night rodeo

[avwh]

Last week, I visited Cody, WY for business, and took in the night rodeo there. Cody touts itself as the "rodeo capital of the world", since they have rodeo 7 nights a week all summer long.

Some of my captures (all were taken with 70-200L f2.8 IS, most at max ISO as it got dark - lighting was less than ideal - to use a fast enough shutter speed to stop action, so I had to use Neat Image to clean up noise):

Steer-wrestling, where cowboy, horse and steer all take a dive - fortunately, no one was hurt:ts itself as the "rodeo capital of the world", s

http://allenh.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p921944953-3.jpg



Calf roping:



http://allenh.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p855622520-4.jpg



Bronc riding as clown looks on (note tongue hanging out on bronco):



http://allenh.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p789762131-4.jpg



Full gallery is here:

http://allenh.zenfolio.com/p472514235/

[Jason_G]

Cool shots!

[JeffCanon]

I’ve been there the light is bad! You did better that me, I did not get any keepers.

[avwh]

Thanks, Jason & Jeff, for looking & commenting.

I shot in RAW, so I could "fix" most of the underexposure I had, even when shooting at f2.8, ISO 1600, and between 1/250 and 1/320 of a sec. shutter speed. While there was still ambient light, it wasn't too bad, but once I lost that, all my captures were pretty dark.

If I had it to do over again, I should have been on the OTHER side of the arena; I would have gotten more faces and have been able to show the riders and animals coming out of the chute/gates. I sat in the "Buzzards' Roost", which was closer, but higher up and on the "backside", so I didn't get as many cowboy faces, or any initial bucking out of the gates (for most of the bull rides, it meant I got nothing, b/c they were usually tossed by the 2nd buck).

[HammerCope]

NIce I really like #1. That one will hurt in the morning.

[manutd101]

Ouch on number one! Nice shots given the working conditions.

[avwh]

Thanks, Hammer & manutd.

I'd love to do another one of these, based on what I learned last week.

[Dale Miller]

Only one thing wrong with #1, an its that I did not take it.

[avwh]

Thanks, Dale - I have to take that as high praise (having looked at your gallery of rodeo images - nice work, BTW!).

[Playm]

W-O-W What a Capture!! Hey Allen, I'd slap a watermark across that to try and slow down the thieves. That image is marketable. That's an amazing shot!

[CanadianKitKat]

That's a seriously good catch on #1!! Did all three of them get up and walk out on their own 2 or 4 feet? Poor little calf, looks like he almost got himself mushed. Great shots!

[avwh]

W-O-W What a Capture!! Hey Allen, I'd slap a watermark across that to try and slow down the thieves. That image is marketable. That's an amazing shot!

Thanks, playm. I was thinking of contacting the producers of the Cody rodeo, to see if they'd be interested in buying/licensing that image, since it surely promotes the excitement of the rodeo.

[avwh]

That's a seriously good catch on #1!! Did all three of them get up and walk out on their own 2 or 4 feet? Poor little calf, looks like he almost got himself mushed. Great shots!

Thanks, CKK. All 3 got up and walked off on their own. Not often you see cowboy, horse and calf all doing a faceplant at the same time. ;)

[feistyfilly]

#1 is a AWESOME shot...I sure would of love to have taken it...GREAT work!!!

[avwh]

thanks for looking & commenting, feistyfilly. The funny part is, that's the ONLY capture I got from that ride, b/c someone had blocked my view in the aisle as this rider came out of the gate. As they "cleared" the spectator, I got this one and only frame.

[CatchingUp]

all I can do is stand and applaud you with the others here on that first shot particular. An award winner for sure. You need to get that one published for sure. Contact the outfit who host that rodeo in WY.

GREAT JOB!!!!

[avwh]

all I can do is stand and applaud you with the others here on that first shot particular. An award winner for sure. You need to get that one published for sure. Contact the outfit who host that rodeo in WY.

GREAT JOB!!!!

Thanks for looking & commenting. I do intend to contact the promoters of that rodeo and see if they would like to license use of that image in particular in their promotional materials.

(As usual, it's better to be lucky than good ;))

[Playm]

Allen.. (mho, of course, on all this) I wouldn't restrict yourself to marketing your print #1 to just that rodeo or rodeo grounds. I'm sure there has to be a Professional Rodeo Assn publication. (think "big time".. LOL). Maybe look around on the search engines. .. who knows, there may also be some 'official' publications for professional steer wrestlers. (??). That shot is probably one in a million.

[CatchingUp]

You might also reduce the size of that shot posted here some too. your watermark could easily be removed and someone else could snag it.

It really is a unique shot.

[avwh]

Allen.. (mho, of course, on all this) I wouldn't restrict yourself to marketing your print #1 to just that rodeo or rodeo grounds. I'm sure there has to be a Professional Rodeo Assn publication. (think "big time".. LOL). Maybe look around on the search engines. .. who knows, there may also be some 'official' publications for professional steer wrestlers. (??). That shot is probably one in a million.

I thought about the PCRA; and need to do more research ASAP about rodeo organizations. Thanks for the suggestion.

[avwh]

You might also reduce the size of that shot posted here some too. your watermark could easily be removed and someone else could snag it.

It really is a unique shot.

Thanks; done.

[feistyfilly]

Amazing shot and such luck. I love shooting horses, cowboys and kids :o) Of course with 29 horses, I get lots of horsey shots :)

Toni