Cowboy Frank Harrell, the International Gay Rodeo Association's (IGRA for short) webmaster, also happens to be a digital photography enthusiast - a major one. He's proud purveyor of CowboyFrank.net, a site featuring his own, epic gay rodeo photos. I implored him to post some to Underground's Flickr group. He was kind enough to do so, and to answer a few questions by email about his passion for shooting gay rodeo.
Brad: Why focus on gay rodeo? What makes it such an attractive subject for you?
Frank: When I was a little tyke, I watched westerns on TV and loved such programs as Sky King, and The Lone Ranger. Long before I knew I was gay, I was attracted to the Marlboro Men ads. Boy, were those some hot cowboys.
I was on cloud nine when I learned about gay rodeo around 1996 and have been going to them ever since. They offer a subject matter for my photography which I can post on my website. Many of the other "themes" that I like would be too restrictive in my ability to post photos as my hosting company won't allow nudes. As it turns out, I get lots of compliments about how "clean" my website is. Many people tell me it's refreshing to find a hot site without everything being flaunted right out front.
Brad: How long have you been publishing gay rodeo photos at CowboyFrank.net? How did you get started?
Frank: I created my first personal webpage on March 18, 1998 with a total of 1 meg of space. Boy has it expanded since then. I now have some 700 megs of photos up there. CowboyFrank.net spun off of that first page in August of 2000 with the purchase of my domain name and a professional web hosting account. That's when I began posting photos I had shot, rather than just favorite images off the Internet.
Brad: Are you a real cowboy?
Frank: Well, that depends on your definition of a cowboy. I think I express my ideas on that issue pretty well on my site. I have a page on my site I call my philosophical blog. One of my tidbits attracted the attention of a real cowboy, who gave me a pretty good definition of what a real cowboy is.
Brad: Have you had any near-death experiences attempting to get the perfect rodeo photo? Any scars to show for it?
Frank: Yup and nope. At the 2002 IGRA finals rodeo in Wichita, Kansas, I was up at the fence shooting with a telephoto lens when a bronc, who was completely oblivious to everything except trying to get that cowboy off his back, jumped sideways and slammed into the fence right where I was standing. Everyone thought I had been bashed when the fence jumped out of its base and slammed against me. As it was, I had seen the bronc out of the corner of my eye and had jumped backwards just in time. Problem was the first row of bleachers was only two feet from the fence and I tripped backward over them. Did a number on my elbow, which left a gash. But otherwise I was unscathed.
Brad: Have you ever attempted to photograph the rodeo from the back of, say, a bucking bronco?
Frank: Not on your life! First I don't ride the rough stock. I've tried my hand at barrel racing in the past, but now I only compete in Calf Roping On Foot, a nice, relatively easy, and safe event. I do still ride horses as often as I can but I keep to the gentle animals.
When a cowboy or cowgirl is on a bronc, steer or bull, they have to concentrate on three things: staying on, doing a good ride, and keeping from getting killed. There is no time to spend fiddling with such things as a camera.
I did have some guy write me about a year ago who wanted to put a webcam on his safety helmet while riding. He was asking because of another part of my website which reviews webcam hardware. Don't know if he was successful, never heard back from him…
Brad: Do any of your photos stand out in your mind?
Frank: There are just so many. Generally, my favorites are the ones that make it to the photo of the week collection on my site. But I think my most favorite of all was shot at the 2006 Phoenix rodeo - of the leather guy and the cowboy walking hand in hand. It's posted in the Flicker group.
There's no real story to that photo, I just saw it and was quick enough to get the shot. The fun part: this was just after Brokeback Mountain had won the Golden Globes, so it just fit right in.
Brad: Do you have advice for would-be rodeo photogs? What kind of equipment are you using?
Frank: I use a professional Digital SLR camera. Currently my pride and joy is a Nikon D-200 with a massive Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8 lens with vibration reduction. That lens weighs more than the camera but takes fantastic photos.
My best advice is to take the time to read and understand your camera manual. Learn what your camera can do, how to set it, and take the time to play with it before you go to an event. It takes time and practice to get good shots. Learn from your mistakes. When a photo doesn't come out right, don't just say that one didn't turn out, and delete it. Take the time to figure out why it didn't work, ask an expert if you can, and try to learn how to do it better next time.
I think I have an advantage over most in that both my father and his father were professional photographers. My dad spent his last 20 years working for the Smithsonian. In the evenings he kept trying to pump me full of all he knew about photography. Now that he is gone, I wish I had listened closer while I had the chance.
Brad: You're a webmaster, too. Any sites you want to mention?
Frank: For anyone interested in gay rodeo, I strongly suggest frequent trips to the International Gay Rodeo Association's site. There you can find a calendar of all the gay rodeos, with links to the individual websites of each organization. There is also loads of useful and informative stuff about how our rodeos are produced and all the rules we have to follow.
Some people have expressed an opinion that rodeo animals are mistreated. I have generally found that most who feel that way are basing their opinions on hearsay and rumor and have not spent any time looking into the actual events, rules and conditions the rodeo animals actually face. A large chunk of our rulebook deals strictly with the ethical treatment of the animals. The entire rulebook is posted on the IGRA website so anyone can read it for themselves.
so, what's your story?
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