I spent a few days with friend Gary Bogdon in Louisville, Kentucky for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby.  4am alarm clocks are commonplace during Derby week, but once you get to Churchill Downs you’ll beg for more time, especially on those early morning workouts.  Some of my favorite selects from the trip are below but a gallery of images can be seen here.  

My approach to the Derby is the same as any other event that is littered with photographers, be different.  It’s better to take a chance and fail than to make the same picture as 100 other photographers.  For example, I was stationed at turn 3 during the race.  There were two other photographers within a 1/4 mile of me, if anything good happened near us, we were on it and only us.  Nothing happened, but that was the gamble.  Another downside to that position was that eventual winner Mine That Bird was so far back at turn 3 that I have no frames with him in it during the race.  A little bit of hustle got me to the winner’s circle in time to shoot some celebration such as this.

Philadelphia Commercial Photographer