Talking Pictures

There Is Always Tomorrow…

Staff | Jul 28, 2011 | First Published: Jun 1, 2011

Professional bull riding is classified as an extreme and dangerous sport in nearly any measure that you care to describe. The bulls are big and dangerous; the riders are small and fragile in comparison. I took this photograph of a bull rider literally moments after being bucked off in front of an indoor arena full of screaming fans. He rode for less than 8 seconds, and consequently his day was done. The bull won.

To me, this image symbolizes the resilience and attitude of athletes who participate in extreme, dangerous, and individual sports. While his day may be over, and well before he planned it to be, he knows that tomorrow brings another chance at redemption, and the adrenaline rush that is no doubt associated with risking one’s own life in search of fleeting perfection in a sport measured in seconds…8 of them to be exact.
—Phillip Wittke
Highland Heights, OH

Technical Info: Taken handheld with a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS lens. Exposure was f/2.8 at 1⁄1000 sec at ISO 3200. There is some moderate white balance adjustment in Lightroom 3, and some minor increases in saturation and contrast due to the flat lighting in the arena.
© Phillip Wittke

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