Renaissance Festival - 2025 - No. 3

WARNING: This post features a LOT of photos.

While I still walked away with quite a few photos, this outing almost not nearly as successful as I hoped. Part of the issue was just simply how crowded the place was. Not hugely surprising given it was the last weekend for it.

And I was able to find a couple subjects early on.

Including catching this one again, since she was adorable the last time but was wearing something a little different this time. I did take a shot of her from the side that I ultimately decided to not keep. Instead choosing to retain only this one of her, which is easily my favorite shot of the year, let alone the Ren Fest.

See where that cat is tucked? Let me reiterate what I said last time about consent. Initially I asked for permission to photograph her, but when I noticed the cat tucked into the front of her cleavage, I asked for consent again because I was intentionally going for a closeup shot. And she was okay with it. The out-of-camera wasn't this close in. I decided to crop that tight when editing.

But as I said last time, want to ensure you get great shots of someone at the Renaissance Festival or wherever? ASK. FOR. PERMISSION! Especially if the person you're approaching is also showing off some serious cleavage like this woman I encountered a little later in the afternoon who also readily posed for me because I - say it with me - asked. for. permission.

It wasn't more till the end - approaching 3pm - that I had far better luck.

And largely because they were all sitting around relaxing, not trying to move between different parts of the grounds looking for food or another show. And a lot of those I photographed were also toward the front area of the grounds, near where you'll find the children's area and the fire show, relaxing before ultimately leaving.

Speaking of children and the fire show... At one point I was walking alongside a guy carrying his niece - she looked to be about 4, maybe 5 at most. Dead-to-the-world asleep. "You have checked her for a pulse, right?" I asked.

Her parents somehow got her to skip her late-morning nap to go to the Renaissance Festival, meaning she was extra tired when early afternoon rolled around - this was approaching 2pm. And she fell asleep during... the fire show. If you've seen the fire show, you know what it involved. Drums. Dancing. Loud noises. Loud voices and cheering. And this little girl fell asleep - again, dead to the world - while that was going on...

Amazing where and when kids can end up dropping dead asleep... Anyway...

And there is another repeat. (What a year it's been for that...)

Abby was here with three other friends. She was with one at one of the standing tables, and the other two showed up a little later. Discovered she was a repeat when I tried to add her as a follower to my Instagram only to discover she was already following me. First met her six (6) months ago, almost to the day, sitting on a bench outside the Volker Place apartments on the corner of 3rd and Main.

And next year my intent is to buy a season pass for myself so I can go at least every other Sunday, along with Labor Day and Columbus Day. My wife will tag along for a couple of the trips as well, but with a loose ticket I buy as needed.