I photographed the Mr and Miss Blossomtime Pageants this last week, which apparently, are quite the big deal around these parts. It was a marathon of an assignment and ran WAY past our paper’s deadline for print, but the presses were held as readers were as hungry for pageant photos as I’ve ever seen them in this town. I actually got quite a few calls about not showing one of the girls “complete face” in a photo (the first photo I’ve posted). I explained that it was actually one of my favorite photos, showing the anxiety of the backstage and something the public might not see at the Pageant. I was told by the last caller after I explained my position that perhaps I was getting “too creative” and that I should stick to showcasing the girls in the best possible light. This was a fitting end to the experience as it gave me a little taste of the immense pressures of the competition and what it must be like to grow up under the scrutiny of a stage Mom…