In two days the Carolina Renaissance Festival starts it's 21st Season, and quite frankly I am excited.  My first job after moving to North Carolina from Buffalo was as the Receptionist there and I love it.  I love the people I work with there, I loved that it was a seasonal position so it gave me time to do things like focus on my photography during the off season, and I love that I'm able to combine so many of my strengths and backgrounds into one job.  I graduated with my Bachelor's in History, and very few jobs actually utilize it.  There I get to.  During Festival days, I'd usually get to "go play" depending on how busy the phones were.  I'd take the time to photograph the various acts, and patrons as things caught my eye.  Being there week after week gives me the time that if I catch one part of an act that I want to get a photo of but missed the shot or an alternate angle (such as with the Falconry show), I have the opportunity to get it next time, and that's not something that happens with most event style photography.

This year my position changed, so depending on how much I'm needed I may be seen on site even more.  Keep in mind that when I am on site with my camera, I in no way am affiliated with the festival...usually.  With few exceptions I am off duty, and am simply just not going home, typically the Boyo and the Wifeling are with me (with their tickets), also enjoying the various entertainments the Festival offers.

One of the reasons we have gone to the Festival every year, and this started long before I worked down here...we used to go to the one in Sterling, NY every year with a large group, is to see the actors in their costumes, to enjoy the various stage acts, (if you're an English Major, which many of my friends are, check out Zilch the Torysteller...), and to generally have a good time. 

Every year I set goals for myself.  Some are more easily obtainable than others.  The first year I made it my goal to get at least one decent photo of every act.  I figured 20+ acts, spread out across 14 days shouldn't be completely undoable.  I think I got all but a few.

Last year it was to get the few acts I missed and to get more of the various themed costume contests, and patrons, which I think I was successful at. 

I haven't set too many new goals yet this year, but one of them is to get shots of some of the new acts premiering this year, either as stage acts or as Artistes du jour (I'm looking at you Angels and Castilles).  All in all I think it will be another wonderful Festival season.

Given that the Festival runs from this weekend which is the 4th, until November 23rd, I don't know how much I'll be able to post weekly.  It is definitely my goal to stay on top of things and post weekly as I have been, but I know that it is not always possible with the crazy work schedule Festival entails.  Especially as I know it can be difficult getting BACK into it after Festival is over.