Steven Lang, whose photo “State Fair 2015” graces the cover of Issue 22 (Summer 2016), was kind enough to chat with us about how he was able to capture this photo, and what it means to him.

Steven: The Minnesota State Fair is the second largest state fair in the country (after Texas, whose fair runs twice as long). Its yearly attendance is higher than the population of Nebraska, and in a single day as many as 250,000 people can visit. The fairgrounds, nestled in the heart of the Twin Cities metro area, has its own water tower, space needle, and permanent police force. And, it is an endless source of photographic opportunity. On this particular day, I arrived early and soon exhausted myself taking in all the usual attractions (food vendors, cattle and horse shows, craft and horticulture exhibitions, games of skill, people watching) and also taking dozens if not hundreds of photos. It had already been a long day, and I was on my way out. The Skyride terminates at the fairgrounds’ northwest exit. By this time, my camera was put away “for the day.” But when I looked up, the primary colors and iconic shape of the cable cars made me reach for my camera one last time. I waited a moment for the cars to advance and took a final picture. Then I turned around and stayed the rest of the day. I still get queasy looking at those cables. I haven’t been on the Skyride in years. 

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Steven Lang was born and raised in St. Paul and earned a B.F.A. from the University of Minnesota. He currently lives just a ten minute walk from the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. He is a photographer and writer, with fiction published in the Milkweed Editions book Fiction on a Stick, and in the book The Art of Wonder, published by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. His photography has appeared in Der Greif, Momma Tried, Minnesota Monthly, and other publications.