I’m going to keep the text portion of this post pretty short—you can find part one of this set here for my thoughts on being called a sports photographer and more photos from this event (True Grit Bulls & Barrels Beach Rodeo). I have more to say about photographing rodeos in general but will save it for a later post, so stayed tuned! Thanks for reading, you’re beautiful.
Bulls on the Beach
Describing to someone several months ago what I take pictures of, I listed skateboarding, surfing, and rodeos. “So you’re a sports photographer,” he said, and I was taken aback. I don’t like sports—I don’t play them, I don’t watch them. Sports photographer?
Then I had to concede it’s true—but not just any sports. It’s unlikely you’ll find me courtside at a basketball game or snapping photos of baseball or football. The sports I document are as much about the culture surrounding them as the activity itself, maybe even more. I love an action shot, but I also love capturing the fashion, community, and lifestyle associated with skate, surf, and rodeo.
I attended my first rodeo in 2014, but I didn’t start photographing them until last year. It’s a new pursuit for me, and that’s exciting. All images in this post were shot at the True Grit Bulls & Barrels Beach Rodeo on the Virginia Beach oceanfront, April 15th 2023. I’ve already bought tickets to two more events in the coming weeks, and have at least two others bookmarked for later in the season. Yee-haw.
Thank you for reading, you’re beautiful.
Character
A few weeks ago in March, I caught Type + Progress in its last days on exhibit at the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design. The exhibit explored typography’s role in civil rights, and featured typography created by Tre Seals and Vocal Type inspired by key figures in Black history. As noted on the introduction placard as you entered the exhibit, roughly 84% of American designers are white men. Vocal Type aims to address this disparity, as stated on their website:
“When an industry is dominated by a single race and gender, this not only creates a lack of diversity in peoples and experiences but ideas and creations as well. That’s why Vocal Type is working to diversify design through the root of all (good) works of graphic design—typography.
Each typeface highlights a piece of history from a specific underrepresented race, ethnicity, or gender—from the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Argentina to the Civil Rights Movement in America.”
Type + Progress featured fonts inspired by Colin Kaepernick, Martin Luther King Jr., Marsha P. Johnson, Spike Lee, and Harriet Tubman, among others. Each of these types can also be viewed on Vocal Type’s website here with detailed information behind each design.
This was actually my first time visiting the Branch Museum. The building itself holds a lot of history and is worth a look, although the museum does not have a permanent collection on display and it’s best to plan your visit around a specific exhibit or event.
The photos in this post were shot on CineStill 800T. Thank you for reading, you’re beautiful.