MIDWAY

MIDWAY is a photographic series that explores the complex relationships at play within the chaotic, captivating world of the carnival. At its core, the work reflects on the divide between those who visit the fair—drawn in by its spectacle—and those who live and work behind the scenes. Through this project, I examine the line between outsider and insider, illusion and labor, joy and grit.

The series began as a way to better understand carnival workers and the world they inhabit—one that’s often hidden behind flashing lights and painted smiles. As I spent more time photographing behind the scenes, my view of the fair began to shift. Rides once full of excitement became massive machines. Costumed performers revealed themselves as real people navigating long hours and economic precarity. The images became less about the show itself and more about the people sustaining it.

My own childhood memories of the fair also inform this work—bright, loud, dreamlike moments that blurred into a kind of emotional haze. In choosing black and white, I aimed to move past the surface spectacle and into something quieter, more revealing. Without the distraction of color, patterns emerge, shadows deepen, and relationships come into sharper focus. MIDWAY invites viewers to look beyond the lights and into the lives that make the carnival possible.