Volunteering as a Pack Burro Racing Photographer

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 No! You don’t need to be a professional photographer. We’re looking for people who have a passion for photography and would enjoy capturing the excitement and unique experience of a pack burro race.

 Really, any type of camera will do! DSLR or mirrorless cameras may offer more flexibility and can produce higher-quality images, but today’s phone cameras can take amazing photos too. Use the camera you’re most comfortable with!

 We’ll provide sign-ups with designated areas such as:

• Start/Finish lines
• Bridges, tunnels, mines
• Hills, peaks, and open stretches

You may also choose an “other” location if you find a strong, uncovered spot.

Goal: Maximize coverage across the entire course.

Choosing a Great Spot

Different terrain offers different opportunities:

• Start/Finish: High energy, multiple teams in frame
• Curves: Great for head-on and dynamic turning shots
• Open  areas: More time to track subjects
• Uphills/obstacles: Slower pace = sharper images
• Downhills: Fast, dramatic action shots

Lighting Tip: Keep the sun behind you whenever possible.

If you can, scout your location in advance to plan your angles.

Pre-Race

You’re welcome to capture:

• Saddling
• Warm-ups
• Crowd and atmosphere

However, be sure to leave enough time to reach your assigned shooting location before the race begins. Start areas can become crowded quickly—plan ahead.

During the Race

Remember: you're photographing a team—one runner and one burro.

• Aim to include both runner and burro in your shots whenever possible
• Accept that crowded conditions may limit perfect composition
• Do NOT interfere with racers—these are timed events with prize money      involved

Safety & Awareness:

• Donkeys can hear your camera—avoid surprising them
• If you can’t stay fully hidden, be visible and predictable
• Avoid sudden movements or noisy/flapping clothing
• Stay off the course at all times

 The amount of time you volunteer depends on the race and the photography location you choose. Some races, such as the Fairplay Long Course and Leadville Long Course, can last up to eight hours or more before all teams have finished. Shorter races typically last around four hours.

If you need to leave by a certain time, just let your photography coordinator know. We will do our best to assign you to a location that fits your schedule. And because we have multiple photographers positioned along the course, it is perfectly fine if you need to leave before all the teams have passed your location. We appreciate whatever time you can give!

No, definitely not! If you have experience photographing other fast-paced sports or action events, that’s a plus, but it isn’t necessary. Most of us learned the best techniques for photographing pack burro races after shooting just a few races. You’ll learn as you go—and our photography team is always happy to help! 

Yes! We loan every photographer a blue vest in sizes Small through 2XL. We wear the vests for safety and visibility while photographing on the course. The vests also have plenty of pockets for extra batteries, filters, and other gear.

Before the race, we hold a meeting with all photographers. We review where everyone will be positioned, hand out blue vests, and provide any race swag or meal tickets. If FRS radios are being used for that race, we will hand those out as well.

After the race, please return your vest—and any radios—to the photography coordinator or at the race finish line.

This is a volunteer position, so there is no regular payment. However, some race directors provide photographers with race swag, a complimentary lunch or dinner. Pack Burro Racing Photographers has also occasionally provided a small gas stipend to help with travel expenses to the race. 

Possibly! Friends and family are welcome to come to the race as spectators, but whether someone can accompany you to your photography location depends on the location and race conditions. For safety and to avoid overcrowding certain areas, please check with the photography coordinator before bringing someone along to your assigned photography location.

Mountain race conditions can change quickly. Be prepared for:

• Sun, rain, wind, or hail
• Temperature swings
• Bugs

Recommended Gear:

• Jacket / layers
• Food and water
• Sunscreen & bug spray
• Extra battery
• Lens cloth
• Rain protection for camera

 Mode

• Auto mode is fine as long as flash is OFF
• “Sports” mode is ideal for action shots
• Advanced users: use your preferred manual settings

Image Quality

• Recommended: JPEG-Large (JPEG-L)
• RAW: highest quality, but:
  • Slows shooting speed
  • Requires post-processing

    

Lens Choice

• Wide/short lens: Pre-race, crowds, environmental shots
• Telephoto/long lens: Action shots from a safe distance

Take test shots ahead of time to understand your shooting window. 

Quality Over Quantity

Photographers may take anywhere from 60 to 3,000 images.

Guidelines:

• Select 1–2 strong shots per team
• More is okay if they’re truly great
• Missing a team is fine—coverage is shared 

Editing Software

Use whatever you’re comfortable with:

• Professional tools (Lightroom, etc.) are great
• Simple tools work just fine

Typical edits:

• Crop
• Light exposure adjustments

After the race, we ask you to review and edit your photos before uploading them. Please:

• Delete duplicate, blurry, or unusable photos. 
• Select your best two photos of each burro team, whenever possible. 
• Crop and make any basic edits you feel will improve the photos. 
• If you are able, add a watermark in the bottom-right corner of your photos. 

Once your photos are ready, upload them to our Dropbox archive. The photography coordinator will provide you with the appropriate upload link and they will rename your photos using the Year, Race Name, and your name.

This helps us keep our archive organized while preserving the history of pack burro racing—and making sure you receive credit for your photos!

 Our volunteer photographers generously donate their time and talent to preserve the history of pack burro racing. While the photos are free for personal use, copyright remains with the individual photographer or Pack Burro Racing Photographers. We have a photo use policy on our Photo Gallery page.

We aim to release photos by Friday after the race. So they need to be uploaded by Thursday. 

We may wait until all photographers have uploaded their images, but we understand:

• Travel recovery
• Work schedules
• Technical issues

If you’re delayed, just communicate.

After the race, you’ll receive a link to upload your photos. 

Your work helps tell the story of pack burro racing—capturing the grit, humor, and partnership between runners and their burros. It also helps preserve the history of pack burro racing. We appreciate your time, effort, and eye for the moment.