermaids.

Enter the Fairgrounds and you're on Main Street. Look at all the food vendors, from turkey legs to funnel cakes. I fast a month before just so I can feast at the Fair. BTW, capturing candid shots of folks getting their oh-so-scrumptious treats is often interesting. Food vendor's booths alone offer multiple photo ops.

Wait! How are you going to shoot those candid photos? Remember: “P” mode is not allowed! Do I want shallow or deep depth-of-field? I'll switch to aperture mode to control the depth-of-field by opening or closing the aperture. Got it?

As you prowl Main Street, you'll encounter strolling entertainers. Now I'll switch to Tv mode, shutter priority, and shoot at least 1/250th of a second because there's likely to be a lot of movement and I don't want blur for these shots. Also, a higher faster shutter speed will help compensate for my hand-held camera shaking.

Further down Main Street is Uncle Leo's barn with various farm animals. This venue never fails to delight. However, low light can be problematic so switch to manual mode ... open the aperture and slow the shutter speed to 1/60th to compensate. You can do this!

The Judge William P. Clark Livestock Center is just a little further down Main Street. Later on the livestock barn will swell with animals raised by the youth of 4-H, Grange and Future Farmers of America (FFA). More interesting photo ops. Are you getting the picture... so to speak?

The midway offers many opportunities for creative photos. The roller coaster for one example, shoot in Tv (shutter priority) mode. Increase the shutter speed to 1/250th of a second or faster for stop-action photos. Decrease the shutter speed to 1/20th of a second to create blur to represent a speedy ride. Pan - follow the ride - and shoot at the desired time. Note that we are choosing how we wish to “create” a photograph. We're not just taking snapshots!!! Right?

In every instance it's important to F.A.R.T first! (refer to last week’s column for details) Survey the ride... decide how to shoot it as you see it in your mind... and program the camera accordingly. Think composition, and frame your shot accordingly! The creative aspect is what makes photography such a captivating endeavor that snap-shot phonetographers are not likely to experience. Just sayin'.

Night time photography can be frustrating. The bright lights play havoc with the camera's exposure meter. Get intimate with exposure compensation. Take a test shot... chimp... and adjust for proper exposure. Hint, a tripod makes night shooting less frustrating. But don't be afraid to shoot many photos adjusting your camera settings as you shoot. Back at home, it costs nothing to delete all the crap. Getting crap simply means that I took a test shot and made needed adjustments to get the... ahem... perfectly exposed photo. (Another secret revealed... at no extra charge!)

Main Street, exhibitions, the midway rides and games, entertainment, farm animals, food... there's something for everybody! Oh, and the last weekend... the Rodeo! Always “exciting” photo ops!!!

See fillmoregazette.com for inspiration and ideas for photographing the Fair. Go! Be creative! Most of all, ENJOY! See you there!

Happy photoing!

Send comments, questions or suggestions to bob@fillmoregazette.com