Andy Watson

In every magazine, in every newspaper many times it is the pictures that tell the story. There have been some masterpiece photos that everyone knows such as the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. Or it might be a picture closer to home such as your child’s wedding or a family gathering. In the professional world of sports, we depend on those photos to catch the action that we read about. It would not be possible without the photographer. They capture that moment forever. In the world of western sports and especially bull riding there is no one finer than Andy Watson. His job is more unique because he gets in the arena with the bulls with nothing but his camera. He is truly one of the unsung heroes that is rarely talked about, but we see his handiwork a lot.

By Georgia Akers

I grew up in Jackson, WY at the base of the Tetons. I graduated high school and went to Casper, WY for college where I started into rodeo and rodeo photography. I moved to Montana in 1994 to pursue rodeo photography as a career. I now live in Three Forks, MT with my wife, Jacey, dog, Lily, barn cat. Stratton and three horses.

While in Casper, WY at college trying to ride bucking horses I started working in the college photo lab for extra money. I then started taking my camera to rodeo practice and taking a few photos. It didn’t take long to find out which paid better. I then started following rodeos around the area: high school, rodeos, college rodeos, open rodeos. Once I felt I had the skills, I bought my PRCA card in 1994.

I messed around with wildlife photography while live in Jackson, WY. But I soon ended

up finding I had a knack at shooting western lifestyle sports in order to make a living. At that point in time, there seemed to be openings in the field and I also loved rodeo and the western lifestyle.

Of course, I like shooting bull riding because that’s what I do on a daily basis but my favorite is probably the bareback riding because that is the event I competed in. I love the action of the horses and the rider trying to catch all that timing together makes it very exciting to me.

I also like shooting bronc riding and calf roping. Bronc riding is of course the classic event in rodeo and the great pictures will show the horse in the air stretched out, the rider in timing with his feet to the points of the shoulder and lifting on the bronc rein. Calf roping is also such a fast pace sport. With split seconds to pull the trigger, the challenge of getting the cowboy hanging in the stirrup before he hits the ground while managing his slack, the horse getting in the ground, and the calf lined out. It ends up to be a lot that has to come together in order to make great calf roping photos.

I would have to say team roping is my least favorite even to photograph. On an amateur level, the action is tight and compact, plus things don’t go so fast. All these factors help to get everything framed well.

On a professional level the guys throw their loops so far, so once the header turns left, the space between header and heeler are so far apart, the photo gets so spread out, to me, it just doesn’t make a real compelling photo. If the event is shot in two separate photos: 1) the header making the turn and 2) the healer catching the heels then the photos are awesome. But, working to get both the header and heeler in at that head loop, this particular action shot is hard to make but the photo would be great.

In the late ‘90s, I was shooting rodeos throughout Montana, and I did some work for the Billings NILE Rodeo. In 1995, I shot their NILE bull riding which was sanctioned by PBR. The following year, I went to the PBR Bud Light Cup in Billings and had the chance to talk with the CEO Randy Bernard about shooting more events and it basically snowballed from there.

After buying my PRCA card in 1994 I shot around 200 performances a year of PRCA rodeos. Now

I only shoot a few Pro Rodeos, such as Cody WY PRCA Rodeo of which I have shot for 24 years. I also shot the first five years of the American Rodeo. We are the official photo agency and photographers for the WCRA rodeo association as well as PBR. Additionally, we cover multiple ABBI events. I also provide photo and video services for listed ranch properties around Montana. And we are the official photography company for Coleman USA outdoor camping products.

That’s a great question. Working for a client I need to shoot what they request. 99% of the requests that I get are to cover an event and tell the story while making sure to have the winners photographed for press coverage. This makes it hard to go after the low percentage creative shots. My clients expect a high volume of useable photos to come out of a shoot for them to utilize. When hunting for creative shots, the percentage of “keepers” goes down substantially as well as the chance of missing one of the competitors that could potentially win the event.

I enjoy being able to bring in one of our additional photographers and working through creative shot ideas. The pressure is off me so I can concentrate on the client‘s needs while have a second shooter shooting the random shots that I have conveyed to them. This makes for a very well-rounded coverage of an event. I guess, in the end, you can say the hardest shot to get is the one I am not able to go after.

I shoot the Canon 1DX Mark II because I feel it is the best sports camera going right now. The lenses are great and the camera focus well. Things will be changing soon because Canon will stop producing DSR camera and will go straight to mirrorless camera, so at that point, I will have to make the switch. Not a huge difference but just something I will have to get used to shooting.

It is a split-second decision that I have honed over the last 30 years of shooting rodeos. You have to decided when enough is enough and gather your camera and jump the fence all before the bull gets to you. It depends on the direction he is going, how he is looking and what the ride is looking like. I guess it takes a lot of practice.

I got hurt once at the Montana PRCA Circuit Finals Rodeo. A bull hooked me up the fence and I sprained my ankle. Other than that, just a few bumps and bruises. Over time, the knees start to wear out and things start to wear out and things start to get sore but that’s just life.

Over the years, I have built up clientele and most of them seek me out when they have new jobs. What it comes down to it working very hard inside and outside the arena every time and being very professional. Clients tend to seek that out time and time again.

Working hard every day and being professional is how it pays off. Also, diversification. The rodeo photography world is small and sometimes you need to look beyond that.

The pay will totally vary depending on what is asked. Some jobs require 3 photographers and someone running our live photo system. Some just require one photographer. As far as the rate, that depends on a lot of different things too. Is it a total buy out? Do we edit or just turn files over? What kind of gear is needed for the job? It is never an easy question. If you charge too much you may lose a job and if you don’t charge enough, you will set a precedent of being “cheap”. We contract several photographers as we need them. We have guys that specialize in action and behind the scenes. I spend several years working with them to get them to the point that they know what I want from them, and I know they can produce a product that I want to put my brand on. It is much more than just being a good photographer. I need someone that is willing to go the extra mile to make sure that our client gets everything promised and more. I am very proud of the team that I have put together and trust them to produce every time they step in or out of the arena.

Don’t try starting at the top! Work your way up through amateur events. Learn how to be a professional and hone your craft. Then work your way up the ladder.

I average well over 200 days a year on the road, sleeping in a hotel or my RV. It can get old, but for me, it beats sitting at a desk doing a real job every day.

I get this question a lot and the answer surprises me every time. My favorite photo that I have ever taken was one at my first PRCA rodeo as a brand-new card holder. It was in 1994 in Red Lodge, MT of Aaron Semas on the bull called Blowout of Brookmans, It was a 60 some point ride. The bull stumbled and hit Aaron in the chin and blew straight up in the air. It was a great shot but more than that, it meant that I had become a professional photographer working my first event. I was excited to see where my career would go.