Vicarious photography

In my head I am this adventuring, outdoorsy, fearless kind of photographer. However, in reality, I am much more interested in making good photos of the adventuring, outdoorsy and fearless people doing their thing. My philosophy is, you risk your body and I will document it. I like to call it "Vicarious Photography".

One of the extreme events that I enjoy the most is the Royal Gorge Go Fast Games. This is an event where B.A.S.E. jumpers gather at the Royal Gorge Bridge to hurtle themselves into the 1,000 foot gorge from the bridge. They also have managed to get the owners of the park to allow them to jump from the tram that tourists regularly ride across the gorge.

While standing on the bridge I noticed that the tram had moved out above the gorge and stopped. Having had seen this event before I could guess what was going to happen next. I grabbed my gear and started heading to a better position on the bridge to get an image of jumpers exiting the tram.

The door opened and then one by one (and a couple of pairs) the jumpers stood at the opening and stepped out. If I hadn't been photographing the event I would have been shaking my head and saying to myself "...some people's kids..."

I shot this frame with a Nikon D2Xs and a 300mm f4.0. I photographed the jumpers frozen in air just after clearing the tram. I enjoy this kind of image, but most of all I enjoy standing on a perfectly good bridge to make it.

That's a lotta bull...

Each July the National Little Britches Finals Rodeo comes to the Colorado State fairgrounds here in Pueblo. Hundreds of youngsters put on their boots and hats and go at it with rodeo animals.

So for several days this past July I jumped into a pair of Wranglers myself (pretty humorous) and spent some time shooting the rodeo. I enjoy shooting the rodeo assignments that I get each season. I shoot PRCA rodeo at the State Fair, I shoot the Pro Bull Riders and the Little Britches. Of the three, I enjoy the Little Britches the most. The kids aren't there because they are going to go home with thousands of dollars or some new endorsement contract, they rodeo for the fun of it (and the cool belt buckles awarded to the winners). Their enthusiasm is contagious.

Rough-stock events are at the top of my list as they can provide some wild action whether you are a pro, or a kid hopping on his first bull. You just never know what kind of images will come from the meeting of rider and animal.













At one of the performances of the rodeo I was shooting the junior bull rider event. These kids are between 14 and 16 years old. This particular rider climbed on his bull (at this level the bulls have to be under 1000 pounds) and went for his 6-second ride. Near the end of his ride the bull lept into the air and upon landing stumbled and rolled over on top of him. I had seen bulls land on top of cowboys before, but I had never seen one roll completely over one and have all four legs pointed skyward.

After the bull was back on his feet the emts moved in to tend to the cowboy. After several minutes he was put on a backboard, fitted with a neck brace and carted out of the arena. On his way out he gave the crowd a thumbs up and received an ovation.

I later found out that the young cowboy was treated and released from a local hospital. It was good to hear that there was a good ending to such a wild ride. I have to believe that the plowed, soft dirt arena floor saved this cowboy from a serious injury.

And that's no bull...

Looking at things a little differently...

I recently covered my 21st Colorado State Fair. I have seen a lot of things at the fair over the years but I can tell you that the number one challenge of photographing any event year after year, is how to get images that are fresh even if the event isn't.

One of the free attractions at the fair is a fountain in the middle of the fairgrounds where children of all ages go to cool off. I have photographed this fountain from every angle I can think of, or so it seems to me. (I am still trying to get the newspaper to spring for a helicopter allowing me to get an aerial angle.)


At one point during my time at the fair I was at a park near the fountain and noticed that a bench between me and the fountain was in the shade and offered an opportunity for an image I hadn't had the chance to try in relation to the fountain.

The first group of people who were sitting on the bench were not providing me with the image I was looking for for a fair and fountain silhouette. So I went to photograph something else in the park and then returned to find a family with a couple of grade-school aged kids. I thought this may work out and when the youngster on the left side of the bench used his fingers to take a bite of funnel cake I realized that I had found the image I was looking for.

It was a different way to look at the fountain. I was now using it as a background instead of the main subject of my photo. And for some reason I was also craving deep-fried batter covered with powdered sugar...