Fair Week and the Rodeo

Fair week, not a whole lot to say, it's one of those things I've both despised and and enjoyed at different times over my nine years here. Last year was one that I enjoyed, before that I leaned closer to the despise side. I think this year the pendulum has swung closer to the liked side. I think a lot of it depends on how many assignments I have there that week and what they are.

This year wasn't too bad, most of my fair time was spent working on a photo page for the end of the week, instead of shooting stories on how to make a funnel cake (this was an actual story one year!). I also, shot sneak-a-peek, the opening night of the fair rides, the bubble gum blowing contest, and the rodeo. Those don't bother me because all have potential of making good pix (unlike the making of the funnel cake story).

There are a few great things about having a photo page to work on. 1) I can spend my free time out of the office instead of in front of my computer archiving photos, well that's great until I fill my hard drive. 2) The deadline is the end of the week, so I'm not in a hurry, I can take my time . Taking my time leads to boredom, which leads to trying to find something quick and letting the creative juices flow. Boredom can be a good thing. 3) Cheesecake on a stick, yum. Nuff Said. 4) At a time that news hole at most newspapers is shrinking like George Costanza's, ahem , in a swimming pool, I get a full page to do whatever I want with! The only drawback was we had a photog on vacation so I didn't get to spend as much time as I really wanted, but I still made time to get out there and enough cheesecake on a stick I mean, photos... to fill my belly, I mean page.

The fair rodeo is a freelance job. A friend who is on the rodeo committee asked me to shoot it for them a couple years ago, and I guess I did ok, because they keep asking me back -- this was my third year to shoot it.

The great thing about working for the people who are running the rodeo is access. The first year it was ok, I was pretty much feeling out what exactly they were looking for and the better places to shoot. This year, I was able to get the bread and butter shots they want, and then some. Basically I was able to go where ever I wanted to shoot from as long as I wasn't in the way or in danger. Which meant outside of roughstock events I could shoot from the arena floor. The shot below is the winner of the mutton bustin competition giving the rodeo queen a kiss after winning a new pair of cowboy boots for his victory.