@ The rodeo
The other day, I went to the rodeo in Marietta with a friend from work. Right away, the energy was great — food trucks, people dressed head to toe in cowboy gear, and a packed crowd ready for a show.
The events were intense. Riders raced, lassoed, and took on bulls and horses with full commitment. I started off shooting from my seat with my Sony 400–600mm lens, mostly at 600mm, to pull the action in tight from a distance. Even from the stands, I was able to isolate riders and catch some sharp shots.
At one point, a guy next to me asked for help because his shots weren’t coming out well. I gave him a few tips about keeping his shutter speed up and watching his exposure. Always good to help another shooter.
After a while, I noticed people closer to the bull ring, right by the fence. I moved down and it made a huge difference. From that angle, I switched between my 400–600mm and my 85mm f/1.4, which let me capture both tight action and wider shots with nice depth. Shooting the 85 wide open at f/1.4 really helped separate subjects and catch the energy of the moment.
The lighting wasn’t ideal — fast action under spotty lights meant I had to keep my shutter speed between 1/1000 and 1/2000 to freeze motion. I pushed my ISO high, pretty much maxing out what my Sony A7 IV could handle, but it was worth it to keep the shots sharp.
Overall, it was a fast-paced, unpredictable shoot — exactly the kind I enjoy. Scroll down to check out some of my favorite frames from the night.
Camera Settings & Gear I Used:
A few people have asked me about my setup, so here’s what I used for these shots:
Camera: Sony A7 IV
Lens: Sony 400-600 f/5.6-6.3
Shutter Speed: Mostly between 1/1000 to 1/4000 to freeze the action.
Aperture: Kept it around f/6.3 to get as much light as possible. Shallow depth of field was not the goal.
ISO: I was very far from the action and it was at night so I needed to increase the ISO quite a bit to be able and keep a fast shutter speed. My ISO was between 400-6400 depending on the lighting and how fast I needed the shutter to be.
Mode: Shot in burst mode to catch the fast-moving moments.
White Balance: Automatic
If you’re shooting events like this, my tip would be: use a fast shutter, be ready for unpredictable moments, and don’t be afraid to take a lot of shots. Horses and bulls are unpredictable. You’ll catch better moments that way.
Hope you enjoy the photos! If you have any questions about the shots or the settings, feel free to reach out. Always happy to talk photography.
