Live to ride…

Portraits of Passion

The portraits on this page were created for a passionate breed of individual; the Biker. Some call them riders, cruisers, ‘motorcycle enthusiasts’, or simply motorcyclists, but they all have a mutual respect and understanding for each other and the machines they ride. It’s a brotherhood, or sisterhood, that requires only one thing, two-wheeled motivation. There is a also a sub-species where three wheels is the preferred mode of movement, but the end game is the same and based on two words; Freedom and Respect.

This gallery is about the people that ride, not their machines. Leather, bandanas, boots, vests, helmets, hats and headbands are the attire of choice and dominates the lifestyle whether you’re hard-core or just a weekend warrior. There are reasons for this that 'cagers’ don’t comprehend, but consider it a manner of functional regalia that binds these individuals into a fellowship which transcends gender, age, occupation, race, and even religion.

You’ll rarely find a group of people that are more caring and generous. To a large degree, it’s because they understand the fragility of life, but more so, have experienced the freedom and indescribable thrill of feeling truly alive while riding. No truer phrase is, Live to Ride - Ride to Live. If you don’t ride, you simply won’t understand.

Click on any image thumbnail to enlarge:

I choose Black & White for this series because I don’t want colour to distract from the individual. When reduced to shades of grey we see a more esoteric version of that person, one that strips away preconceptions and allows the psyche to express itself.

I also choose the square format to create a consistent look to the portraits. I’ve always loved shooting square since my early days with medium format cameras, like my Hasselblads, that used 6x6cm square format film. Also note that these images are not ‘photo-shopped’, but are carefully toned, cropped and enhanced based on how they are captured in-camera.

All images are Copyright, Mike Guilbault.

Mike Guilbault, MPF, MPA