It was 2008 when I started brainstorming for Bike EXIF. I like to recommend the best bikes from the best builders, with the right image. But in those days, it was difficult to find good motorcycle photos online.
High-quality photography is the domain of product and magazine professionals, and there’s no such thing as a business model for putting work on websites. Within half a decade, that has changed rapidly.
Smart custom stores recognize that images sell bicycles and build a reputation. After all, if you’ve invested hundreds of hours of labor and thousands of dollars in building parts, the photos taken around a 5-year-old Samsung Galaxy won’t impress anyone.
Today, some builders have photographic skills to match their own bike-making and shooting skills. But for others, it has never been easier to get compelling images.
An affordable mirrorless camera with a good APS-C sensor, easy-to-use filter and image processing software, and social media inspiration everywhere. But even as the barriers drop, there is a superiority of truly skilled professionals who have the eyes and equipment to deliver amazing results.
Most of these men and women have developed a subtle signature style and do not restrict their work to motorcycles. But when they shoot a bike, magic happens. Here are a few of our favorite images featured on Bike EXIF in recent years.
Moto Mucci Husqvarna TE 570 by Jenny Linquist Photographer Jenny Linquist and builder/designer Dave Mucci have bookmarked the pages of Bike EXIF many times, and for good reason. Dave is a mainstay in the contemporary custom scene, and Jenny’s skills are evident in each of her sets of photos.
Dave’s Husqvarna TE 570 documentary is a particularly striking set: the rough lines of a concrete bridge contrast with the clear curves and curves of Dave’s Husky. There is careful craftsmanship in both the bike and the image.
[More | Moto Mucci | Jenny Linquist]
Aaron Brimhall’s Moto x Zero Giant Motorcycle What else is there to say about Aaron Brimhall that has yet to be said? He has Midas touch, and it looks like every tap on the shutter is a tap. This explains why he’s such a hot commodity and why this set from Huge Moto x Zero made our list.
Natural and synthetic at the same time, this set conveys the familiar yet forward-looking aesthetic of the bike. It’s a taste of a hopeful future where we get more of the good and less of the bad. Optimism about on-screen technology.
[More | Huge Moto | Aaron Brimhall]
Ronin Pikes Peak by Brandon LaJoie When Magpul founder Mike Mayberry unveiled Project Ronin after Buell’s demise, the world took notice – especially the incredible visual content created with the bikes. Then there’s Oishi Yoshio, a purpose-built Ronin to take on the mighty Pikes Peak.
On race day, Travis Newbold won the second-fastest uphill time, beaten only by a factory-backed Honda CBR1000RR.
Thankfully, Brandon LaJoie was there to capture the heroic characters and create simple yet stunning images of this very special machine. These photos capture a dead warrior at rest and we can almost feel the heat rising from the engine as we stare at them.
[More | Ronin Motorworks | Brandon LaJoie]
Titan Motorcycles BMW R50 / 3 bobber by Klemens Koenig When Klemens Koenig’s set of photos for the Titan’s R50/3 hit the internet, our jaws almost hit the floor. Motorcycles alone are a sight to behold, but put it in front of this truly epic Austrian Alps backdrop and you’ll be in magic.
We’re not sure if that makes us want to take more photos, get out and ride, turn the wrenches, or simply stare in awe.
[More | Titan Motorcycles | Klemens Koenig]
Earle Motors Ducati Alaskan by Chris Thoms There’s something inherently beautiful about a machine designed and built for a purpose — especially when one understands that beauty lies behind the camera’s lens and is willing to go to the ends of the earth. to capture it. That’s just what Christopher Thoms did in Alex Earle’s set of photos of the Alaskan ADV build.
Alex and Chris ventured into the Alaskan wilderness to test the tonality of the redesigned Ducati Scrambler — and themselves — and return with these otherworldly stunning images.
[More | Earle Motors | Chris Thoms]
Auto Fabrica’s Yamaha SR500 Auto Fabrica is one of those shops whose talents go beyond design, engineering and machining. They didn’t just build this special elegant and stripped-down Yamaha SR500 scrambler; they also took a picture of it — and took it beautifully.
The sunny, beachfront setting of the series is the perfect backdrop for this awe-inspiring work. Because oftentimes, getting a good photo means you have to get past the subject and create a subtle enough backdrop. The beach is synonymous with carefree and fun, and this pretty little bike is your ticket there. The masters at Auto Fabrica know how to convey that.
[More | Auto Fabrica]
The article was originally featured in issue 42 of Iron & Air Journal. Ordered this.
