Another Fall Fest

I was trying to find inspiration to get through this Fireman's Fall Fest shoot. At our paper we shoot allot of "Fall Festivals" and just about any other "Festival" through out the year. This is something one can get tired of shooting... including me. Anyways, I used to work with this one photog by the name of John D. Hanlon and the thing about John, he used to shoot for Sports Illustrated, and other national publications back in the day when airline tickets were cheep and SI could fly you all over the country. Now in his later years he settled down in Canandaigua, N.Y. and was working for a chain of local newspapers mainly covering events such as this. (I wonder why veteran photogs do that?) What I remember most about John is the pride he took making each picture, even of community events such as this. However John's pictures, even of kids having their cheek painted, were always immaculate, well exposed, well toned, and color balanced and captured the playfulness of the kids and the fun of the moment. I often think there is something special about that.... and I don't know it yet. I see older photogs from me taking photos like that and treating them as though they are of great importance. But the conclusion I arrive to, is that those photos are important to them, to the parents of the kids and the kids, to the community it self! (I'll stop here but you see where I'm going with this.) (Above) Kids play in the mist created by Rush, N.Y. Firefighter Warner Wandersleben.