Nikon D7000

The Bull Riders – Part III

January 18, 2012 by Justin Balog 1 Comment

The Gear

The Complete Story of ‘The Bull Riders’

Today we will take a look at the Bull Rider’s gear. Surprisingly, it is not a very gear intensive sport. The rider and the bull are pretty much one…well, at least for 8 seconds if everything goes according to plan. Tomorrow we go behind the scenes and follow the athletes as they prepare for event.

The Boot – The bull rider keeps himself on the bull with leg and core strength. Unlike the horse riders, they don’t have stirrups. They simply use the power of their legs to keep them centered over the bull’s back. That being said, they don’t want their boots coming off. A saddle bronc rider will actually put baby powder in their boot so their foot can slide out easier if they are bucked. A bull rider ties his boot on as tight as he can. If a bull rider gets hung up, the rodeo clowns actually have to run out and cut them free as the bull is bucking.

The Protection – More and more bull riders are choosing to wear both a flack jacket and helmet. I would guess about 80% of them are protecting themselves with a helmet. I can’t blame them. I witnessed a rider take a blow to the head, and walk away with a mild concussion. I’m guessing if he didn’t have the helmet on, things would have turned out much worse. If I were ever to win the PBR championship, and they sent me home with a million dollar check, you bet the next day I would have a helmet on. I would want to enjoy the fruits of my labor for as long as I could.

The Rawl – I didn’t know this, but the spur is what sticks out from the boot, the rawl is spiny thing that chimes when cowboys walk into a saloon. Unlike gunfighters and horse riders, a bull riders rawl is locked down so that they can hold on to the bull better. The rawl is also filed down so that it doesn’t harm the bull.

The Rope – Other than balance and the strength of the rider’s legs, the rope is all they have to keep them on the bull. Some riders tie it tight, others keep it loose. Basically, it is has a small handle where they grip it and a bell to weigh it down so that it slides off when they break free. A bull rider’s rope will last between one and three years depending on the rider. Prior to the event, they coat it in a resin (tree sap) and glycerin to make it sticky and easier to hold on to.

The Glove – It is what it is. It keeps their hands protected and improves their hold on the rope. Most of the riders will tape it tight above their writs. Much like the boot, they don’t want it coming off.

Filed Under: Colorado, Denver, Nik Software, Nikon 24-70, Nikon D700, Nikon D7000, The Bull Riders

The Bull Riders – Part II

January 17, 2012 by Justin Balog 11 Comments

The Event

The Complete Story of ‘The Bull Riders’

Before we get into the story of the individual athletes and what it takes for them to ride bulls, I thought it would be best to understand the competition. The event itself is 3 days long. During the first 2 days, 50 or so riders get a single shot at making it to the finals. They each draw a random bull assignment which they will have to ride. The first 2 days are called the long rounds. If you stay on for 8 seconds, you get scored, if not, you go home. A rider’s score is the sum of his performance plus that of the bull’s for a possible total of 100pts. A good score is in the 80s, a great score is in the 90s. After the first two nights of longs rounds, the top performing riders and top performing bulls move on to the third night. At this point, the best riders are riding the best bulls. Remember, the bulls are considered athletes and scored accordingly. The scores from this round (known as the progressive or short round) are added to the scores of the long round to determine which of the best 15 riders move on to the finals. Finally, the top 15 riders ride the 15 best bulls. Their scores from this round are added to the average score of their two previous rounds to determine the overall winner. (Note: If a PBR official or fan is reading this, please correct me if I’m wrong.)

The bull rider himself can’t be understood unless you understand what they are up against. After interviewing several of the riders and observing them for three days it became clear, they aren’t competing against one another. They are one of the most supportive group of athletes I have ran into. They are competing against themselves as they attempt to ride an animal that can do something like this to you with out batting an eye. Their job is just too dangerous to let ego get in the way.

Also, this story of the professional bull rider can’t be told without a look at the team that tries to protect them. In the image above, bull fighter Lance Brittan takes one for the team as he makes a save. He was slow getting up, but once he did he was back at it. The bull fighters are there to distract the bull once the rider has broke free. These guys put their lives on the line, and as one rider told me “They are part of the team”.

Secondly, the medical staff that is on hand is second to none. They are a specialized group of doctors, nurses, and therapists that support and advise the athletes. However, unlike an NFL, NHL, or NBA medial staffer, they have no say in whether the rider competes or not. Bull riding is unique in the fact that these guys don’t have contracts or guaranteed money. If they want to make a living and go to the next event, they have to compete. Don Andrews best described it by saying the riders are “Athlete, GM, coach, and trainer all rolled into one.”.

Come back tomorrow as we will be taking a look at the gear these riders use day in and day out.

Filed Under: Colorado, Denver, Nikon 24-70, Nikon 70-200 2.8 AFS VR II, Nikon D700, Nikon D7000, Sigma 15mm Fisheye, The Bull Riders
Tagged With: PBR

The Strand – Part IV

December 29, 2011 by Justin Balog 5 Comments

So far in this story about a southern California icon, we’ve explored the piers that shape the individual beach communities and the people that compose them. What we haven’t done is explore the Strand itself. That is about to change! Here are the images I made on a single day as we rode from Hermosa Cyclery to Muscle Beach in Venice. There isn’t a better way to explore all the individual communities that make up this coastline than by bike. Hermosa, followed by Manhattan, then El Segundo and Marina Del Ray, and finally Venice. The ride itself was about 28miles round trip. If you decide to head out to Hermosa and do this ride, you will see everything from dolphins to a roller blading one man Jimi Hendrix cover band. You will watch planes take off over head from the beaches in front of LAX. Best of all, you will meet a bunch of interesting folks. Here are a few things I learned from the ride.

Hermosa is is the quintessential beach community. Our favorite by far.
Never randomly stop. Always slow down and gesture your intentions.
Equally important, never randomly turn around.
Korean Air flies huge planes.
Southwest flies the most planes.
iPhones are really handy for finding veggie burgers in California.
Bring an iPhone charger.
28miles doesn’t seem like a long bike ride, but on a cruiser bike it is.
If you rent a bike, ask for a patch kit and pump.
Take a photo of your bike lock combos with your cell phone.
The area between Manhattan Beach and Marian Del Ray is a baron wasteland. It’s not really that bleak, but there isn’t much there if you are hungry.
Bring water.
Don’t corner too fast, sandy sidewalks behave much like icy sidewalks.
You can surf between pier pylons. Well, some people can.
Costal real estate is expensive! Really expensive.
Although many places advertise shave ice, it is really crushed ice. Definitely not the same.
Venice beach is actually named after a community connected by canals. (see the second to last photo)

My Strand Cruiser Kit

Photography Note: I know some folks are curious about the gear I use, so I thought I would share with you what I took with me (and my reasoning) on the cruiser bike to make all these images. The following is the kit I used for the entire 28 mile ride along the strand to make these images.

My D700 w/ Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8, Nikon D7000 w/ Nikkor 80-200 f2.8 AFD. That gave me 24-300mm 2.8 of excellent optics at a manageable weight (my feet covered the gap in focal length between 70mm and 120mm). I think I would have been better served by leaving the 80-200 in exchange for the 70-300mm VR. I added a 15mm fish for those special situations. I can either slap it on the D700 for a fish perspective, or the D7000 for a faux wide perspective. Both cameras have pop up flashes so I didn’t pack any external lights. I packed all of this in a Think Tank Retrospective 30 along with CF cards, towel, cleaners, batteries, etc. It is a pretty comfortable setup if you are walking around and have one camera in hand. Having it slung over your shoulder for several hours on a bike was a bit much.

Filed Under: California, Gear, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Nikon 24-70, Nikon 80-200 D 2.8, Nikon D700, Nikon D7000, One Click, People, Series, The Strand, Tips, Travel, Venice Beach

The Strand – Part III

December 28, 2011 by Justin Balog 6 Comments

What makes the Strand, ‘The Strand’ are the people and the communities it supports. There is so much activity going on. Hundreds of volleyball nets span the beaches from Hermosa to Manhattan. Local surfers congregate near each of the piers. Stand up paddle boarders make their way up and down miles of coastline. The beach cruiser is the primary mode of transportation, roller skates come in a close second. At night, bars come to life with the sound of local music. There is no need to travel far! Just walk, rent a bike, or roller skate your way from activity to activity. The perfect day is waking up at dawn to shoot the sunrise. Then spend the afternoon surfing, paddle boarding, riding, or walking. After an afternoon nap, photograph the sunset, grab a bite, and then catch some live music! Tomorrow we will go on an epic cruiser bike ride from Hermosa Beach to the canals of Venice.

Weekend Photo Vacation Logistics: All the images you have seen thus far in this series, including today’s, were taken within walking distance of the Beach House Hotel at Hermosa Beach. I really had no idea where to stay, but it was the only place on the beach that was centrally located. It turned out to be the perfect base camp for a photo weekend in a southern California beach community. There was never a need for a rental car.

Filed Under: California, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Nikkor 300 AFS F4, Nikon 24-70, Nikon 80-200 D 2.8, Nikon D700, Nikon D7000, People, Really Right Stuff, Series, The Strand, Tips, Travel

The Strand – Part II

December 27, 2011 by Justin Balog 4 Comments

Yesterday I wrote a bit about how the piers shape each of the costal beach communities of Southern California. Like I said, each one is different and worth exploring. Today’s image is almost a tale of two piers. Not because of the pier itself, although the Manhattan pier (pictured here) is much different than the Hermosa Pier (yesterday’s image), but because of the conditions I photographed them in. On this day, a winter swell had rolled in form the north and the seas were angry. This was also the day I decided to go out and paddle board. I was planning on photographing the Manhattan pier from underneath. I had visions of a long classic and powerful exposure. However, because of the wether that day, I felt that incorporating the sea told a more complete story. To achieve the vision I had in my head I shot with a very long focal length (400mm in this case) and timed the waves at their height. I wanted the face of the wave to be visible and still balance well with the pier in the distance. Let’s just say I shot a lot of images until I got this one. For me, this was a photographic blessing from nature. I could stand and stare at waves all day. Tomorrow we will continue our story of ‘The Strand’ by taking a look at the people and activity that makes this place what it is!

Continue for Capture/Processing Notes…