HDS

It was 4 p.m. I was on my Instagram, scrolling through my feed, when I saw a post about volunteering for the High Desert stampede. The post said a volunteer meeting at the Crosseyed Cricket at 5 p.m. I called a buddy and asked if he wanted to come. I kinda knew it was a stretch because it was within an hour. In all honesty, I didn’t want to show up alone. He was busy, so I sent a message on Instagram to the HDS to see if they could use a photographer. They reached back out and said come to the meeting and will talk. I took a photo at the meeting and sent it to my girlfriend, and she was like what are you doing I said, I'm going to volunteer for the rodeo. She said, you're so random. She knew I loved the rodeos, but it might have seemed out of the blue to her. Which it was to a degree.

I have been searching for a community and secretly hope to find one here. I thought I've always loved rodeos, and I love photography. Why not see if I could use my skills to help?

I felt so out of place as I pulled into the country bar parking lot in my white Subaru. I've been around rodeos; for heaven's sake, my dad and stepmom are country. They own horses and live the lifestyle. But for some reason, I felt intimidated, especially when I walked in. Everyone from the rodeo knew each other, and I was the outsider looking in as if it was the first day of school. Naturally, I'm very outgoing, but I felt shy and out of place but quickly The board members came up and started talking and were so kind and welcoming. We talked about life, values, and what it means for them to be part of the lifestyle. We talked about the history and vision of the new rodeo.

I went to meetings and met some people, and then it was time for the rodeo. I quickly realized that each rodeo is like a family. It takes time to build trust and be welcomed into the family. What I loved most was that it felt like home, like church, and I loved the feeling of being part of the community.

I met with Amanda and Randy, and to my surprise, they were so kind and welcoming. It was a moment of truth for me. Is this community going to accept me or just brush me off? To my surprise, they were so helpful. Maybe they just thought I was some random photographer coming and going. They gave me a quick crash course on what to do and not to do. I was like a little kid while the grown-up got to go around the shoots and have the all-access pass. I was limited in my area ( like a kid in a playpen), and all I remember thinking was to be faithful to what I was given. I wanted to come humble, enjoy the moment, and be part of the community. I wanted to earn the trust and put in the hard work. The photographers here have put in the time to have an all-access pass. The first night, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. The photography was challenging: the lighting, the shutter speed, and how to position yourself for the best shot. I was in deep, and it was either sink or swim.

Months before the shoot, I sold my big lens and camera because I was low on funds. So I had my a6300 with a 50mm and my film camera. I looked around and felt so out of place. The camera around me was worth thousands of dollars, and the lens themself were worth $2,500. And there I was with a $200 lens and a $900 camera with a broken screen. At that moment, I told myself, Never sell your gear. You never know when you need it. Lucky to me, I knew how to use my camera, and I knew the kind of shots that I could get from it and I stuck to my strengths and kept in my lane. Some of my shots were grainy because my lens wasn't fast enough, and my camera wasn't a full frame, i wouldn’t allow enough light in. So, I knew it would be that way with my ISO. So, I leaned into it and wanted to create more grit and keep to that aesthetic.

I walked away feeling refreshed and like I had found my place. I loved the community and the challenge this photography gave me, and I felt good at it even then. All my lifestyle and product photography work gave me a different perspective on photographing rodeos.

I want to thank High Desert Stampede for the opportunity to be part of an amazing family, and a special thanks To Randy and Amanda.