More Than Eight - Rodeo Before and After the Action

a picture book by Matt Cohen



I came to rodeo from mainstream sports. They don't let photographers in the clubhouse at MLB games. NFL players don't put on their pads and tape up their wrists next to the competition. Emotional moments take place behind closed doors or at such distance that only a super-telephoto lens can catch them.



At rodeos, NFR qualifiers with airline tags on their gear bags get ready steps away from guys who hitchhiked all night to get on a bronc. Star ropers may arrive in sponsored RVs & horse trailers, but they hangout behind the chutes during slack with locals who earned their entry fees working cattle on a neighboring farm. I've been lucky enough to enjoy direct access to all of this.



What goes on in the arena is exciting, and my action pictures speak for themselves. But I made this book to feature pictures that tell a deeper story about the parts of the rodeo that most people never get to see. After all, it's not as easy as standing 40 yards away, pushing the button once per ride.



This is rodeo.