Now rodeo - That's just as much a sport as it is a rush for thrill seekers. Growing up as a "long-hair-hippie-rock-musician" during the 70's (and yes, enjoying everything "the 70's" was known for), rodeo was not something you'd find me doing. But, if the rest of my long-hair friends weren't paying attention, I'd sneak off and watch one once in awhile, if for nothing else than the spectacle of "...what the @#$% are these cowboys trying to do"?!! I don't pretend to understand how they do what they do, but I can understand - and respect, the skill and guts it takes to get on top of a pissed-off bull and go for a ride.
Unfortunately I wasn't a photographer then (just a long-hair rock musician that was smart & sucked at sports), but I am today.
So, here's a few tips I've compiled on how to get some great shots of those crazy cowboys as they enjoy their thrill seeking sport.
1. Use your ISO to its best benefit - Faster shutter speeds in low light. This is not a slow sport! Set you camera to Shutter Priority. If you're lucky enough to be outside in the daytime, instead of an inside arena, you may have enough sun light to get by with lower ISO's, but if not, bump it up to keep your shutter speed in the range you need to stop-action the events happening in front of you. You'll also, more than likely, be hand-holding your camera with a long lens too, so fast shutter speeds are important. At ISO 400 you should be able to keep the noise down and get 1/1000 sec at f8 or so on most sunny days, jump to ISO 800 and you'll gain another stop or two of shutter speed, and/or bump to f11 for a bit more depth of field. Though on most rodeo action you're more concerned about freezing action than what's at the other side of the dirt. But, on the other hand, that added depth of field could help if your auto-focus locked on the bull's nose, instead of the rider's. At least hopefully they'll both be in focus now. Experiment with how your camera's ISO range affects noise. Some are better than others of course, but a bit of noise is generally preferred over a missed action shot. And, that extra noise can add a bit more grit to the grit of cowboys.
2. Go Long - That is with your lens of course. You're going to want something in the 300mm f4 range for the most part, as most arenas are at least 50-60 yards or more across. A good zoom in the 70-300 range should do fine, especially when the action moves close to you, you'll appreciate the ability to zoom back too - Just be careful if the action suddenly appears as if it's going to land in your lap (since you are looking at it thru a telephoto), and you jump back into something, or someone you probably don't want to meet by accident. Which brings up another important rule for rodeo - Watch were you walk! Do the terms 'road apple', 'cow patty' or any of the other many names for fresh 'animal droppings' come to mind?
3. Start small & local. Your local small town rodeo is a much easier place to start learning how to shoot, than one of the big county or state championships. It'll probably be daytime, and you'll generally have no problem getting right on the fence - That much closer to the action, smell and dirt of this exciting sport. Again, pay attention to your surroundings, those are some damn big animals. Which, for the most part, are mad because either some fool is sitting on them or has jumped off their horse and is trying to wrestle them to the ground. These animals are moving as fast as they can to try and eject that cowboy (or girl), and/or get away so now they can chase the cowboy and stomp on 'em. Which is when the rodeo clowns come out - More opportunities for some great actions shots. All part of the sport - Hey, the animals what some fun too!
4. Auto auto-focus. Set your camera to 'servo', 'continuous focus' mode, or whatever your camera calls it, if you can. This mode will continue to track the action and constantly adjust your auto-focus as you're holding your shutter button, up to the point you push to trip the shutter. Remember, focus on the eyes, mostly of the rider, but the horse they're on or the animal they're wrestling with can provide some great expressions too. With a bit of practice, you'll be able to 'focus and recompose' too, framing the action for better compositions.
5. Keep clean. Not just clean shots, but clean equipment too. Make sure you have a lens hood attached. This will not only reduce the possibility of flare, but it will help in the protection of your lens glass from the impact of flying dirt chunks. Besides, it makes you look more professional and legitimate, so people will allow you more space for shooting (or bug you with a million questions about your gear). A UV filter is recommended too for that same cleanness and safety. Keep a small lens brush in one of your pockets, handy for those times you need to wipe off the dirt clods that made it in. One of those that look like a retractable pen are great. A lens cloth may scratch if the clods are fine or sharp, but you'll want one handy just the same. Another rag to wipe yourself off now and then will come in handy too, this is a dirty sport - Just make sure you don't mix it up with the lens cloth when you go to wipe off your glass!
6. Have Fun! Enjoy the spectacle, the food, drinks and the crowd - Which are always good for a few great candid shots too. Very Important - Don't try to touch (or hop on) any of the animals without asking for permission and instruction first. And, no matter how cool they look, don't buy a cowboy hat & boots unless you can really pull off the look and attitude that goes with it. It'll just make you look silly and piss off the real cowboys! And, I'm sure if they could, the rodeo animals would enjoy a laugh too if the saw you walking by.
Enjoy, Thanks for reading along,
Tony
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