Photographing The Kentucky Derby

Photographing The Kentucky Derby: Lights. Camera. Action!

By: Chad B. Harmon

What actually goes into photographing the Kentucky Derby? You may never have given this a thought. Some may think: pick up a camera, push a button, and put down the camera. Technically that is not wrong, but there is more to it than just that. The great thing about photography is there is not one perfect method. Each photographer has his or her own style, technique, and approach. While preparation is important, preparation can be enhanced by luck and being in the right place at the right time. I hope to give a glimpse of what it is like when I shoot the Kentucky Derby by sharing some of my thoughts, experiences, and photographs.

As the saying goes Location…Location…Location! Where will you be shooting the race? There are many potential locations to take up residence for the fastest two minutes in sports. You may decide yourself or you may be assigned a location. The location will determine what shot to try to accomplish as well as what camera equipment may be best to achieve the shot. Many locations present the potential to produce spectacular images; however, each location comes with pros and cons. I have shot the Kentucky Derby from various locations including the first turn, the turf course just past the finish line, the final turn both inside and outside, the starting gate, and even the roof. I cannot really say I have a favorite location as I have enjoyed shooting and experiencing the race from numerous perspectives. My favorite Derby photo came while shooting from the final turn. In the United States, there are not many opportunities to shoot 20-horse fields. In this photo the field for the 2006 Kentucky Derby is fanned about ten wide coming around the final turn with Barbaro leading the way.

As I said there are pros and cons with each location. While the final turn typically has a lot of action and the winning move sometimes starts coming off the turn, the difficult part is diagnosing which horse is making that winning move while looking through the view finder on your camera. The drawback to shooting the final turn is the winner may be covered up (hidden) or at that point of the race, the winner is not always in front. While they call the Kentucky Derby the fastest two minutes in sports, do not think you have two minutes to shoot. In reality when the horses are travelling at 30+ mph past where you are located, you have seconds not only to take the shot but to make the decision whether you are shooting multiple horses or going tight on one horse. Sometimes I have been right and sometimes not so much. For Barbaro and California Chrome I made the right decision, and when I’ll Have Another won, I got a really nice shot of Bodemeister (2^nd place).

Photographing the Kentucky Derby will elicit many feelings and emotions. My trifecta would be excitement, anticipation, and anxiety. Those feelings along with many others have been present the past twelve years while shooting the likes of Barbaro, Big Brown, and most recently California Chrome. A great tradition is the singing of My Old Kentucky Home as the field steps on the track. This created my favorite Kentucky Derby experience in 2011. My location to shoot that year was on a ladder on the turf course just past the finish line. There is no feeling that compares to getting hit full in the face by one-hundred-thousand people singing My Old Kentucky Home. It is an experience I wish everyone could have at least once – I still had goose bumps minutes later when shooting Animal Kingdom crossing the wire. In addition to the emotion My Old Kentucky Home can elicit, there are many other potential distractions. From the roaring of the large crowd to getting caught up watching the Big Board, it is important to stay focused. While cameras do have image stabilizers, they will not work well if you are jumping while cheering for your favorite horse, so it is important to keep your emotions under control.

Weather can also have an impact on many factors, so it is important to be prepared to protect the camera equipment from the elements as well as yourself. Inclement weather can increase difficulty but can also create the potential for some unique photographic opportunities. When Smarty Jones won in 2004, a canoe would have been an effective means of transportation along the inside rail. In 2010, when Super Saver won the Derby, there was heavy rain and nasty weather. While My Old Kentucky Home was being sung, the skies cleared and the sun appeared for the first time all day. The opening line of the song is “The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home,” which was very fitting. The sun could not have been timed any more perfectly but it sent photographers scurrying to change the settings on their cameras, as they had been set for dark, gloomy, overcast lighting.

An important fact to keep in mind is just because the horses have crossed the wire and the race is over does not mean it is time to put down your camera and call it a day. The Kentucky Derby is a race that most jockeys dream of winning all their lives. When that dream is realized there is no telling the emotion, reaction, and celebration that could follow. Some jockeys are more animated and more likely to show exuberance. Even the most stoic jockeys normally show some type of emotion or celebration after winning what could be a career-defining race. I try to have an idea in my head of which jockey is riding which horse and the colors of the silks. Having photographed horse racing for years allows me to be a little more prepared and gives me a good grasp on the jockeys that are guaranteed to celebrate. For shooting everything between the gallop back and the winners circle presentation, finding a position is a crap shoot. There is so much traffic and there is no telling where the right angle will be to get a good shot, but it is possible to capture a unique shot.

So, yes, I pick up my camera, push a button and then put down my camera, but for me there is so much more that factors into photographing this coveted event. The Kentucky Derby is great theatre featuring great athletes both equine as well as human, and it is a pleasure being able to photograph the scenes created on the first Saturday in May each year. There are many ways to experience the race; photographing it is just one of many. Enjoy the day no matter how you are able to experience it, and be sure to enjoy the photographs as I can assure you a lot of time, effort, and preparation all culminate with pressing that shutter button.

Photos: © Chad B. Harmon Photography

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