The Digital Capture of Light

Called the oil and gas capital of US, Houston is just another metro city in the US 340 days a year - young chic professionals sipping Starbucks lattes, talking on their cell phones and walking past skyscrapers as Bollywood typically portrays any US city. But for the rest 20 days of the year, H-town is something out of a Clint Eastwood movie - cowboy hats and blue jeans, horses, goats, pigs and cattle, bronc riding and country music.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) is the third largest fair in North America and the biggest of its kind in the world. The mission and purpose of the HLSR, reads that it is organized for charitable, educational and scientific purposes to encourage and promote the breeding, raising and marketing of better livestock and farm products at public fairs and to promote and maintain research and educational functions within the livestock industry.

The rodeo and the livestock show continue to fascinate me, mainly because it is so different from the usual activities I frequent with my camera and friends. The smells, sights and sounds I associate with the HLSR are many-a-times ones I remember from my days in India, making me nostalgic. The 2008's events drew to an end on Saturday, and it was time for the Western movie set that had placed itself over Houston to move over.

Unlike the past years, when I typically used to buy a ticket for a day, this year I went ahead and brought a Funpass which entitles unlimited access. I visited the HLSR 3-4 times at different times of the day and during different events and here are a few photos from my visits to the HLSR this year.

The Rodeo Parade:

It is a known fact that we Texans take our barbecue quite seriously. And the cowboys take it to another level with an annual cook-off lasting over two days. It is just not the slow-smoked-food that attracts people, the decorated cook pits, the parties at the cook pits are all a part of the whole event.

The second wheel, 17-35mm @17mm, f/8, 1/320s