carnival rides | keithroysdon

The Indiana State Fair brings summer to a close for hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers, who go back to school and jobs not long after the fair’s run.

The fair is also an opportunity for good iPhone photography.

The midway carnival rides are a natural photo subject. I’m pretty sure the Vertigo ride is new this year.

I haven’t found anything online that tells me how tall it is. I’m guessing … pretty tall.

The Freak Out is among the new traditional rides at fairs at the county and state level. It’s apparently a variation on a European ride called The Frisbee.

The Screamer is another new favorite.

If you’re more of a traditionalist, the Ferris wheel is for you. The first was built for the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893. The book “Devil in the White City” has some very interesting background on the Ferris wheel.

Sometimes traditional rides operate under a variety of variations and names, including the Matterhorn, also known as the Flying Bobs.

The Firestorm is a traditional ride …

So is the Cliffhanger, or hang glider.

If you’re in need of a more sedate ride, the state fair offers shuttle trams pulled by tractor.

And lest we forget that 4-H competition is a big part of any fair …

Working at the cow wash. Get it?

What would summer be without a county fair? The fair gives us food that’s good and bad for us, carny games and carnival rides – and an opportunity for iPhone photos.

Here’s a look at this week’s Delaware County Fair, held in Muncie, Indiana.

The last couple of hours of daylight and the onset of twilight is my favorite time to take carnival pictures. You’ve got enough light to get some details but a strong source of light to make for dramatic backlighting. Then, within a few minutes, the sky darkens enough to create beautiful artificial lighting photos.