Michael Lichter Photography Blog

FULL SPEED AHEAD

2010-07-02T10:54:00.004-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

With only 38 days until Sturgis, Michael and I are full speed ahead preparing for the Eternal Combustion exhibit at the Buffalo Chip. Photographers and artists alike have their own methods for laying out an exhibit. They need to decide what images make the cut, what order they get hung on the walls and even what size they're printed. Michael's method is simple and effective, he makes small prints of every potential image and lays them out on a table. The result is a table completely covered in prints, but permits complete previsualization of the entire show.

Photo courtesy Walter Gemeinhardt

LOTS GOIN' ON

2010-05-27T12:45:00.026-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

As you could most likely tell by our total lack of contribution to this blog, we've been pretty busy lately. Here's a (very) quick recap and preview of what's to come.

Michael just came back full of enthusiasm from shooting the Big Mountain Run and got some amazing images. Among the photographic activities, he rode the Tail of the Dragon backwards under the very capable piloting of Chris Callen, and then proceeded to shoot Bean're, Pat from Led Sled and some of their friends navigating foot-clutch big twins through a creek (video). Here are some of Michael's favorite images.

While Michael was rolling through the mountains, I was back in the studio scanning film from the 70's, 80's and 90's in preparation for Michael's Eternal Combustion exhibit coming this August during Sturgis at the Buffalo Chip. This will be Michael's 10th Motorcycles as Art exhibit and 30th year photographing the Sturgis rally. Here's a sneek peek at some of the never before seen images that will be in the exhibit.

March was a busy month as well. After a frigid Daytona Bike Week, Michael was off to Utah shooting a profile on Jeff Decker for HOG® Magazine. He spent 3-days with Jeff as he worked with sculptures, wrenched on bikes, researched his vast collection of motorcycling history for inspiration, and rode the Utah back roads on a Panhead.

Not long after returning from Utah, Michael was off to Germany for the Custom Chrome Europe Dealer Show and AMD Championship Bike Show. He's attended this event for the past 3 years always coming back with images of cutting-edge customs, parties and American builders/industry taking in German historical sites.

That's it for now. Have a great Memorial Day!

ETERNAL COMBUSTION

2010-02-07T17:00:00.004-07:00

Post by Michael Lichter

So here it is - the 10th annual "Motorcycles as Art" exhibition I curate each year was announced at the V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati Sunday morning so I can tell you all about it. It will again be held at the 6,500 square foot Lichter Exhibition Hall built last summer on the grounds of the Legendary Buffalo Chip, and like last year, there is no admission fee.

Basically, the exhibit will focus on the explosion of interest and the passion for custom motorcycles seen over the last 30-years. I titled it “Eternal Combustion- 30 in the Wind”, and it poses the question, “How is this passion passed on through time?” by displaying 30 recently built custom motorcycles by 15 pairs of builders tied together by family, respect, friendship or apprenticeship. On the walls, I will display my work (the first time in a number of years) to celebrate my 30th anniversary of attending bike week in Sturgis. The builder teams highlighted within the show include: Arlen Ness & Paul Yaffe, Carl & Matt Olsen, Dave & Jody Perewitz, Donnie Smith & Brian Klock, Eddie Trotta & Todd Silicato, Kevin Baas & his Kennedy High School Chopper Class, Gard Hollinger & Satya Kraus, James & Dave Kaye, Jerry & David Covington, Kirk Taylor & Brian Schimke, Roland Sands & Drake McGillroy, Ron Finch & Gary Maurer, Ron & Hunter Simms, and Sugarbear & Counts Customs.

I hope you all get a chance to see it during bike week when it will be open from August 7th-13th. If you aren't familiar with the venue from last year's "Rebel Rousers - Motorcycle Icons that Inspire Us to Ride" exhibit, this is what is looked like -

FLYING START TO 2010 - DELAND, FL EASYRIDERS APPAREL SHOOT

2010-01-21T08:54:00.004-07:00

Post by Michael Lichter

2010 was off to a flying start with a shoot in Deland, FL to update photos for the Easyriders clothing catalogue. As we prepared for what was to be an outdoor location shoot, the Florida forecast was nerve-racking with temps dipping into the mid-20’s each night! As always, we were prepared with everything we needed to set up a studio at Da Vinci’s / Florida Victorian (check this place out for music, drink and antiques the next time you are in Deland – its awesome!!!) and shot a little outside during the warmest hours of the day. Lisa and Tanea of the Purrfect Angelz flew in from CA to model and Melissa Penland arrived with her crew from Easyriders Apparel / Hot Action Sportswear in Daytona Beach with the product. Last minute help with male models came from John Lodi at Bikers Bay who sent Canada Dave over who not only modeled but thinking hanging out with pretty women on a photo shoot wasn't a bad way to end his trip to Florida, so he helped us out for 2-whole days. After a visit to West End Cycles where I'm sure they thought I was nuts asking people to model a couple of hours later, Matt came over to model. Same thing at Addicted To Ink Tattoos but Philly John from came over too. The biggest surprise was when Regina pulled up in her ’34 rat rod with Philly and a huge smile came across my face. She came to give Philly a ride and moral support since this modeling thing can be a bit discombobulating, but before she got out of the car, I knew she would be in front of the camera. Her car and beautiful self were in more photos than anyone! The shoot came off perfect with new locations (we've shot most of the last few years at the Iron Horse Saloon and Broken Spoke in Daytona) and the strong, dramatically lit studio shots will add a new dimension to the catalogue. Special thanks to Tim and Eric who helped out all 3-days barely saying a word, Steve Temple who traveled with me from CO and Billi Jo who got right in there primping and pinning.

Gina with her '34 rat rod in the last seconds of sunlight in the Deland-Deltona Beacon garage.

Lisa hamming it up with a big knocker

Philly John minutes after arriving in Gina's rat rod

Canada Dave with his nephew Cayne

Big Steve took a break from the Iron Horse Saloon

 
Tanea staying warm in the last rays

Gina and Uncle DC who brought her over on the rainy day

Gina as she looking pulling up in her rat rod - we only had to swap her shirt. 300 CI inline-6

Canada Dave finished off a supposedly warm 2-month trip with his bike in FL with the shoot

CATCHING UP/2009 LACONIA NOW POSTED

2009-11-19T10:15:00.011-07:00

Post by Steve Temple

So you may have noticed that we've been absent for the last couple ~~days~~ ~~weeks~~ months. We have really good reasons though. After a loooong Sturgis, both Michael and I needed to take breaks. I took off with my wife to Europe for a 12-day cruise through the Mediterranean visiting Venice (Italy), Dubrovnic (Croatia), Athens (Greece), Santorini (Greece), Naples (Italy), Rome (Italy), Florence (Italy), Cannes (France) and Barcelona (Spain). It was an incredible trip and cruising was a great way to see so many places without ever needing to unpack and repack over and over. There are pics from the trip at the bottom of this post.

Michael hit the east coast with double duty, a vacation with family from abroad and shooting The Gypsy Run that wound it's way through Vermont, New York and New Jersey. With 2 weeks of time off, we were both ready to dive back into work. We had a few non-motorcycle commercial shoots in Sept. and Michael ended the month with a trip to wine country in CA for a Charity dinner and Doobie Bros. concert.

October came and went in a flash. We had a few commercial shoots for a manufacturer of stainless steel and copper hot tubs, but we also went out to CA for Custom Chrome and shot their 40th anniversary party and two new bikes commemorating the occasion. Included as part of the shoot, we took a group of CCI employees and friends on a ride down Highway 1 along the Pacific Ocean to get some shots for their catalog. The day wrapped at Johnny's Bar in Hollister for a post shoot beer and group shot against the mural alongside the bar. Check out the pics at the bottom of this post.

As for November, I cannot believe one week from today is Thanksgiving! The older you get and faster time flies by. Anyway, as we entered November Michael had just returned from shooting the Lone Star Rally in Texas. The attendance and vibe were off the charts this year! Back at the studio I was prepping for a shoot with Sucker Punch Sallys. They finished Flos Flyer and another bike for Progressive Insurance and wanted them shot before hitting the shows.

I know I mentioned Laconia in the title of this blog post, so here it is. Laconia 2009 has been posted to our website here. Check out all the pics Michael took at this years rally in the Weirs.

Custom Chrome 40th Anniversary:

My photos from our cruise in the Mediterranean:

Gondolas in Venice.

Walkways or streets that wind through Venice.

The Acropolis in Athens.

Nice view in Oía, a small village in Santorini, Greece.

Oía

Wall painting inside Pompeii's bath house.

The Coliseum in Rome.

Inside St. Peter's Basilica. Vatican City, Rome.

Dress in a window. Eza, France.

La Sagrada Familia by Gaudí.

Passion facade. La Sagrada Familia.

2009 STURGIS, POST 2

2009-08-04T16:09:00.006-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

We're in full shoot mode and hitting our stride in Sturgis now. Sunday was our first full day of editorial shooting, and the day to get kinks out of the system. Sturgis is an animal in and of itself with regard to photography, there are rides, bikes and the all around event to shoot. It means a lot of equipment and a lot in general to keep track of. It's gotten back enough that I've had to start sportin' the photo vest just to keep up. Need all those pockets for press passes, lens cleaner, Chapstick, notepad and pen, the occasional lens, batteries, phone, lens caps, video camera I need to start using more, umbrella, model releases and keys to everything.

Back to Sunday, we had a great ride organized by none other than Jay Allen of the Broken Spoke at County Line. We headed out 79 to a functioning ranch for some good eats paired with barrel racing and roping. Thanks to everyone who joined us, hope you had a great time.

On Monday, Michael started the day with the Legends Ride from Deadwood to the Buffalo Chip. The ride included some celebs such as Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Lorenzo Lamas from the show Renegade. Despite some wrong turns, Michael got some great shots seated backwards on the bike with Bob 'the rock' in the driver's seat. Special thanks to Danny Gray who hooked us up with a great parking spot. After the ride we regrouped at the studio to shoot bikes, but stayed too late as we hit all the traffic coming out of the Chip. We won't make that mistake again!

Today Michael's been on Main St. shooting all the action at the hub of Bike Week. Tonight is our reception and industry party for Rebel Rousers. I'll have some pix up soon, should be a great party!!

One last note, be sure to look for the December issue of Easyriders and V-Twin for all of Michael's Sturgis coverage.

2009 STURGIS, POST 1

2009-08-02T08:33:00.006-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

I got my earliest start to Sturgis this year heading out of the house at 8 am and had a great trip up. My arrival, however, was saddened by news that Bruce Rossmeyer had passed from a motorcycle accident on his way to Sturgis. My heart felt condolences go out to his family.

After getting in and unloading all the artwork and photo equipment out of the trailer, I started building the studio for shooting bikes. A couple problems had to first be overcome, an a-frame was running right where with light was to go and the floor was sprinkled with hydraulic fluid from a forklift. The first problem we tackled was the light and the a-frame. Rerouting electrical conduit, the construction crew from the Buffalo Chip did a great and quick job 'notching' one of the trusses enough for me to raise our light the necessary amount and enable me to do something I thought was very cool, suspend our light from the adjacent trusses using tie-downs. As for the floor, it was decided the next day a roll of linoleum would be purchased to serve as a liner to keep the oil from seeping into our paper background and causing what Michael called, "major problems." At the same time, Rebel Rousers was taking shape next door. Many of the bikes and most of the wall art had arrived and Michael was directing traffic made up of eight and ten foot platforms that the bikes would sit on. It's a daunting task laying out a gallery, but Michael makes it look easy as though he is simply drawing from a vision securely in his mind. With the light in place running like a charm, and the gallery starting to look like a gallery, Michael and I headed to our temporary home at the Chip. Sleep was had under the green glow of mercury vapor lights through semi-transparent shades.

Woke up Friday morning full of vigor, the origin of which being a great mystery to me. Quietly I got ready, although it probably would have taken a small freight train to wake Michael through his ear plugs, blinders and sleep aid pills. Picked some wonderfully prepared pastries (donuts at the General Store) and went straight to work getting the studio a ready as possible for the linoleum to arrive. This iPod was hummin' and I was groovin' along as though the light stands were an extension of my hands putting themselves up in swift strokes. A few hours later Michael made his way to the gallery after a long deserved late morning. With coffee in hand, he quickly took command and the gallery was once again taking shape. At this point I'd like to send a big thanks to all those who have helped us the past 2 days, Michael and I both thank you for all the help. By the end of the day the gallery had been transformed, beautifully lit iconic bikes surrounded by movie posters and memorabilia hanging on the walls. All the hours, days and weeks of research, phone calls and emails has come to fruition in the form of Rebel Rousers. As for the studio, Jesse James' first Camel bike now sits in a beautifully lit stage awaiting Michael's creative vision.

Sunday we are off to Broken Spoke County Line for the Sugarbear/Lichter ride. Come on out and join us!

STURGIS PREP... ALMOST DONE

2009-07-28T14:30:00.003-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

Gettin' down to the wire around here. As of now the trailer is loaded with 2 bikes (Mickey Rourke's bike from Harley-Davidson and the Marlboro Man and Michael's SuckerPunch Panhead), studio lighting, background, stands and some other small stuff. Still a lot to do though, get cameras ready for Michael to pack on his Road King, pick up some movie posters from Vinny at Rocky Mountain H-D, grocery shopping and some other small stuff. Glad I started the pack last week, it's a hectic year with our exhibit and studio moving to the Buffalo Chip, Michael on the phone 24/7, new light and my computer in the studio is taking a dump. Good times!

2009 LACONIA, PART 3 OF 3

2009-07-27T12:28:00.005-06:00

Post by Michael Lichter

Chica checking out the competition as Paul Cox puts the finishing touches on his Build-Off bike at the Broken Spoke.

Good times at the Broken Spoke.

"Mary, what's in there?" At the Broken Spoke

No wonder Jeff Clark is telling the crowd he can't here them at the Broken Spoke. Do you know how loud that Budweiser Burn-Out bike is?

Something about this hits me like "Classic Chica?" The gooseneck, the slicked back hair, the overall style...

Jen at Whisky Girls is awesome. She runs a great booth raising money for good causes as she sells some cool stuff. (like the shirt!)

Jody Perewitz carrying on the family tradition with her great smile, great bikes, and "The Look" from Perewitz!

Paul took me out for a quick tour of the lake on his sleep-aboard boat. Watch out when these weekend lake warriors start telling their party stories!

Shayla and Jeff getting familiar to the surprise of the neighbors!

WEBSITE UPDATE: NEW IMAGE GALLERY LAYOUT

2009-07-24T17:07:00.005-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

First off, TGIF!!!

Second, we've been receiving some not-so-positive feedback about the Image Gallery section of www.lichterphoto.com, apparently people were not too keen on the horizontal scrolling. This was what you might call my little baby of the site and I was pretty proud of it, however, one box of tissues later and it's time to move on, and I did. What I want now is your input on the new layout, in particular the Events and Builders pages. The thumbnails are now laid out in a grid rather than one long row, which necessitated the horizontal scrolling. So please make comments below this post and don't be shy, we need raw input from our visitors, and this means you!

Thanks in advance.

OFFICIAL BLOG ADDRESS

2009-07-24T10:24:00.002-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

The Michael Lichter Photography Blog now has an official address that's easier to remember and tastes great, www.lichterblog.com.

While you're surfing, check out our other websites:

Michael Lichter Photography www.lichterphoto.com

Michael Lichter Commercial Photography www.lichtercommercial.com

Michael Lichter Limited Edition Prints www.lichtereditions.com

Michael Lichter Stock Photography www.lichterstock.com

2007 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ANNUAL REPORT COVER

2009-07-23T16:26:00.007-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

Ever get a call that makes your hair stand on end? Not the bad kind, but the good kind. In February, 2008 we were on location at the Easyriders Bike Show in Columbus, OH when we got one of those calls. On the other end of the phone was VSA Partners, an advertising agency hired by Harley-Davidson to produce their 2007 Annual Report. They'd found an image of a bikers tattooed back shot at Harley's 100th Anniversary Celebration on our website and wanted to use it on the cover. That was all well and good, but they also needed a model release since Harley won't use any photo without one, and we didn't have one. The search began!

We used every media outlet possible, which isn't much as we were stuck in the Veteran's Memorial Center with no internet access. We called back to the studio asking Rochelle to post the image on the homepage of our website with a plea to anyone who could identify him. Posts were made on MySpace, calls were made to Harley dealers, and on and on. The search spanned one week and a couple hundred-thousand web views. On the Monday that the Annual Report was going to press the subject of the photo was finally found... overseas! As the printers had their finger on the button to start their presses, our tattooed biker gladly signed the model release. Here's the cover.

2009 LACONIA, PART 2 OF 3

2009-07-23T09:10:00.005-06:00

Post by Michael Lichter

A laugh at the Lobster Pound

Riding down the Weir's

Reflecting back at the Tattoo Parlor.

Charlie St. Clair, the rally director and my old friend (Sturgis City Park 1979,) sets off some great Fireworks from the beach every year on Wednesday night.

It was near midnight, and the Weirs gets very quiet by then, especially if its been raining or gets cold.

See what I mean about "in your face!" This was just a demonstration on correct New England expression.

Bill Gallo with a Sam

Checking out Chica's build-off bike at the Broken Spoke.

Greeting friends at the end of the POW / MIA vigil in Meredith's Hesky Park that follows the "Freedom Ride" from Laconia every year on the Thursday of Bike Week.

WE GET PAID TO DO THIS STUFF, PART 1

2009-07-22T09:54:00.012-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

Back in November of 1999 the world changed for Michael Lichter Photography, we went digital. Unknowing to us, this conversion from analog to digital would be more pivotal than we could have ever imagined. Up until this time, Michael's motorcycle photography was more or less in the closet, that is to say our commercial clients such as Mountainsmith, Frontier Natural Products, Recording Magazine, and others had no idea why Michael went missing for one week every August. We emerged from the closet with a kick, a kick of the filing cabinets to be exact. With decades of film in the filing cabinets Michael exclaimed, "We gotta do something with all this." The decision was made to begin scanning signature images rather than let them lay dormant. Using our recently purchased digital tools, these images were refined bringing them back to their original glory, and then printed. These prints composed our first exhibit at the Apex Gallery during Sturgis in 2000. The show was small, no bikes, and the reception was attended by a few dozen people. However, we had no idea what it would lead to.

Through these exhibits, Michael's name and quality of work within the biker genre drew the attention of Easyriders Roadware, and before we knew it we were off to Daytona Beach for a week-long shoot of their entire clothing line. We were officially out of the closet. It's been a whirlwind ever since having added Big Dog, Delux (Harley-Davidson vendor), Michelin, Baker Drivetrain, Indian Motorcycles and Wiley X to our client list. We are extremely thankful for the opportunities we've been given to fulfill the photographic needs of these great companies and great people who work for them. Below are some samples of the photography we've done for these companies.

Big Dog Motorcycles

Easyriders Roadware

Michelin

Big Dog Clothing

Baker Drivetrain

Iron Horse Saloon Clothing

Indian Motorcycles

Wiley X Sunglasses

S&S BOOK COMING SOON, STURGIS PREP

2009-07-21T11:25:00.007-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

This may seem a bit ridiculous after yesterday's post, but we have yet another book coming out very soon. Penned by Howard Kelly with photography by Michael, S&S Cycle Presents Today's Top Custom Bike Builders includes all 50 bikes commissioned by S&S to commemorate their 50th anniversary. One year ago in La Crosse, WI., Michael and I weathered storms, floods (the other end of the tent was in 6 inches of water), and a tight timeline to photograph all 50 bikes using high-power photographic strobes in a large tent. These bikes have since appeared in magazines all over the world, but this book includes all of them as well as a foreward by Jay Leno who was gracious enough in lending his time to the project. Builders include; Chica, Arlen, Cory and Zach Ness, Paul Cox, Jerry Covington, Kendall Johnson, Roger Bourget, Rick Fairless, Fred Kodlin, Chopper Dave, Trevelen, Dave Cook, Krugger, Marcus Walz and more.

We're slowly making progress on our preparation for Sturgis. The new light has been taken down and packed. A plan is in place for the trailer set to haul 2 bikes, artwork for Rebel Rousers, and all our equipment. Among the things left to do; pickup some artwork and a bike from south Denver, pack and load all our photo equipment, and probably a lot more that I can't think of right now. Stay tuned...

IDEA BOOK COMING IN OCT.

2009-07-20T16:20:00.004-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

Motorbooks is publishing another book featuring Michael's photography! Due to be released in October, Custom Motorcycles: Choppers • Bobbers • Baggers is a 160-page book full of ideas to make your sled stand out. Click here to read more.

2009 LACONIA, PART 1 OF 3

2009-07-20T10:36:00.005-06:00

Post by Michael Lichter

Laconia is one of my favorite events. It has a built in old school feel, partially because it is (according to rally officials) "the oldest bike rally in the world," and also because of the attitude. I think its a New England thing that, even though I left 36-years ago for the west, is still a part of me. It can get a bit "in your face" if you come from a more gentile part of the country, but if you allow yourself to accept it, you'll see pretty quick it is very honest.

He just got the old Shovelhead running with a little help from his friends.

This is the old Drive-In sign by the Weirs.

The guys in this tattoo parlor at the top of the road were much more quiet than in past years. Usually you here the buzz going all day long but the economy must be taking a toll. If you are in town and looking for work, be sure to pay them a visit.

View from the tower early in the week. There was a lot of rain, so it didn't look like this as much this year.

Dave Perewitz riding with Rene Brown on a very cool 45" 1937 Flathead Bobber that Dave built. Dave is loving this old school revival! He doesn't have to dig deep to know what to build.

Coming around a curve between Alton Bay and the Weirs.

The Hillclimb in Gunstock doesn't have quite the excitement when it was the steeper narrower hill that very few crested, but the snowmobiles get pretty wild!

What can you do when you're stuck in a traffic jam?

This guy took to a different kind of smoke!

WAUSEON BOUND & STURGIS PREP

2009-07-17T14:46:00.007-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

I haven't heard much from Michael this week, things must be going well on the ride to Wauseon on those Knuckles. Matt Olsen has been updating his blog with photos from the ride and I don't blame Michael for being out of touch.

Back here at the studio things are steadily moving towards Sturgis. Our background paper was delivered, got the 8-page equipment pack list out to make this year's modifications, and cleaned out the trailer. Speaking of the trailer, I couldn't fit three bikes so Ken Conte of Rise Above Consulting came to my rescue. He'll be hauling my Sporty up to Sturgis, thanks Ken!

Since it's coming up fast, just wanted to throw out a reminder that anything can happen in Sturgis!

Calf being castrated, in color!

This ain't Sushi!

Extremely fresh Rocky Mountain Oysters anyone? And yes, that's the Statue of Liberty doing a karate kick.

MICHAEL OUT RIDING KNUCKLES

2009-07-15T10:45:00.003-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

It seems as though Michael is having a good time in Aberdeen riding around on Knuckleheads. Check out the photos here.

IT'S ALIVE!

2009-07-15T10:05:00.004-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

After a couple hours at Chimera yesterday I was able to bring our new baby (Chimera F2x light bank) home (studio). I immediately started assembling it as a dry-run to work out any kinks that may need our attention, it's a lot easier here with Chimera across town rather than in Sturgis with little to no resources or time. So... a couple hours later and all by my lonesome it was done. Here's a test shot with Michael's 30 years in the wind SuckerPunch chopper. This was shot with a Nikon D3x and 24mm lens.

ABERDEEN & NEW LIGHT

2009-07-14T09:56:00.006-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

Just a little update here. Michael flew out yesterday afternoon to Aberdeen, SD and will be meeting up with Carl & Matt Olsen of Carl's Cycle Supply. From there, they will be riding to Wauseon, Ohio and the AMCA Antique Motorcycle Meet being held at the Fulton County Fairgrounds. This year the AMCA is celebrating bobbers. If you're in the area, be sure to check it out.

As for me, today I'll be at Chimera Lighting for a while taping up the new light and figuring out the bag situation. I really hope it all fits into one bag, makes going through the airport a whole lot easier... that extra bag will be $$$$ please! The taping is code, so I know how to put the thing together quickly, otherwise it's just a bunch of aluminum tubing laying all over the floor.

Looking ahead to Sturgis too. Thinking about cleaning out and packing the trailer, ordering background paper, and working out final details about our new digs at the Buffalo Chip. I'm in for a busy couple of weeks getting ready. Hopefully there's enough room left in the trailer for my bike, lots of cool rides this year.

On my 2007 H-D Sportster 883 riding through the hills. Hopefully I can do it again this year, really need some quality time in the hills.

2010 CALENDAR NOW AVAILABLE

2009-07-10T11:25:00.005-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

Just when you thought the year was going by entirely too fast, here's another reminder we're officially closer to 2010 than 2008. Michael's 2010 Choppers & Bobbers Calendar by Motorbooks is now available our website. It features bikes by Arlen & Cory Ness, Keiji Kawakita of Hot Dock, Bill Dodge of Bling's Cycles, Trevelen of Super Company and more. BUY IT NOW!! TGIF!!

EDITING, OUR 15-STEP PROCESS

2009-07-09T09:46:00.000-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

A lot of you may be wondering why it takes soooooo long for event photos to appear on our website, and that's what this post is all about. For instance, Michael just returned from Laconia, NH, but it may be several months before it appears on lichterphoto.com.

First of all, we wait until the event appears in Easyriders and V-Twin magazines, it would be a little sneaky of us to release all the photos before they hit the stands or your mailboxes. Second, we have a rigorous (aka anal) and ever evolving editing method. It's this editing that takes time, and factor in Michael's back to back shooting schedule this time of year and it reeeaaalllyyy takes time.

It all starts the day of the shoot. Upon returning to his room (usually around 2 am), Michael downloads all the cards from the days shoot. During this 'ingest' all the images are; 1. tagged with information about the shoot, camera settings, our information and copyright, 2. renamed and 3. written to two separate hard disk drives for immediate backup. After the shoot when Michael returns to the studio, all the images are copied to our image server and he begins the editing process.

During the editing process Michael will look closely at every single image for focus, exposure and overall composition. Any that don't make the cut are deleted immediately. On a second run through, each photo is rated. This rating determines where the photos will ultimately end up, on lichterphoto.com, on our stock photography site (lichterstock.com) or simply in our files. Once the photos are rated, those targeted for the website get captioned and keyworded. Captions are the shorts blurbs that appear with each image on the website, they frequently contain the who, what and where of the photograph. Keywords, on the other hand, are a simple list of terms describing the photograph so it can be found on our stock site. They can be words or terms such as, 'riding shot', 'smiling' or formal terms like 'Sturgis Motorcycle Rally'. That way, when a yoga magazine is searching for a cover shot of a person smiling, they find ours (this actually happened).

At this point, Michael is done and I take over. My first step is to burn the whole shoot to DVD, usually around 13 of them!! When the burning is done I delete all the files that didn't make the website cut, resort the remaining files, of which the raw files are converted to DNG and the NEFs are deleted. As for the JPGS, a subset of re sized files is created and uploaded to our stock site on PhotoShelter's servers. From the same original JPGS, the image galleries for lichterphoto.com are created, uploaded, and linked. Finally, the JPGS are deleted, leaving only the DNG files on our server for quick retrieval later.

I'm sure it seems like a lot of work, but this process has taken us years to develop and finesse, constantly trying to streamline any little detail we can.

MATT OLSEN RESTORED KNUCKLES

2009-07-02T12:41:00.012-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

Once in a while builders will make the trek - whether it's across town or across the country - to our studio in Boulder, CO so Michael can shoot their bikes. Last month Matt Olsen of Carl's Cycle Supply in Aberdeen, SD made the long drive with 3 restored Knuckles. The bikes were incredible, each fabricated around a meticulously rebuilt genuine H-D Knucklehead motor. Afterwards, we took Matt out for a ride through the canyons west of Boulder. Speaking of riding, Michael will be riding with Matt on some old Knuckles from Aberdeen to Ohio in a couple weeks. Here are the photos.

CHARLIE BRECHTEL INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL

2009-07-02T11:32:00.004-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

Early last year Michael was interviewed by Charlie Brechtel of The Bikers Inner Circle internet radio show. They talked about Michael's introduction into photography and biking, shoots he's been on with famous builders, and tips for other aspiring photographers. Check it out.

NIKON WORLD

2009-07-01T13:50:00.008-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

Last month Nikon World magazine featured Michael and his work with Nikon cameras.

Here's the story:

Michael Lichter, motorcycle and motorcycle-lifestyle

imaging studio wizard and location road warrior,

shot the studio setups for Nikon with a D3X,

then used the camera, along with his D3, for

the road work, an assignment for Wiley X sunglasses.

The beauty shots are bikes by legendary customizer Arlen Ness.

The road shots were made in Arizona in two days.

Working with the D3X for the first time: “Shooters always want more.

We got it. We’ve arrived.”

“The 85 tilt-shift gives me an extreme angle shot and keeps the

bike tack sharp, back to front. With the 45, I get low-angle shots

and a slightly wide view and shoot the bike from the back and get the

dramatic, big rear tire shot.”

“On the road, it’s the road—reflections, mirrors... looking

for what works,” Michael says. “But if you’re looking for

something in particular, you’re probably looking for

the wrong thing.”

“Spot meter, center-weighted, Matrix—I use them all.

But shooting riders can be like being in a field of black

leather. The meter doesn’t know it’s black leather.

I have to interpret reality for the meter. The interpretation

is called exposure compensation.”

Glass: Most often

AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED and

AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED.

Recently working with PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8D ED and

PC-E Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/2.8D.

Michael shoots from the bike with a wireless release rigged

to the index finger of his throttle hand, the D3 or D3X

in his left hand. Or he’s the passenger, backwards on

the bike’s rear seat. Or he’s harnessed to the dropped

tailgate of a pickup truck. Don’t even think about it.

SWEDEN, WEEK 1

2009-06-30T16:17:00.005-06:00

Post by Michael Lichter

Written on May 28, 2008

What more can I say about the opportunity of a 3-week visit to Sweden. Catherine had been asking to go to Scandinavia for years, and here I'm invited to be a guest judge at the famous Twin Club Norrtelje custom bike show. Before I got to the club, we had an amazing 2-week tour of the country. Most of the time, we were typical tourists enjoying the amazing landscape and history of Stockholm, the interior area's of Värmland and Dalarna, and the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea but motorcycles crept in. It was also an opportunity to take photos just for fun. We started out in Stockholm, based from an apartment I rented on the internet. We were taken out for a great dinner on our first night by Mark Wilhelm, the previous head of North American motorcycle tire sales at Metzeler, and now the head of Pirelli Tire sales for Scandanavia. By the end of the week, we met up with Sten and Jasmin Lundgren, the owners of a Hogtech custom Swedish chopper that was in my "One World Choppers" 2007 Sturgis exhibition. They hosted us for a weekend at their amazing home in Arboga and a great friendship was born. They took us to lunch at Carl Steimar's place where his Cala's High Performance custom shop is housed on the property of a several hundred year old castle in Eskilstuna. We also visited Peder and Visnja Johansson at Hogtech in Eskilstuna and toured the region around their home.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 17:05. On our first walk-about, a security detail reminds me of a Fellini film they wait for the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, as he tours the Nobel Museum with visiting dignitaries. Stockholm, Sweden.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 20:42. We experience the beautiful light and colors of Stockholm as we walk back to our apartment after dinner in Gamla Stan. Stockholm, Sweden.

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 14:47. Catherine walks up to the entrance of the Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace) & Museum. Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden.

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 22:10. After dinner at Lena's apartment across the river, we were struck not only by the spectacular view of the city but how light the sky was after 10pm. Stockholm, Sweden.

Friday, May 23, 2008, 13:33. Carl Steimar' gave us a tour of the castle that his Cala's High Performance shop is on the property of. This could be the "Blue Room." Eskilstuna, Sweden.

Friday, May 23, 2008, 15:24. Inside of Cala's High Performance shop. The first bike shop I've ever visited at a "castle!" Eskilstuna, Sweden.

Saturday, May 24, 2008, 16:54. Sten & Jasmin with their Hogtech "New-Stalgia" chopper and one of his hotrods. Arboga, Sweden.

Sunday, May 25, 2008, 12:07. Peder Johansson puts the finishing touches on his Hogtech S&S 50th Anniversary Panhead that he will show in Wisconsin. Eskilstuna, Sweden.

Sunday, May 25, 2008, 21:38. I had to stop on this empty road as we made our way back to our hotel after dinner, between Grythyttan and Loka Brunn, Sweden.

Monday, May 26, 2008, 08:54. Swedish hospitality! Catherine helps herself to breakfast in Loka Brunn. It is early in the season so we were two of the five guests staying at this resort, yet look how they put out a spread of fresh breads, pastry, meats, seafood, cheeses, fruits, fresh juices, eggs.... And candles to boot!!!

BIG DOG 360'S

2009-06-25T12:41:00.008-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

A couple years ago Big Dog Motorcycles asked if we could do 360 degree shots of their bikes for a web animation, and of course we said yes! It presented a really cool challenge, something we had never done, but at the same time a great new tool for the belt. A lot of ideas were thrown around, some good, come not so good. We finally settled on a wood platform that rotated on a central axis and used equidistant marks on the paper underneath for rotation targets. The final rotation was made from 32 frames and knocked out, below is the raw version on the original background.

One last note, we'd like to thank everyone for leaving their comments on Facebook and MySpace. Since Michael's head is already spinning from the 3 time zones he's visited on the last week, we'd like to ask that all comments be made here on the blog instead of Facebook and MySpace. That way, when Michael's head spins down he only has to check one site to read your great comments. Thanks a bunch and keep 'em coming!!

WILEY-X SUNGLASSES & THE NIKON D3x

2009-06-25T10:44:00.012-06:00

Post by Michael Lichter

Written on December 10, 2008

I had a great day scouting and visiting with Jay Allen and Claudia in Bisbee prior to the shoot. Jay showed me around and had plenty of suggestions for the shoot. While scouting and before flying down to join me, Steve surprised me with a call and asked "So what piece of equipment do you want me to bring more than any other?" I told him all I really need are my cameras but he responded with "how about a D3x?" WOW! I've been asking Nikon for this beast for years and just recently, they told me about it and booked me for a shoot a couple of weeks out. Then Nikon decided I could try it out to get familiar with it before the shoot I would be doing for them. With our busy schedule and the holidays coming up, Steve and I agreed we couldn't make a total change without the time in advance to test the camera and process images in our workflow, and we only had one body, so the plan was to shoot with my D3's, and run the D3x through its paces in the real world as we could. Just for fun, I'll just include the D3x images below.

We met up at Caren's Big Sky Motorcycles a bit earlier than originally planned since the weather forecast for Sunday wasn't great. Today was the day to make hay. Caren organized a great group of riders for me that included a good mix of solo riders, and a couple of 2-up's. I reviewed the shoot with everyone, and told them how they would all know each other real well by the time they returned on Sunday. The plan was to beat it down the highway to Mountain View and head south on 83 where we would start shooting. I sat behind Ray, a motor-officer on the Phoenix force. Ray was a rock and the other riders caught on quick. By the time we stopped in Sonoita, it was old hat. Too many great places to stop but we used the bulk of our time in Tombstone where we met up with Jay Allen. It was dusk by the time we pulled into Bisbee, with plenty of shots in the can. Hanging out with Jay on the roof of his incredible place before dinner was a blast. Then off to Santiago's where they had a single long table reserved for 14. They took great care of us (especially when they personally topped off each of our margs with Grand Marnier!) After dinner, we just crawled across the street to listen and/or dance at The Stock Exchange Saloon. It was late but what a fun night. Don't forget, we were working hard!

Saturday, December 6, 2008, 12:57. Jerod hoisted Danielle onto his back during a stop in Whetstone on our ride from Tucson to Bisbee, AZ for Wiley X sunglasses. (The glasses were there!)

Saturday, December 6, 2008, 13:25. Alana and John at a pull-off before getting to Bisbee, AZ.

Saturday, December 6, 2008, 15:12. Jay Allen on the main street. Is that Doc Holiday down the center? Tombstone, AZ.

Saturday, December 6, 2008, 15:31. Lance and Caren together on the main street, although this was the bike Caren was riding solo. (She is quite the rider!) Tombstone, AZ.

Saturday, December 6, 2008, 15:54. Jay Allen riding Highway 84 south of Tombstone, AZ.

Saturday, December 6, 2008, 16:07. The crew riding the hills just north of Bisbee, AZ

Saturday, December 6, 2008, 23:15. Caren and Danielle dancing to live music at The Stock Exchange Saloon, Bisbee, AZ

Sunday, December 7, 2008, 12:28. Jerod and Danielle in Jay's garage before riding into Bisbee, and on to Tucson.

Sunday, December 7, 2008, 14:28. Danielle looks back as we get near Tucson.

Monday, December 8, 2008, 11:34. Michael directing Caren and her son Dan in old town Tucson.

2009 SMOKE OUT EAST

2009-06-24T11:06:00.009-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

Last month Michael met up in Memphis with riders heading to Smoke Out East. He rode to their final destination of Rockingham, NC in usual fashion, straddling the back seat of a motorcycle and facing the wrong direction. Why the wrong direction you may ask? To do what he does best, create a visual journal of the day's ride. Along the way they stopped at the Wheels Through Time museum in Maggie Valley, NC to take in some history and marvel at the collection.

Many more photos will be posted to lichterphoto.com in the coming months and we'll notify you know here first.

REBEL ROUSERS AT THE BUFFALO CHIP

2009-06-22T14:38:00.016-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

The ninth incarnation of Michael's Motorcycles as Art Exhibit will be held in the new Lichter Exhibition Hall at The Legendary Buffalo Chip. This year's show, Rebel Rousers, Motorcycle Icons that Inspire Us To Ride will run from Saturday August 1st through August 8th and be open 10 am to 10 pm daily.

Here's the official release:

The ninth year of Michael Lichter’s Motorcycles as Art Exhibit puts the icons who inspired us to ride in the spotlight. Rebel Rousers, the official title, has its home in the 7,000 square foot gallery and features the vintage history of the motorcycle attitude. This stunning review of world-class motorcycles, art and movie memorabilia takes visitors through a visual display to recapture some of the original sense of the word “icon” as it refers to symbols and revered images.

On display will be motorcycles, from Captain America and Billy bike to Dave Mann’s Ghostrider, and memorable images like Rollie Free flying down the salt, as well as posters and stills from films like The Wild One, On Any Sunday and Easy Rider. All of the objects in the show have in some way become sacred to bikers. They have inspired -- and will continue to inspire -- the devotion of enthusiasts. In addition to looking back, the exhibit will look at contemporary images and bikes that may be considered iconic to future generations of bikers, such as films from Biker Boyz to The Worlds Fastest Indian, and motorcycles like Jesse James’ “Camel Bike” and Indian Larry’s “Wild Child” BBO bike. The exhibit includes more than 100 pieces that equally define the meaning of icon and make the 9th Annual Motorcycles as Art exhibit a masterpiece.

Rebel Rousers is brought to you by these fine sponsors Interstate Batteries, Metzeler Motorcycle Tires, Progressive Motorcycle Insurance and Spectro Oil. Rebel Rousers will open Saturday August 1st at 10am and will be open each day thereafter from 10am to 10pm. The exhibit is a legendary display and has no cost to attend. Free parking is located at the east gate where the Lichter Exhibition Hall is conveniently located.

Here is the custom artwork and logo created for the show:

NEW WALLPAPER, FACEBOOK & MYSPACE

2009-06-22T13:18:00.015-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

You probably read in my earlier post A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER that I'm the one to blame for not changing our Free Wallpaper often enough. Good news, the wallpaper has been changed!! This time around features a sunset silhouette taken at the Buffalo Chip during the 2007 rally, and custom bikes by Keiji Kawakita of Hot Dock and Arlen Ness.

Next, I'd to send a formal invitation for everyone to add Michael as a friend on MySpace and/or Facebook. We'll be using both networking sites to announce posts on this blog. If you don't have a page on either site you can subscribe to our blog using the links in the right column of this page.

Here's a preview of the new Free Wallpaper.

ALL 2008 BIKES ARE ONLINE

2009-06-18T15:45:00.009-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

After weeks of blood, sweat and tears (ok it wasn't that bad), all the bikes we shot in 2008 are uploaded and ready for your viewing pleasure. This set includes the balance of bikes shot at the S&S 50th Anniversary plus all the bikes shot in Sturgis. Builders include; Arlen & Cory Ness, Fred Kodlin, Jesse James, Bill Steele, Paul Cox, Michael Prugh and too many more to mention. Click Here and jump right to the gallery. Ride safe.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

2009-06-17T09:17:00.011-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

We shoot motorcycles (OK we shoot A LOT of motorcycles), and when photographing something that big you need a big light, enter Chimera. Chimera has been producing lightbanks and light shaping products for a loooong time. Over ten years ago they helped Michael create our current location light featured in the video below. That setup has served us very well coming in at just over 50 pounds with a 6 by 12 foot light surface, but it's time to move on. Enter Chimera again with their new F2x line of lightbanks. The F2x is based on the legendary F2 line (pictured below) used to wash cars, planes or whatever you have in beautiful soft light. So what's new with the F2x? It's lighter, packs up smaller, can be setup in the same time as our previous light, and it's BIGGER. With that, I have to throw out a huge thanks to Eileen and Greg at Chimera, they've been a huge help with the modifications we're making. The new light will be making it's debut performance in Sturgis at the Buffalo Chip shooting bike features for Easyriders' family of magazines. Ride safe.

MORE 2008 CUSTOM BIKES

2009-06-16T16:03:00.012-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

So today I gaff-taped myself in front of the computer determined to upload the 2nd set of 2008 bikes on lichterphoto.com, and it's done!! This set of bikes is totally comprised of customs photographed at the S&S 50th Anniversary Build-Off in La Crosse, WI. If you're not familiar, last year S&S Cycle threw a huge party at the Oktoberfest grounds in La Crosse to celebrate their 50th anniversary. As part of the show, 50 domestic and international custom builders were asked to take S&S's latest motors and create amazing bikes around them. Michael was hired to shoot all 50 bikes for both magazines and an upcoming book that's at the printer as of this writing. Here's the link and some samples of the bikes. Ride safe.

A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER

2009-06-15T11:34:00.015-06:00

Post by Steve Temple

First of all, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Steve Temple and I've been working with Michael since October, 1998. After graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a BS in photography I immediately moved to Denver seeking out the best photographers to work for. A few months after arriving I got my first opportunity to work with Michael, which turned out to be a 17-hour day in a functioning dialysis lab shooting for Gambro, a dialysis machine manufacturer. It was by far the longest day I had ever worked, and a serious introduction into how Michael works, which is hard! Michael's full-time person at the time was pulling back from travel so he asked if I was interested in going to a 'bike show'. Of course I said yes, and what I quickly learned was that all those photos I'd seen in my brother's Easyriders magazine were taken by the guy I was now working for. It came as a bit of a shock at first, but with my inaugural trip to Sturgis it became quickly apparent that Michael was entrenched in the biker culture and a seasoned pro at capturing it through a lens. Since becoming full-time here at the studio, my hats have grown in both size and quantity. I manage a steadily expanding 3-terabyte image library, serve as website designer and webmaster (I'm the one to blame for not changing the wallpaper regularly), digital image processor, printer, Mac Genius, framer, grip, etc., etc. Over ten years later and with a Harley of my own, I can say it's been a great ride, and it will only continue.

Enough about me, let's talk about this blog. With Michael's incredibly busy schedule, he's unable to keep in touch as much as he would like through Facebook and MySpace, and that's where this blog comes in. We'll be posting regular updates, photos, behind-the-scenes stuff, and more. Whether Michael is off to Moscow, Russia to shoot a bike show, or giving you the latest info on our upcoming Sturgis exhibition, 'Rebel Rousers' it'll be blogged here! The blog will also serve as a notice of new content added to lichterphoto.com, so I encourage everyone to subscribe using the links provided in the right column of this page.

Speaking of Michael's travel, right now he's in New Hampshire getting ready to shoot Laconia Motorcycle Week fresh from shooting the ROT Biker Rally in Texas this last weekend. Be sure to smile when he points the camera your way!!

One last bit of business before I let you go. Last week we uploaded our first group of custom bikes from 2008 in the Motorcycles Image Gallery. We shot some amazing custom bikes in 2008 from builders Russell Marlowe, Billy Lane, Shannon Davidson of the Chopp shop, Bill Steele and more. We hope you go and take a look at the first batch, the second will be coming soon. Here's a sampling of the bikes. Cheers and ride safe.