What can be more exciting than to gather 650 of your closest friends from around the world to re-live the 1800's for a week in Old West Arizona.
That's just what happened the week of February 24-28th at the Ben Avery Shooting Range. The Single Action Shooting Society held it's annual Winter Range World Championship event hosting over 650 competitors.
The Event
The Single Action Shooting Society, known as SASS, is the largest Cowboy Action Shooting organization in existence. SASS claims thousands of members from around the world.
Cowboy Action Shooting is a shooting event using 1800's firearms. Single Action pistols such as the famous Colt Peace Maker, double barrel coach guns, and Winchester rifles of all flavors are seen throughout the event.
Looking Good
While SASS is about shooting 1800's guns, as much emphasis and expense is spent on the period correct costumes. Competitors choose a "handle" an alias and become that character. Alias's such as Judge Roy Bean, owned by the founder of SASS, are picked from history, cinema or are alias's and characters created from the members own imaginations.
Ben Avery Shooting Range is one of the facilities equipped to host Cowboy Mounted Shooting where competitors shoot blanks at balloons from the backs of their galloping horses. Laid out in a variety of courses the riders race against the clock and each other to see who can break all the balloons in the fastest time.
Vendors are setup throughout the event housed in canvas tents selling everything from gun smithing services, to 1800's corsets, bonnets, cowboy hats and boots, antiques, and chuck wagon grub. The Old West is alive.
Photographic Opportunities
The photographic opportunities at these events are many. Access to the competition area is restricted to competitors and press who should be familiar with these types of events. Safety is the number one concern for all involved and a photographer has to know what they are doing to stay out of harms way and to not interfere with the competitors.
At any event you should always ask the event organizers if they have restrictions on who has access to certain areas, or where you can take photos from and receive permission and credentials if needed.
In this type of event and many others flash photography is not appropriate as it can interfere with the competitor. Be prepared to shoot using natural light. While the action is what the event is about, don't forget about the details, the people and the characters who many times are your best photo opportunities.
For more info: Contact James Scott Photography at www.CatchTheDay.com follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JamesScottPhoto
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