As a photojournalist, there are a few events that stand out in my mind as ‘wow’ moments.
I’ve been tasked with a multitude of different assignments over the years; I’ve covered national, high profile stories, all the way down to art shows, but nothing comes close to being behind the lens at the Calgary Stampede.
Ever since I decided that this was the career I was meant for, the Calgary Stampede was something I strived to shoot.
The summer between my first and second year at SAIT, I remember trying to get accreditation to shoot the Stampede and surprise, surprise, I was denied because I wasn’t known and I wasn’t experienced enough.
It didn’t bother me, I worked my butt off even harder, I spend time listening to more experienced journalists and eventually I gained access to the ‘Biggest Outdoor Show on Earth.’
It was the summer of 2012, I remember swiping my all access press for the first time, racing down to the rodeo grounds, never looking back and seeing the bright red chutes and the pretty girls on horseback racing around.
Out of nowhere, a massive rumble from behind peaked my interest, and as I looked back to see more than 16,000 screaming fans, I knew I had accomplished my goal, I was at the Calgary Stampede.
A few years in and I can honestly say, the romance has worn off, the dos and don’ts of high profile rodeo have become a lot to handle.
It’s so commercialized and sanctioned that you lose the rough, carefree atmosphere that you get at small town rodeos like the Labour Day rodeo in Cochrane.
But the one thing that hasn’t changed in my mind is that rodeo is fun to shoot.
During the Stampede, the lighting changed so much that you’re constantly changing your settings.
“Speed up the shutter, OK, now there’s a cloud covering the sun, boost your ISO a little,” I’d say to no one in particular, looking foolish only to myself as I’d see my friends and fellow “photog’s” doing the same thing, making faces as they snapped their shots in between runs.
These are things that change all the time, regardless of the event. Lighting changes, sometimes the bulls don’t buck the way you want them to, sometimes a cowboy has his hat so far over his face that he might as well be wearing a balaclava.
But that’s OK, because when I get to come away with some of the pictures that make me happy, when I get to take a funny picture of a friend, it reminds of that time I walked out and saw 16,000-plus screaming fans for the first time. And me, behind the lens for another year at the Stampede.
