The Long Road to the Rodeo Photo…

What do you do when the Newspaper calls and asks you to take a photo of a kid with a bull so they can do a story about the lead up to the Longreach Rodeo? You contact as many people as you can and organise a photoshoot on a property of course.

An hour and a half west of Longreach lives the Morton family. A young, active family with three girls, the older two being the reason for our trip. On our drive into the house, following the incredibly detailed instructions that had been provided for us, we took in the property and discussed the possibilities for the perfect shot with some bulls.

Decked out in their Rodeo best, we formulated a plan for the photos.  We watched as the family sprung into action, preparing a truck, a horse and loading us all into the cab before we headed off to the ‘Bull Paddock’ to capture our shots. It was heaps of fun sitting up in the cab of the truck surrounded by all the girls of the Morton family as we headed out on our mini adventure to the Bulls. The girls certainly kept us entertained with their conversation and we were especially taken by the youngest who shared her favourite snippets of Scooby Doo with us.

In true country fashion, once we reached the right spot, the girls made quick work of unloading the horse and their gear. We spent a few moments wandering along the road scoping out possible angles and ideas. Relying on the cooperation of a few large bulls, we started the shoot with a few different ideas in mind. Capturing the bulls looking at the camera and working out the best spots for the girls to stand proved to be a minor challenge.

Lucky for us, the property was fairly flat, which made capturing the long sweeping road a breeze. And it was just lucky that we had stopped at just the right spot.  With a creative eye, we were able to work with the girls to get a great shot of them walking along alluding to the journey they had been on to get to the rodeo. Encouraging the girls to smile was the easiest part of this shot. Turns out, with the information from mum and dad, asking them about their boyfriends did the trick. It was great to have a laugh with the whole family as the girls awkwardly tried to defend their love interests.

The best shot however, came when we incorporated both girls, the horse and the pink barrel.  Talk about perfect timing. Standing it what could only be described as a precarious position to hold the flash, but also to capture the shot, it was a tad nerve racking to be so close to a barrel as a horse manoeuvred around it at speed. But it was worth it! Turns out it was the shot of the day and made the trip worth it.

We were very lucky to have spent the afternoon with such a fun and welcoming family. The opportunity to capture their energy and personalities made the five hour round trip well worth it.