I read an article at the beginning of the month about scary photography stories from professional photographers and while arguably those moments made an impact on that particular photographer’s life they really didn’t resonate with me. Perhaps because the two about dogs just felt like poor judgment around an animal and because of the equipment failure I have prepared for and planned for in the event that was to happen.
Those stories to me just felt like they were made to fit one niche of photographers— portraits. I spent the bulk of my career thus far as a professional rodeo photographer where everything can go wrong in the blink of an eye and is usually far worse than equipment failure. Rodeo works with all kinds of animals and it is happening live so the margin for injuries is higher, there is nothing planned when shooting rodeo because you have to adapt as it is happening.
My scariest moment/s didn’t even register with my brain at the time as scary, as an ‘oh crap this could be bad’ moment because they happened in a split second. When I started in rodeo I was a portrait photographer doing a friend a favor and I had no clue what was needed and necessary to achieve good rodeo shots— spoiler I epically failed in the beginning.
My struggle at the start sprung the desire to learn and become great at rodeo photography and not in an enclosed shelter with good lighting and imported dirt. No, I specialize in the backcountry rodeos with panel rails brought in and set up in a field, with little to no light, rocky dirt, and shooting in all the elements. As you can imagine that increases the potential for things to go wrong.
Unexpected Rain Shower during Breakaway Roping in Tuscarawas, OH
And I have seen some bad wrecks— in rodeo, we call events leading to injury a wreck— from cowboys being hung up on their bulls to getting clipped by a broncs hoof, resuscitated, and life-flighted from the arena. Those moments are obviously bad enough to remain in the forefront of memory for a long time just witnessing them.
So it is no surprise my scariest moments as a photographer happened during the rodeo. The first moment was gosh perhaps my second or third year and I was in the arena shooting trick riders, I was standing by the trick tape and the men enlisted to hold it when a rider cut the corner early me and the man with the tape moved but not fast enough and I was clipped by a horse running full speed and its rider dangling from the side. I went down and lucky enough it was just a sideswipe incident that didn’t put me under the horse’s hoofs. My flash got snapped off, my camera flung into my chest creating a beautiful bruise but beyond that I was uninjured and the camera was fully functional— I was lucky it could have been far worse.
Eme Martin, 7 year old Trick Rider, doing Death Drag
So you would think after almost being taken out by a horse at full speed I’d learn my lesson and maybe not take such risks while shooting? For the most part, perhaps you are right, I did evaluate what to be in the arena for as I have a bad leg— ironically from a horsing injury when I was 10— that makes it hard for me to um leap up the rails out of the way easily so I do not enter the arena for bull riding, bronc riding, fast events because I just can’t move out of the way fast enough.
I do enter the arena for specialty acts, presentations, and upon request for certain things. Opening ceremonies and such but yes my first collision in the arena taught me to be more cautious in it. It did not teach me not to take risks like climbing the rails and perch high for shots. And thus from on the rail comes that next “scary” moment.
Depending on the rodeo, the location, and the build of the arena I make my decision between shooting high and shooting low, my preference is usually low I love those angles more but rarely does a location offer that option just purely out of design. So I started climbing the rails and perching on top, which isn’t a wide area, rails subject to moving when animals collide into them and there’s really nothing to hold on to— also hands generally full with a camera in them so even if I could hold on it’s rather difficult.
Tie Down Roping, Millersburg, OH
At a rodeo in West Alexander, PA I was semi-perched on the rail outside the arena. The setup was trickier as they have a concrete barrier the rails are set up in-between and then a fence blocking access from the general public walking to the grandstands. The location I was was partially sitting on the rail and standing on the concrete barrier with the fence at my back down by the bucking shoots—because why not be where the action is right.
So anyways one of the rules of rodeo is always to have an emergency squad on scene and ready. Ironically before this rodeo had started I was talking with the EMTs on the scene in case of emergency and they were asking about the wrecks I had witnessed as a photographer little did they know they would get to see one with me later.
The first event after grand opening and entry was bucking broncs which is one of my favorite events to capture. A bronc launched from the shoot and bucked itself toward the side rail where I was perched shooting rather than straight down the arena— not surprising animals in live performances really do the unexpected all the time. This bronc slammed the side rail lifting and moving it knocking the concrete barrier, jarring me loose since I wasn’t exactly secure and I came down between the rail, on the concrete barrier narrowly missing the fence just beside that camera still clutched in my hand.
Now that’s not the place to go down, EMT’s who stood close by watching were literally running to me before I realized I was down, I was struggling to my feet when they reached me, I didn’t feel injured and was mostly concerned with whether I achieved the shot and if my camera was hurt. I could see the panic on the EMT’s faces, I was lucky this day too because besides bruising and being sore I was unhurt even though it took me five minutes to convince the EMT’s of this fact, shake them off, and resume my same spot and continue shooting.
Bareback Bronc Slamming the Rail Head-on, Tuscarawas, OH
I am sure I have had those ‘oh crap’ moments where my camera malfunctioned or a client slipped and fell in a shot but for me scary is that almost possibility for injury. It’s the stories that really are unique to the individual and not the masses. This is why I didn’t personally identify with the article I read because their experiences didn’t equal what I have had in my decade shooting rodeo. I don’t discount what they went through and it is their scary just merely felt that it didn’t encompass all photographers.
I am beyond sure there are photographers shooting motocross that have been wiped out, and photographers shooting other events that have been injured, and that their scary stories are scarier than mine. I simply haven’t had their experience. It is what makes us photographers different and unique.
Bull Riding, Meadsville, PA