Blue
Dayboro Rodeo and is a tribute to the old school Bull rider dressed in denim, the classic battle of wills between man and beast - titled Blue...
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Dayboro Rodeo and is a tribute to the old school Bull rider dressed in denim, the classic battle of wills between man and beast - titled Blue
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Nov, 2014Views
3183
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Awards
Featured
Featured
Contest Finalist in Glorious Moments Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Foto Digital Volume 2 Photo Contest
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Genius
Emotions
Impressed
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Top 10 rank
PRO+
oneclickatatime
January 24, 2015
Being an ex rodeo girl myself, you have completely captured the spirit of the bull rider! Outstanding photo!
PRO+
reflectionsbyrenee
August 20, 2015
This is outstanding, bravo to you for capturing this and turning into a piece of art.
Platinum
Platinum
PRO+
PRO+
Platinum
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Action photography and particularly Rodeo action is where my passion lays as a direct result of this image. This photo was taken at the Dayboro Rodeo show in South East Queensland, Australia. I am a member of the Peninsular Camera Club and one of my photographic mentors introduced me to action photography at this particular rodeo, where I was fortunate enough to capture this classic moment.Time
Most Rodeo events are held late afternoon running into the evening and finish under artificial light, often under cover which is not the best for this type of photography. Fortunately, this event traditionally starts at 10:00am and finishes at 4:00pm, held out in the open which is fantastic for high shutter speed to freeze the action under natural light. This image was shot right on midday, it was a bright winter's day in early June, warm but not uncomfortable.Lighting
Usually, photographers are looking to get any bright sunlight behind the subject and use fill flash to produce complimentary lighting however whilst that is fine for stationary subjects the opposite is true for action shooting. I shoot a little underexposed with the sun behind me as I want lens falloff to separate my subject from the background as much as possible.Equipment
Action photography requires a lot of flexibility and while tripods with gimbal heads do allow a lot of stability and flexibility the unpredictability of rodeo bucking action does not. Add to this the fact that one needs to compete with other photographers for space which often means shooting between fence posts, beams, lenses and the safety runners within the arena. I used a Sony a99 Full-Frame camera, Sony G Series Lens 4-5.6 70-400 SSM on a sling. I do carry a monopod on my thigh just in case I do need a little stability for those extra long shots. A hat with a flexible wide brim (the brim needs to move up and out of the way when you put your face to the eyepiece) and a bottle of water are absolutely essential. I also carry a small 3 legged canvas stool which allows me to sit in relative comfort occasionally.Inspiration
I had an interest in action photography, I love the way that action can be frozen in time, that millisecond when water, sweat, dust and grit are suspended mid action intrigued me to the point that I joined a camera club to learn how I could achieve this type of imagery myself. I was very fortunate to meet some exceptionally talented photographers some of whom were internationally accredited with honours and who would mentor me. One of these mentor's suggested the Dayboro Rodeo, an annual event with plenty of action to try my hand with the new sports lens I had purchased. I immediately took to the action, particularly the bucking events and was able to capture the dust and grit along with the contest. The way this rider conducted himself, his clothing and the bull's demeanour had me following this contest closely through the lens.Editing
I always shoot in 'RAW' on 'Manual' mode as this allows me to capture my impression of the action rather than an automated camera version of the event. This is the starting point for me, 'the storyline' for want of a better term, which I then manipulate through post processing to reveal the emotion of the moment. My intention is to draw the viewer into that moment so that they too can feel the emotion of the experience. I use 'Lightroom cc' for the initial processing such as crop, straighten, check white balance and bring out detail in the shadows while subduing the highlights etc. If necessary (each image is different) I will continue more detailed processing in 'Photoshop cc'. More often than not I'll only use Photoshop to subdue or remove distractions from the image. Very often these events are very busy and having spectators etc. appear in the image really detracts from the emotive experience that I'm attempting to evoke. This process invariably uses a lot of layers with excruciatingly careful masking of undesirable elements and the promotion of more desirable elements and I've not found any application more versatile than this.In my camera bag
I carry a Sony a99 body along with at least two lenses depending on what I'm shooting but for action photography, usually my Sony G series 4-5.6 70-400 SSM and a Samyang 1.4 85 manual lens (for any close up portraiture), Sony HVL-F60M Flash, Wireless remote trigger (I may be fortunate enough to get a selfie with one of the riders or animals), Spare 'Formated' SD cards, spare batteries for all devices, Cleaning kit, Bug repellent, Swiss army knife, raincoat for my camera and one for me and an Umbrella, ..my lenses are not water resistant.Feedback
Anyone wanting to capture the action in an image like this really should be using manual settings. While 'Auto' mode will give excellent images, it will not allow the flexibility to capture an artistic interpretation of the mood by freezing the moment with lens falloff etc. Crucially high continuous shooting drive mode with wide angle focus and aperture set as wide as possible i.e. f4.5-8. ISO as high as the camera can withstand without introducing noise and artifact that can't be easily cleaned in post processing, this is usually a lot higher during the day than at night. Focal length should be enough to fill two-thirds of the frame as the action is fast and unpredictable. Shutter speed at least double the focal length of the lens. I start at 1/2000 of a second shutter speed take a test shot and adjust everything else to give me the exposure I need (typically ISO +-1000 f4.5) Starting the shoot as the gate opens, I also use continuous focus with motion tracking where the action is coming toward me.
