FULL SPEED AHEAD

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

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!

CATCHING UP/2009 LACONIA NOW POSTED

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.