McHENRY — After a modest beginning, the photography department at the Garrett County Agriculture Fair has evolved from just one section (black and white prints) to the present-day offering of five sections: Amateur Black and White, Amateur Color, Semi-Professional Black and White, Semi-Professional Color, and Special Effects. The display area has expanded from the small initial display to the current display which is among the most popular indoor exhibits at the fair. As interest continued to grow in the department, so did the number of classes.
From the initial group of four, the total classes now number twenty. These include: Action; Animals; Arts, Music, Still Life; Autumn; Birds and Insects; Buildings and Architecture; Children; Close-ups; Flowers and Plants; Garrett County; Holidays and Patriotic; Landscapes; Machinery; People; Reflections; Sun Effects; Trees; Water Scenes; Winter Scenes; and Miscellaneous. All twenty of these classes are included in each of the five sections.
The class “Garrett County” was created at the suggestion of leaders in the tourism industry to promote Garrett County. Although the photographs are no longer used by the tourism office, this class has been continued as a way of showcasing the natural beauty, history and culture of the county. “Special Effects” is defined as a category to allow the exhibitor to apply any form of artistic expression to the photo, including various computer programs, to create a new, significantly-altered im.