Big Hair & True Love

"Big Hair and True Love" grew out of the 12 years I spent shooting for the Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Among the series of events preceding the Derby were outdoor beer gardens with live music stages. People came to hear the music, but more than anything else to hang out on a warm Summer evening, meet friends, eat bad food, drink beer, and check out the opposite sex. The best shooting and the biggest crowds were at night, which meant flash. I also shot other outdoor events around town, especially the downtown Strassenfest and the Kentucky State Fair, both of which took place annually in late Summer, and had similar atmospheres, especially once the sun went down.

All of these photographs were taken between 1991 and 1995. I do not know the subjects of these photographs. Wherever possible, the titles come from the t-shirts people have chosen to wear in public, or from signs in the background. Any judgments are your own.