At the Gay Rodeo, Part III: Competition

Steer Riding

Jove asked how I wound up getting interested in rodeo. The short form is that my father is from (and I was born in) a part of the country that is heavily tinged with hilbilly. We lived all over the United States, moving around with the Air Force, but country/western music came along with us wherever we went. Then came college and a long residence in Boston, during which time I was determined to purify myself of everything rustic and blue collar. It didn't work. After two years of living in Chicago, I started two-stepping at Charlie's bar. And then I made friends with my buddy John, a resident of Dallas, who lured me down to Fort Worth for my first gay rodeo.

Which is why I have now spent many hours of my life photographing gay men and lesbians putting underwear on goats. (Keep reading. You'll see.)

Shooting the competitive events in progress is the toughest part of a rodeo for me, and also the most exciting. Some of the challenge comes from shooting with a camera that has limits capturing fast action in low light. Although for fans and competitors it may seem that all is bright, my faithful little Canon can struggle to keep up.


Grand Entry: Trooping the Colors

Sometimes I like to use this situation to advantage, as in the picture above. The arena crew, standing still, is sharp. The flag rider, galloping past, is blurred. To me, the contrast makes for a more interesting shot than one in which everybody appears to be still.

I've learned to "pan" my camera along with (for example) moving horses and bulls in order to get the shots I need. This isn't foolproof (one can't always swing the camera at precisely the speed the horse is moving, while keeping it in the frame), but when I works the result is gratifyingly kinetic.

(Note: I notice with annoyance that both Blogger and Flickr [my two means of adding images] have a "helpful" image compression built in that squeezes the detail right out of these photos, which I've already compressed to my own satisfaction. Ah, well. It probably only makes difference to me. But I swear they're not so blurry as they appear.)


Barrel Racing


Barrel Racing


Barrel Racing


Flag Racing


Flag Racing


Flag Racing


Breakaway Roping


Breakaway Roping


Breakaway Roping


Team Roping


Steer Decorating


Bareback Bronc Riding


Loading a rider, Women's Bareback Bronc Riding


Very Short Ride, Bareback Bronc Riding


Prep for the Wild Drag Race


Wild Drag Race


Wild Drag Race


Wild Drag Race


Wild Drag Race


Goat Dressing


Goat Dressing


Goat Dressing


Loading the chute, steer riding


Steer Riding


Steer Riding


Bull Riding

If you'd like more information on what in tarnation is going on in these pictures, you can get the whole scoop from the International Gay Rodeo Association Web site.