Since I was a kid I liked taking pictures. I like the idea of capturing a moment, a unique slice of time and light and space, and sharing that moment.

I shot black & white in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Mostly bar bands and concerts, some college football, a police riot, more bar bands. I think B&W is direct. It’s clear. It helps the eye get to the point of the picture. I shot color when our kids were young. But, I came back to B&W when I discovered rodeos.

My first rodeo was the Crazy Horse Rodeo in 2011. What a great rodeo that was! Later that same year I was kicked out of the Deadwood Days of ‘76 Rodeo for violating their dress code. It’s a show you see, an entertainment, a Western Cowboy Spectacle. The bucking chutes are the backdrop of that show. That’s why it made sense to toss the photographer with the golf shirt and ball cap messing up the scene behind the chutes.

So I got myself a hat and boots and some western shirts and I started shooting rodeos, roughstock (bronc and bulls) mostly. What a blast! A bucking bronc or bull ride has everything you could want to see - action, drama, beautiful horses, powerful bulls, amazing riders, brilliant sun light, dust, noise, more action … you get the picture.

And that brings us here. Here you can see some of my work, some of the really fun stuff I’ve been privileged to capture. Better yet, here you can purchase prints of my work. Computers and phones are great for showing off but, printed, real, in your hands, on your wall - that’s the best way to experience these glimpses of rodeo - these moments from wonderful Western Cowboy Spectacles.

Jeremiah M. Murphy
Rapid City, SD