On my birthday in July, I went to a rodeo.
I was tired, not really in a celebratory mood. I crammed myself in a corner by the bucking chutes with a couple friends and my camera, trying to get a good angle. There were scores of people crowded around us, kids stepping on our heels. Harsh stadium lights under a night sky and fast-moving subjects pose huge challenges to a film photographer at these events; I’d gotten a mixed bag of results over the season and wasn’t feeling entirely confident about it.
I left the rodeo that night unsure if I’d gotten anything good and wagering I probably hadn’t. I stuck the shot film in my fridge and didn’t get around to developing it until nearly three months later, when I sent a backlogged batch out to the lab. I’d nearly forgotten about these photos.
Quelle surprise—not only are these my favorite rodeo photos I’ve ever taken, they’re among my favorite photos I’ve ever taken, period. And from a night I felt sure went mediocre. A friend I sent them to (one of the friends with me that night) joked, “You’re only shooting rodeos from now on,” and while I’m captivated by too many things to ever document only one, I feel like I hit my stride with these images. I feel like I found what I’m looking for.
Above photos shot on Kodak T-Max P3200 35mm film. Thank you for reading, you’re beautiful.