Sometimes there is an event or a block of time that you experience that lives far above your expectations, such was the case this year at our rodeo and western lifestyle workshop! 

 

We changed the venue location to Nine Bar Ranch in Decatur, Texas to enhance the authenticity of the working cowboy and western lifestyle. What a great learning and relaxing environment it was, more like a gathering than a workshop environment. The location we were on was roughly 2500 acres and part of the sum of 12,000 total. The lodge and bunkhouse was home for five days, the lodge was our gathering for home cooked meals in a family sit down type fashion where we all shared stories and experiences while eating.

This year all the students were at a somewhat comparable level of experience, some were there for the learning and some just for the experience, at any rate it gave me time to do some of my own work and give instruction as I shot. We always made sure that one of the three teachers were available to assist while the students were trying to compose an image.

The first day was check-in and get to know each other, starting about three in the afternoon and rolling until 7 ish. This was a first for us, and was so huge that it will be implemented from now on!  It does a couple of things, but the main bonus is everybody shows up the next morning ready to learn and experience the class without the addition of getting to know all the dynamic energies which usually accompany photogs. It also develops an immediate bond and as I explained in front of class, you can learn just as much from your fellow shooters as you can from the teachers. The first day was kinda laid back and mostly class time, talking about what we were going to do and how we were going to approach for the week until golden Hour. We had researched the ranch, level of grass and flower and angle of the sun. Jim Bob, Christy and Lance saddled some horses and we were off to do a golden hour cowboy portrait.

 

 

Next morning we all gathered at the Cantina to look over images and plan for the day after an early breakfast.  This was a huge day, we were to start with the branding and working of the spring calves and driving them back to pasture. We took turns with the students, rotating them in and out of the pen, to give them up-close and personal experience!

Click on Image to see full size.

After the branding and cattle drive, we shot personal portraits of the working cowboys in available light and then it was back to the lodge for an amazing, cowboy lunch sit-down.

That evening, we reconvened at the cantina to look at images and prepare for the chuckwagon dinner. This part of the class was a lesson in low-light shooting from day to night, followed by reverse order for chuckwagon breakfast the next morning. So… there are those times when you plan something and it just don’t quite work out, this was not one of those, in fact as it turned out a couple of the cattle workers played  guitar, one of our students brought his violin, it was a total jam!

 

Our model… Brandon Blasingame is about as authentic as they come, a very spiritual energy that served as Reverend, Cowboy and herd watcher, throughout our portrait shoots at the chuckwagon. His dedication to making the shot perfect, makes him one of the greatest models I have ever worked with!

Our Chuckwagon team from Top Hand Cowboy Church, was nothing less than perfect in both authenticity and grub. This crew was as much or more concerned about how real it looked than we were! I can’t say enough about these guys, they kept it fun for everybody,  and were totally committed to everyone getting what we needed to enhance our experience.

We gave everybody off a few hours to rest and edit images before our next critique and preparation for the trip to NRS for some team roping.

 

The goal of the shoot was to perfect motion blurs, are at least get their own version of perfection, and in a world of 6400 ISO to stop action, what better place to learn?Didn’t shoot much here, Lisa, Megan and I were devoted to managing the  students. I would hate to know that I was going into this without Lisa and Megan’s amazing help.

On the way home, we stopped by Roosters Roadhouse for a sit-down and feed before stopping by Longhorn Bobby’s for a shoot of the longhorns. What a amazing energy this guy is, I have never seen him without a huge grin on his face.

 

 

Everybody was dragging at the end of this day including all teachers but we were full!

Saturday morning, last full day of class. woke up to a deluge at 430 am, that’s okay, today’s shoot would all be under a covered arena in Saginaw Texas. The weather for the entire class was perfect everyday, the clouds offering a big soft box in the sky when we needed them and vista views when we needed. The rain cloud cover afforded us the best light I have ever shot, in the Saginaw arena, due to the absence of the hard backlight. It was good to see the students using the tools that they had and the new ones they had picked up in class!

Sunday Morning was started with our last large breakfast together before the final wrap-up. It consisted of last critque of images and voting on the  book cover. Every year we have created a book from student images of the week, it consist of the students voting on the ” Top Shot ” of the week, which is deemed as the cover and the winner receives the Top Shot buckle. This year’s recipient was Bruce Miller, the choices were tough, so many great Images.

 

 

Stay Tuned for Book updates,

Lisa and I, along with Megan, thank every one of the students, Jimbob and Christie Little, all the chuckwagon crew and the working cowboys who made this workshop possible and beyond our wildest dreams!

Next years workshop is on the books same place, same time, HERE IS A LINK

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