A rodeo to remember through imagery. My experience capturing all angles of this deep Western tradition was like no other. While the photos best tell the story, the writing paints the pictures.
I didn’t know what exactly to expect walking into Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, on Friday, January 10 at 5 p.m. A chameleon of a stadium, the field had been filled with dirt. It transformed into a makeshift rodeo arena for three days, looking entirely different from a concert I had shot on the same grounds just a week prior. Being the first rodeo I’ve ever been to, let alone photographed, this assignment was such a fun challenge. 
The opening ceremony commenced with skydiving, the Pledge of Allegiance, and an amazing fireworks display. I spent that first day relatively stationary, focused on dialing in camera settings while looking for when to anticipate the best moments. The loud pounding of hooves rushed by me continuously, only feet away from the gate, as dust and dirt were thrown at my camera lens.
Saturday went a lot smoother. I utilized a monopod for stability to keep the fast-moving subjects in focus. Bareback riding, tie-down roping, breakaway roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, and bull riding – the many events of the rodeo that I learned about through each photo taken.
Upon entering the arena on Sunday, I overheard another photographer mention that animal rights activists were outside the entrance. Having never taken photos of a protest either, and very much wanting to, I immediately headed that way. A 5-minute walk around the stadium later, I found a bustling intersection of people holding signs and yelling emotionally charged chants at the long line of rodeo fans entering the venue.
Repetitive chats were exclaimed over a megaphone. The protesters approached me with some hostility after seeing my camera pointed at them. They wanted opinions; I simply wanted to take photos. As a documentary photographer and photojournalist, I am merely a revealer, a fly on the wall of reality. Once they realized I was friendly and indifferent toward their attack of questions, I was able to easily blend into the scene. Peering between the buildings, natural light perfectly illuminated faces, signs, and those in line. At 2 o’clock, the rodeo had just begun, and it was time for me to get back inside, leaving the quarrel behind.
At this point, I had a much better understanding of the sporting events and where to ideally position myself for them. The rodeo started earlier in the day, allowing me to play with the sunlight casting down on the subjects in the middle of the stadium. This also made for great opportunities to capture the excitement of crowd reactions at golden hour. Trick-roping acts, trick riding, and rodeo clown antics made for great entertainment between the harrowing competition.
Later that evening, the champions of each event posed for portraits with their awards. This year’s winners are: 
Bareback Riding – Bradlee Miller
Tie-Down Roping – Riley Webb
Breakaway Roping – Jackie Crawford
Saddle Bronc Riding – Ryder Wright
Steer Wrestling – Will Lummus
Team Roping – Rhen Richard & Jeremy Buhler
Barrel Racing – Jordan Driver
Bull Riding – Jordan Spears
This has been one of my most thrilling photo projects to date. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to cover my first rodeo. I have hopes to do more soon. Many thanks to Outriders, C5 Rodeo, and Petco Park for an outstanding San Diego Rodeo! 
You can see more of Logan’s work at:
https://logangrahamphoto.com/
Instagram: @logangrahamphoto
