leewoolery Offline Upload & Sell: On
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photoelle wrote:
Literally! This terrible incident happened yesterday at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, in Toronto, Canada. I am an official photographer there, and this fellow was around quite a bit while I was shooting my assigned horse show classes. He had a press pass. This shows why only experienced officials, the judge, the ringmaster and myself are allowed inside the ring during the horse show, but The Royal does not run this rodeo. Animals are unpredictable at all times, and its very tempting to get too close.
http://youtu.be/FEfcTxVrDTM
The photographer in that footage should have been up on the panels as soon as the rider was bucked and not a target in the middle of the arena holding his hand out like a bull fighter will do to keep the bull at bay.
I've done my fair share of rodeo photography from within the ring ( especially bulls ) and here are the rules I go by:
-stay close to the panels so you can take evasive action
-if possible, use a 300-400 mm lens so you are far away from the action towards the end of the arena
-know the quality of bulls and level of competition
-never look on the back of your camera while in the ring and a bull is loose
I have been chased by bulls several times at rodeos and some were very close calls. They will go after anything in the arena if they have a mind to and nothing will stop them.
Rodeo photography from within the arena is only for someone who is familiar with livestock...steers, sheep, goats, calves, bulls or horses. This goes for a PRCA, SEBRA, Little Britches or county fair rodeo!
Even photographing the riding classes of a horse show from the center of the arena can be a problem if you don't know what you are doing.
Lee Woolery
Speedshot
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