PLANNING A MOTORCYCLE RIDE AS A PHOTOGRAPHER

PLANNING A TRIP BY MOTORCYCLE IS SOMEWHAT MORE CHALLENGING THAN PLANNING ONE BY CAR

For one thing that is obvious; no trunk, backseat, or places to put most anything that would be bigger than a backpack. That also means no place to hide important and sensitive stuff from rain, snow, fog, or bugs.

So you have to pack smart… and light.

Something I did not know the first time I headed out with a mountain of gear bungeed to the bike. It damn near towered over me from the back and I often wondered where it would end up if I had to snap the breaks on hard.

Probably on me.

Problematic to say the least.

It also means that clothes must be very carefully chosen. It can be very cold in the mornings and steaming hot in the afternoon – and if you are travelling along the wilds of the west, changes in elevation can bring even more temperature variations.

That means cold weather riding gear, warm weather riding gear, rain gear, and off bike attire – all that fits in a small backpack and a couple of side bags that already have extra oil, tools, a tarp, and more.

Planning… and couble checking the space. 

I have a big bike, and it can hold a lot of stuff – maybe more than most – but packing for two weeks is a challenge for sure.

No wasted space – and no space wasted.

Items that will be accompanying me include two bright flashlights, an emergency kit, a GPS emergency locator, an axe, knife, radio, camp chair, camp umbrella, a small ice chest for water, a motorcycle cover and lock kit, extra batteries, a jumpstarter, battery charger, and a whole host of small things meant to take care of umexpected emergencies on the road. 

I also carry a few small towels and cleaner for the motorcycle if it gets too dirty on the muddy northern routes.

PLANNING A PHOTOGRAPHY ADVENTURE ON A MOTORCYCLE

Aahh… that is a bit more tricky even.

Planning a ride is somewhat easy if your goal is to ride and see.

Planning to go on a photography shoot is a lot different – and I have decided that is NOT what I am doing on this trip.

There is only so much gear I can take on a trip like this and I have to think about damage, theft, weather, and things that may not be as much under my control as they would be in a secure vehicle.

For instance, I cannot leave my motorcycle on the streets while I go walking around unless I have already checked in and left my gear at the room.

I use a system of cable locks, but any enterprising shithead worth their salt can get through them.

So economy and safety play a big roll in what I pack, and how I pack it.

There is also the idea of getting up before dawn and heading to locations for that beautiful early morning light. Well, that probably won’t be me because moving my bike into places where that would be advantageous – in the dark – is above my motorcycling skill set and NO, I ain’t gonna try to be all macho and do some trail-riding on a 900 lb bagger.

So getting “killer” landscape shots are not on my list of to-do’s. Yes, if they are there in front of me I will be a snappin’ fool, but they are not the photography reason for the trip.

My goal is to make the trip itself the story – the fodder for the imagery. There will be great light, not so great light, available light, and probably some downright crappy light. 

Doesn’t matter. I am creating a photo document of the journey.

I am bringing a small flash unit, umbrella, and stand in case I get the chance to make a portrait or two and need some auxiliary lumens.

But I also am fine with totally natural light reportage style for this adventure.

I hope to turn this into a promo I can use for the next 6 months.

If you follow along you will see it take shape… I think.

I AM NOT CAMPING… BUT…

I still wanted it to be fun accomodation wise.

So I got on AirBnB and booked some very cool, different types of places to stay. 

From a carriage house to a cabin on a lake, a room in the old Idaho Governor’s Mansion to a room in a former girl’s school, the places I am staying are for the most part interesting themselves.

I did have to use some regular motels on the journey. 

No cheap AirBnB’s in Ely, NV or White Sulphur Springs, or Durango… but I still got cool accomodations… and get this:

The entire trip’s accomodations cost less than $640… ALL of it.

It is a lot of fun to try stuff that is different than the norm, and I hope to have some great stories from these unique venues.

THE RIDE PLAN:

I leave on September 5 and head for Fredonia, Arizona, a small town on the border of Utah.

Then it goes like this:

Ely, Nevada
Twin Falls Idaho
Salmon, Idaho
Kalispell, MT
Great Falls, MT
Laurel, MT (Billings)
Saint Anthony, ID
Vernal, UT
Hot Sulphur Springs, CO
Leadville, CO
Durango, CO
Home

I had to make a decision of whether I was a photographer taking a motorcycle or a motorcyclist taking some cameras. I chose the latter.

If I were going to Glacier to make great photos, I would spend time there instead of riding through.

This is a solo motorcycle trip, and I hope to get as many photographs of stuff and people as I can, but I am NOT on a photography journey. 

I am feeling very good about that, and maybe I won’t come home so distraught that I didn’t make “enough” good photographs.

What I have decided to do is to document my ride. Tell the story of the trip, illustrate the fun of it all.

I hope to post daily – hence the links on the side of the page.

See you all back on September 17th.