The Ones I Like List of 2007 - A Countdown [#2]

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Texas Bullfighter - I love this photo. Something about the selflessness, the courage, the athleticism, and the quiet strength of a rodeo bullfighter...I find it very comforting. There are few job descriptions that require applicants to vow life and limb for the safety of another -- the job of bullfighter falls into that rare club.

I made contact with the bullfighter in this image in early December. His name is Jesse Vick, and he really lived up to the mystique of someone in "that rare club." I felt lucky to have had the opportunity to share the photo I love so much with the person who made it possible. I hope to photograph him again in the new year.

I find myself very tired as 2007 nears its end. The words aren't flowing as they should be. And I regret that sincerely since this is such an important photo to me. Just know that in the race for #1 on my The Ones I Like List of 2007, Texas Bullfighter came in #2 in what could only be called a "photo finish." Right up until I sat down to write this post, it could have gone either way. It was that close.

Greg Fallis, a wonderfully talented writer and photographer, wrote a beautiful piece in compliment to Texas Bullfighter. You can see his short essay here in Utata, the best photography-related blog on the internet.

Two other photos that I like from the Fort Worth Stockyards are two [and two] and in full swing.