The 2014 edition of the New York State Fair is now underway.  Fairs are chock full of photo opportunities and this one is a gold mine.  Here are a few of my photo treasures from just one day there.

This year a mechanical bull named Wild Willy was set up outside, appropriately enough, the Cattle Building.  People could pay $10 for a chance to win $200 IF they could stay on Wild Willy for 8 seconds.  While I watched, no one got past 6 seconds and most, like this cowboy, flew off in less than 4 seconds.

A man about to be dumped off of Wild Willy, a mechanical bull, at The Great New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York on Saturday, August 23, 2014.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/320s, f/10, ISO 200, EV 0, 28mm focal length.

This is the second year the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition are sponsoring the Dairy Cow Birthing Center (click the link for a live webcam) which was very popular last year.  It is even larger this year so more people can see the miracle of a calf being born. None of the cows where close to giving birth when I visited but I did meet Sven who was born earlier in the day.

Dairy calf named Sven was born three hours before I took his photo in the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at The Great New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York on Saturday, August 23, 2014.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/160s, f/6.3, ISO 200, EV 0, 28mm focal length.

There is always a lot of activity inside the Pyrke House 4-H building at the Fair. Besides each county having a booth there with all kinds of displays, there are live competitions.  I happened across one featuring teams of two in a robot competition. The teams had a set amount of time to put together a robot to do various tasks.  While the robots were fun to watch, I found the reactions from the teams more interesting.  Can you guess what might be happening to this team’s robot here?

Boys react to their robot during a competition inside the Pyrke House 4-H building at The Great New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York on Saturday, August 23, 2014.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/125s, f/5.6, ISO 3200, EV 0, 250mm focal length.

With all the exotic animals we can see in zoos, the most popular ones at the Fair are the goats, sheep and llamas.  This sheep was about to be sheered for show and its wool will be used in making shawls in the nearby Wool Center building.

Sheep harnessed up in preparation of getting sheered at The Great New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York on Saturday, August 23, 2014.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/125s, f/5.6, ISO 1250, EV 0, 180mm focal length.

Even more popular is the International Horse Show running each day at the Fair in the Coliseum.  Breeds from the tiny Miniature Horses to huge Draft Horses compete for trophies and cash prizes.  Here is of of the competitors in this year’s Arabian Traditional Costume class.

Arabian rider and horse competing in traditional costume class at The Great New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York on Saturday, August 23, 2014.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/125s, f/5.6, ISO 8000, EV +1.0, 180mm focal length.

I have plans to visit the Fair a couple of more times and will be sharing more photo treasures.