A Rodeo Close to Home – Milwaukee Weekend Recap
Most weekends, we're used to long drives, endless miles on the road, and chasing rodeos across the mid-west. But this past weekend was different—it was a quick 42 minute drive to Milwaukee, practically in our backyard.
Walking into the venue, it didn’t take long to realize just how many familiar faces were in the crowd. Riders, stock contractors, rodeo friends.. we were surrounded by people we’ve photographed, worked with, and become friends with over the last 3 years.
Milwaukee brought the energy. The crowd was loud, the riders and bulls were on fire, and the moments we caught through the lens felt even more meaningful knowing they were happening right here in Milwaukee. Just last year, we were dreaming about being apart of the PBR team.. We have shot in the big AT&T stadium in Arlington, the Desert Diamond arena in Glendale AZ but something about the Fiserv Forum made it so much more. We were home.
Sure, we came away with some rank shots from the weekend, but the real highlight was working alongside Andy Watson. With 30+ years of experience, he’s one of the best in the industry, and every chance to learn from him is invaluable. The knowledge, insight, and skill he brings to rodeo photography go beyond just taking great pictures.. it’s about telling the story of the sport in the best way possible. We are beyond grateful for him taking us under his wing, and sharing his knowledge to help better us in our journey.
Saturday morning, he instructed us to take 3 photos in our media room. 3 different corners with complete different lighting scenarios. All without taking a practice photo to dial our exposure. He had us envision our settings, why they should be what they are, set our camera and shoot. The two of us were pushed to really think and compose our shot without having the luxury of checking the LCD screen. It was a great exercise to work in fast paced scenarios.
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