ProRodeo Sports News - February 23, 2018

Glimpsing the Past Fain reflects on photo shot more than 40 years ago BEHIND THE CHUTE

BY NICK CICERE O ne of the most decorated rodeo photographers of all time, Jim Fain has seen many things over the course of his 50-plus- year career. For ProRodeo Sports News , the 2006 PRCA Photographer of the Year goes deep into his vault of classic rodeo photos to give a background on his 1975 capture of saddle bronc rider Billy Wines at the Cache County Fair and Rodeo in Logan, Utah. In the second edition of “Behind the Chute,” Fain talks about Wines warning him of Stephen Bros.’ Heidelberg and gives an in-depth look at how he made his countless collection of rodeo imagery possible. What was happening before this photo was taken? So, Billy Wines was given a re-ride. And apparently, the horse had a reputation of throwing himself. So, Billy clued me in on it, and he said, “get out there a ways, this horse is going to flip.” I went out there a ways and sure enough, he bucked. Why does this picture still hold so much sentimental value? Last year, Billy and his wife, Michelle, were grand marshals for the Silver State Stampede in Elko, Nev. The committee used that image for their annual poster last year, and my reward for taking the photo was a set of Garcia spurs, a brand pretty well known in Elko. In your professional opinion, what makes this photo so interesting?

At 75 years old, Jim Fain, above, has adapted his technique as technologies have advanced over the course of a career that has spanned more than 50 years.

Dale Miller photo

T Rodeo, they had a stud horse they called Ronnie. His trademark was, once he got out of the gate, he was vertical, but I never saw him come over. Somehow, this horse has his feet back under him. But this particular shot, it’s just unusual. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. This photo was taken more than 40 years ago, but can you recall what settings you would have had on your camera to make this shot possible? With a Rolleicord, you zone focus. I probably had my focus set around 30 feet. And I used one aperture that was stopped down enough to give me a depth of focus between 20 feet, maybe. I imagine I shot it at a 5.6 aperture, which is what I used for the particular flash I was using at that time. It would have been Tri-X film at 400 ASA, or ISO now. How are you able to remember the specific details of a shot taken more than 40 years ago? As far as the settings I was using back then, it’s pretty much engrained. Is there any aspect of your photography that has developed over time? Shooting digitally and with more advanced equipment. The last couple of years, I’ve shot more wide open. I’m shooting stuff with an F-Stop of 2.8 to drop the background, and now with auto-focus my images are sharper compared to when I had to use more of a zone focus. But I was pretty good at nailing photos within my focus area back then. You’re 75 years old and you haven’t slowed down. What rodeos do you have on the horizon? I won’t be at any PRCA rodeos until Memorial Day weekend. In April and May, I’ll probably be recovering from surgery on my right arm. I’ve got nerve problems that are affecting the dexterity of my right hand. I used to get on bareback horses, so I’ve taken my share of licks. I’ve also put up and taken down my share of lights and panels, no telling how many millions of times.

Kriss Henion photo

This was one shot. There wasn’t a sequence or anything. Back then, I was shooting with a Rolleicord, so that’s about all I had a chance for. I also like the clean background. There isn’t any clutter. What were some reasons why you wanted to submit this particular photo? Besides it being one of my favorites, it’s unusual. I’ve seen a lot of pictures of horses rearing out, but not at the peak of one flipping. I’ve got pictures of Bar

ProRodeo Sports News 2/23/18

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