A close-up shot of a Ferris wheel at a fair, showing colorful cabins decorated with strings of lights. The sky is clear with a few clouds, and the top of a tree can be seen at the bottom of the frame.

I’ve never been much of a fan of county or state fairs. I’m not exactly sure of the source of my aversion, but it’s probably a safe bet to assume it has something to do with mostly unwillingly going to them as a child living in small-town Indiana.

Despite my general disdain for a variety of reasons, I’d be lying to myself if I said I didn’t enjoy them for the collage of colors and characters they bring out—even more so when you shoot it with some expired Fujifilm Superior 200 stock from the freezer.

These particular images were taken at a small-town Ohio county fair, where we go to annually in the town my wife was born and raised in. Not seen in this series are the adorable photos I snapped of my kids and wife having a wonderful time on rides. But those are destined for the frames in the living room family scrapbook, not my blog.

An action shot of a fairground ride in motion, with chairs suspended on chains swinging out. The ride is multicolored, and trees frame the top of the image against a backdrop of a blue sky with soft clouds. A food stall at the fair with signs for 'Aunt Bee's Funnel Cakes' and 'Texas Tenderloin.' There's a crowd of people in the foreground, some blurred, with a focus on the colorful stall that also advertises deep-fried Oreos. A carnival ride operator standing at the exit gate of a ride, which is painted red and yellow. The ride is not in motion, and there's a crowd of fairgoers in the background behind a metal barrier. A queue of people waiting at a lemon-shaped food trailer. The booth is bright yellow with a green tip, resembling a lemon, and is set against a busy fairground background. A bustling fairground scene with a food stall in the foreground advertising 'Corn Dogs,' 'Nachos,' 'Tacos,' and more. People are walking by in various directions, and there's a colorful banner overhead. A dynamic image of a thrill ride called 'Freak Out' at its peak motion, with seats filled with riders flung into the air. The ride is brightly colored with yellow, red, blue, and green, and the name of the ride is prominently displayed in a stylized font with lights.