How To Photograph Cowboy Mounted Shooting for Sports Photographers

Cowboy Mounted Shooting is the Fastest Growing Equestrian Sport in the Nation. Mounted contestants compete in this fast action timed event using two .45 caliber single action revolvers each loaded with five rounds of specially prepared blank ammunition. The Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association "C.M.S.A." has a variety of levels of competition for everyone, ranging from novice levels to the seasoned professional.

Mounted Shooters use .45 caliber single action revolvers like those used in the late 1800's. Single action revolvers must be cocked each time before firing by drawing the hammer back. A double action revolver can be fired by simply pulling the trigger, without cocking the hammer. Despite the use of double action revolvers in the Old West, the CMSA limits our competitions to single action revolvers. 

Cartridges fired are called .45 caliber Long Colts. The brass cartridge is loaded with black powder (like that used in the 1800's). This load will break a balloon up to about 15 feet. Live rounds are strictly prohibited at competitions. At each event we have a person to load the rider's guns as he or she enters the arena, and a person to unload the guns after the rider is finished. Riders do not carry loaded guns outside of the arena or when not competing.

It is required that riders dress western. They may either dress in traditional western style or they can dress in the old time style of the late 1800's. Traditional style includes a long sleeve western shirt, 5 pocket blue jeans covered by chinks or chaps, western boots, and a cowboy hat. If they prefer 'rolling back the clock ' to the late 1800's, some try to look as authentic to the period as possible, by wearing shirts without collars, and high-waisted pants with buttons, not zippers, and an old style cowboy hat, for example.

Cowboy Mounted Shooting is held both indoors and outdoors.  I shot this event in May at the Paul Battle Arena in Tunica, Mississippi.  For the most part I approached it in the same way I would rodeo or any other equine event horse show. Even the best areas are very poorly lit.  You must expect them to be much worse than even the dimest high school gym you may shoot in.  

In the past I would have shot this using strobes or in the least multiple flashes. But, given the quality of the Nikon D700 and D3s bodies that is no longer the case.

For this event there was no place to really shoot from the arena floor, so I resorted to shooting from the first few rows of seating circling the venue. Since I was relatively close I shot most of these photos with a Nikon D3S body and a Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 AF-S Lens.  I had the ISO set at 6400 ISO, lens at f2.8 and shutter at 1/800 sec.  All using a custom white balance to cope with the phasing lights as well as I could.

My goal was to not only capture action and emotion, but also muzzle flash and smoke. This is really much harder than it sounds. I really like the photos in which the fire from the gun lit the rider. That is proof of just how dark these arenas are.   I have found over the years the best way is to anticipate when the rider will fire at the balloon and press the shutter then. If you hear the shot, it is already too late to capture the flash. 

I always prefer if at all possible to be at or below the riders level for the most impact.  All of these photos were published in the nations largest regional equine magazine, HORSES MAGAZINE.