The Superior Rodeo

Went to a rodeo that accompanies a 3-day fair in Superior, Montana (pop. 900). Was really moving to see yet another way of life (of the thousands that exist in America). Plus, there was amazing light.

Pluuuuuus, I took a 4x5 photo of this most positive-vibe-inducing, auratic, 51 year old, long-silver-haired woman named Lori. I had initially stopped to ask her for directions to the post office, and while she gave them to me, I knew I had to take her photo. I couldn't take it that moment, so I got her photo number and made a photo date with her an hour later. Luckily, it all came through. She's got the most amazing presence. I'm so excited to see the result, plus the 40-50 other 4x5's I've shot thus far.

Rodeo photos:

Boy in the shaved ice hut

I really loved how bored and angry this girl working this concession stand looked. I had my friend Brooke (drawings-artist-Brooke) stand in front of me as a decoy so I didn't look like I was shooting right at her, because I knew she would have none of it. I waited for the right moment, then snapsnapsnapped. This is the photo before the girl realized it was her I was shooting...

... this is the exact moment she did. This is probably one of my favorite digital photos so far. Though, I have 20 rolls of 35mm and those 4x5's waiting to be processed at the end of the trip.

I think his girlfriend was one of the cowgirls/Miss Superior girls in the photo below.







Team calf roping. Pretty sad to watch for a vegetarian urbanite like myself, but it's part of the culture out here in the West, as well as the South and Midwest I suppose. So I take it in and deal.

Superhawt cowboy, according to Jess.


A calf getting roped in. This is the part I most hated.


The cowgirl in the middle of the photo (pink shirt) couldn't have been more than 15 years old, and was ruling all the old guys out that night.

Nice light much?