I finally made it to the Scandinavian Festival in Junction City - something I’ve been meaning to do for many years but never got around to. I’m glad I did! Not only was it a fun and interesting time, but the people watching (and people photography) was fascinating and fruitful.

I used the opportunity to practice capturing people moments and gestures. Peoples’ expressions can be challenging because they’re constantly in motion and are usually fleeting. It requires constant readiness, careful watching, and quick reflexes to see when something is about to happen, quickly compose, and take the photo.

The most interesting of these tell stories. With photography’s power of freezing momentary expressions and juxtaposing unrelated elements, a story can be manufactured from almost nothing. The story doesn’t need to be true to make it engaging but, in my opinion, it shouldn’t dishonor the subjects.

I had an excellent time finding the stories in these photographs. I hope you enjoy them too.