Big Bertha is in the house. She’s not mine for keeps, but we’ll be spending a few days together. Wanna meet her? Here she is. I only hit myself in the ear once with Big Bertha so far. It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
This is part of my ongoing series of Top Ten Lists. Check out the lists of Bill Finley and Barbara Livingston.
Website: http://www.budmortonphotography.com
Website Gallery: http://www.gallery.budmortonphotography.com
Flickr Gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/budmeister
No contest. That’s what Bud Morton wrote about his top album of all time. Same can be said for some of the greats captured by his Nikon: Cigar, Go For Wand, Skip Away, Real Quiet’s Triple Crown loss by a nose, Sky Beauty in The Alabama, Fourstardave at The Spa. Classic, all of them. No contest.
I first saw Bud’s photography when I was just learning the ins and outs of my mom’s point and shoot camera, which I brought to the track whenever I had the chance. Bud’s work was displayed in the Final Turn Photo Gallery. I attended the 2003 Jockey Club Gold Cup and was wowed by Mineshaft’s victory; however, the photos I took were abysmal. How could photos of such a great race be so awful? Must have been impossible to shoot, I decided. Then I saw Bud’s photo of Mineshaft in the post parade: head bowed, nostrils flared, bracing against the bit. Bud had captured the horse’s fire even in the notoriously obnoxious Belmont lighting. I begged my then-boyfriend now-husband to locate the print for me for Christmas. Jonathan contacted this amazing and talented photographer from the Boston area and I ended up with a framed, matted photo of Mineshaft, which is proudly displayed on my wall.
In 2006, I purchased my first SLR camera, a Nikon D70s. I read the camera manual, browsed the photography forums, and asked everyone I knew for help with my new pet hobby. A friend of mine purchased the same camera at the same time and we met up at Aqueduct to try out our new goodies. My friend knew Bud and introduced me to him. Bud said hello, then eyed me, and asked, “Are you the one who posts her photos online as soon as you get home from the track?” I said yes, a little embarrassed by my own dorkiness. Bud then helped my friend learn about shooting horse racing. I silently shadowed them as they shot the turn and the stretch of the day’s races. I knew the basics that Bud explained, but then he started talking about the good stuff- the stuff that separates the men from the boys, the stuff that makes his racing photos special.
The next time I saw Bud at Aqueduct, I was full of questions. And Bud answered them! A lot of photographers are under the mistaken impression that they are doing something that nobody else has ever done and they are a little reluctant to share their methods. I’ve only met a few who are so comfortable with their work that they can be generous in helping others: Bud Morton is one of these people. He taught me why it’s cool to shoot racing in aperture priority. He taught me how to shoot an image so sharp I can see “the dirt in the jockey’s teeth and every whisker on the horse’s muzzle”. He taught me how much better the inner rail shots are than the outer rail shots. He taught me how the big photographers got their images to look unique. He taught me that if I totally flub a shot, don’t despair because “there are nine more races tomorrow”. And above all else…. background, background, background.
This is all classic stuff that has been done many times before and will be done so many times after, but with these tools, a photographer begins to define a style. True mastery of a craft yields artistic style. Standing just a few feet away from me, Bud can get a totally different-looking image from mine. And he’ll go for the more daring shot instead of the cookie-cutter safety shot every time. He playfully teases photographers for getting “pretty pony” paddock photos but when nobody is looking, he sneaks in the paddock and gets some real beauties (Bud and his wife are also wonderful horsepeople who tend to a small herd of senior horses at home). In addition to the classics of 20+ years ago, Bud has some new classics, too, like this beauty of Rags To Riches winning the 2007 Belmont Stakes over Curlin, another print which resides at the Andrew residence.
On a miserably hot, cold, rainy, or otherwise unpleasant day, a lot of photographers complain about the day’s work. Bud does not- he reminds me that it is a real privilege to shoot these events and be close to such amazing horses, trainers, jockeys, and owners. Shooting is FUN- setting up remotes is FUN. When I assisted Bud at Saratoga, I first learned The Rules before I got to shoot. Working for Bud means following a few basic but classic rules about attire and conduct at the track; these rules have fallen by the wayside for some of the newer photographers. Bud explains it like this, “I’m old school and this is how I was taught…” I’ll work by the old school rules any day- I respect Bud’s opinions and he’s been a great mentor to me.
What kind of Top Ten List would you expect from an old-school, classic, no-contest photographer? Here it is:
1. Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run – No contest.
2. Bruce Springsteen: Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ – The “old “ boss- not the new whiny one- gets the top two.
3. The Beatles: The Beatles (White Album) – “And in the end…”
4. The Grateful Dead: American Beauty – “Keep on truckin’… like the doodah man…”
5. Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company: Cheap Thrills – Janis took a piece of my heart with that record.
6. Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin I – Left me dazed and confused after good times and bad times.
7. Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells a Story – Gave me a “reason to believe”.
8. The Who: Tommy – A truly unique album
9. Queen: A Night at the Opera – “Bo Rap” and “Best Friend” get the nod.
10. James Taylor: Sweet Baby James – “ The turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston”, also known as the road to Saratoga
It’s tough being a horse racing fanatic. TVG is nice for seeing the actual races, but you have to suffer through awful commentary, not to mention commercials for ShamWow, the Snuggie and Mighty Putty. Horse racing trade publications, racing blogs, and forums provide news and opinions, but there are few people with the industry knowledge, scope, and experience to provide racing fans with real insight into the sport.
Bill Finley is one of the finest writers in horse racing. He speaks to handicappers, fans, and to members of the racing industry. I admire his unwavering dedication to the Sport of Kings, as well as his visionary ideas to improve it. Finley has the courage to buck popular thought about the racing industry and speak out about deep problems within the institution. He writes for the New York Times, USA Today, and ESPN, and in 2008, he published Betting Synthetic Surfaces, a book of in-depth research and analysis of what makes a winner on a synthetic track. He’s also a co-host of Down The Stretch, a racing program on Sirius Satellite Radio and has appeared in editions of ESPN’s SportsCentury.
Check out Bill’s thoughts on the 2008 Eclipse Awards, the unsung heroes of 2008, the legacy of Barbaro, a throwdown between Big Brown and Curlin, Eight Belles’ tragic demise, and some early 2009 Kentucky Derby picks (including Old Fashioned, pictured above with trainer Larry Jones).
… and check out Bill Finley’s Top Ten Albums of all time!
1. English Beat: I Just Can’t Stop It
2. The Clash: London Calling
3. The Clash: Sandinista!
4. The Who: Who’s Next
5. Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run
6. Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
7. Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA
8. Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros: Rock Art and the X-Ray Style
9. The Smiths: Louder Than Bombs
10. Graham Parker: Squeezing Out Sparks
Pictured: Photo from Budmeister’s Flickr photostream of me and Jessie modeling for the remote camera. Note the focused expression on my face. It’s a tough job standing on a track pressing a button, you know.
Happy trainer, happy horse. The convincing winner of the Remsen is on the Derby Trail. Exciting news for the connections of Old Fashioned, a colt by Unbridled’s Song. Trained by Larry Jones and owned by Fox Hill Farm. What a thrill this must be for this horse and his fans. Brings me back to my childhood and the Derby Fever I felt for my favorite racehorse, Sunday Silence. I remember carefully cutting photos of Sunday Silence out of our local newspaper and taping them on my bedroom walls. He was magical in my young mind.
But the news was overshadowed by injuries in the other two marquee races at Aqueduct. Springside, winner of the Grade 2 Demoiselle, took a bad step after the wire and fractured her pastern. She was vanned off, stabilized, and is at New Bolton receiving the best of care. I join the rest of racing fans in hoping for a speedy and safe recovery.
Later that afternoon, Wanderin Boy broke down on the turn in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile. My little group of colleagues stood on the photographers’ platform in the inner rail watching the race unfold on the monitor. When the horses hit the turn and we saw what happened, it was painful to be trapped there, shooting a hollow victory. I felt a glimmer of hope when I saw the horse ambulance load him. He was vanned off for treatment but his injuries were inoperable and he was euthanized. I extend my sincere condolences to the connections of this game and resilient horse- it must be devastating to lose a horse like him. Steve Haskin of the Blood-Horse wrote an insightful, strangely prophetic piece about Wanderin Boy’s career and health issues in October and had to end the chapter with a thought-provoking memorial yesterday.
As a horse owner who recently lost a very special horse, I think that my current mental condition makes me a little more vulnerable to reacting emotionally to the breakdown of a horse like Wanderin Boy. These stories also bring me back to my childhood. I was in grade school when Go For Wand suffered a catastrophic breakdown in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, but it had a profound impact on me. I felt like I could not be a horse lover and also be a racing fan. I lost enthusiasm for the sport; while I was still a casual fan, it was several years before I put my heart into racing again.
As a horse lover and a fan of a variety of equine disciplines, there is a conflict within me whenever I hear news of a breakdown. Can changes in breeding, racing surfaces, and training ever truly prevent deaths caused by racing? How do racing-related deaths measure up to fatal injuries caused by other equine sports? Is racing humane? Are my other favorite equine sports humane?
I read everything I can about equine health and science in order to educate myself about our sports. I educate through my photos and share everything I can about racing with people who are not familiar with the sport. When I see a good trainer who cares for his horses and who properly conditions them, I do see happy horses. I see horses who are exercised daily, fed the best feeds, and are maintained like the athletes that they are. I am a fan of these trainers and these trainers are the ones who keep me coming to the track, camera in hand, to capture the next Sunday Silence.
Rock and Racehorses: Sarah K. Andrew 