Indiana State Fair Queen

The Indiana State Fair has always played an important role in my life. Until the pandemic forced the Fair to cancel in 2021, I hadn’t missed one my entire life. So, it was an honor to be selected as an intern in the Events and Entertainment department for the 2008 (and again in 2009) Fair. During my time there, I worked directly with the Queen Pageant coordinator, Bobbi Bates. I had photographed the pageant during my internship and I was extremely excited to be asked to take the Queen’s official portrait in 2011. Only a few photographers have had this honor, and I’m proud to have ten years of official portraits under my belt. Over the years we have evolved our picture day to also include some seasonal images for use on social media, as well as a variety of other looks for the Queen to choose from for her official keepsake print. I have also started to incorporate more conceptual images to coordinate with the fair’s yearly theme and that has been a lot of fun! I’m hopeful to continue to photograph and document these talented young women for many years to come.