Don't Look Now

Don't look now but…everything matches.  Red, red and red.  And look how good it looks.

Rodeos and barrel races are not held for photographers' amusement.  Acknowledged.  Now, let's do a little thought experiment.  Let's say one of those sponsors you see in the background of half the shots from any rodeo wanted to hire a photographer to shoot a picture for a barrel racing advertisement.  What would that picture look like?

The color scheme would probably be dictated by the sponsor's logo/color scheme.  The American Hat Company would be red, white and blue, Cinch would be blue and white, YETI would be black and white, etc.  So those barrel racers — and all their tack — would be in those colors, right?  And they'd probably even look for a horse that looked good in those colors.

My point isn't to make barrel racers neurotic about how they dress (and how they equip their horses).  My point is that in a photograph, these things matter.  After all, there isn't anything they (or I) can do about the background.  I've asked.  They won't let me ban anybody wearing neon (neon anything) from the arena. 

From the Georgia High School Rodeo Association event at the Northeast Alabama Agri-Business Center in Rainsville.

Nikon D7500 — Nikon 80-200mm F2.8

200mm

F4@1/320th

ISO 8,000

White Balance on Flash

Cropped

DSB_2109.JPG

©Don Brown 2024