Something about the rodeo... so many years ago, it was a place where I could escape with my camera and be totally immersed. Well…I got the chance to sneak away once again. I wanted to focus on the sound and feeling of the rodeo. So long ago, it provided a canvas to express the corroding, creative part of myself. It was where I once again unearthed this wild passion. It was a place of witnessing and one of the building blocks of why I now do what I do.
Now, it is a touchstone, a place to return to, a place to remember. A place to let a guard down, of sorts. Honestly, I think it's why most folks go to the rodeo in the first place. They are wild nights where dreams are shared. A place where one has to hope. Rodeos are one of the holdouts of an endangered heritage. One of the cultural anchors that can remind us of what we need to remember. A place where tradition lands with hard-earned skill and sheer bravery.
These are from the Darby Rodeo, one hot and smoky Saturday night. Darby is a small ranching town tucked at the end of a Highway in Western Montana. It was recently put on the map by a little TV show called Yellowstone. The town has gone through some growth pains, but one thing remains the rodeo...well, at least for now.
