PHOTO OF THE WEEK

-- Greg Fry

THOUGHTS FROM THE SCENE: Ah, the joys of the Orange County Fair . . .

a guaranteed annual wealth of images for us photogs. The problem is, how

do you make it different? Don’t get me wrong, the faces of children torn

between fear and utter bliss as they tumble upside down on the latest and

greatest ride always make for great photos, as do the dozens of other

predictable opportunities that come with each summer fair. But the goal

of every photographer wandering the hallowed fairgrounds is to spot

something a little out of the ordinary.

Lucky for me, that moment came when I spotted a young woman named Cece

Scott. It wasn’t Scott that caught my eye, it was the small, almost

toy-like white dog perched on her shoulder as she walked. I followed her

for a bit before losing her. Then she reappeared right as I was ready to

leave, working one of the game booths on the midway. And, yes, Rattia the

Chihuahua was still on guard, balancing between Scott’s shoulder blades

like an acrobat as her owner worked to create a neat line of stuffed

animal prizes for the throngs that descend the next day. I got my photo

and walked away happy, realizing that what I found was just out of the

ordinary enough to make a unique and amusing image.