A book of B/W photographs about the Biker Culture in America
Published June 2023. Printed at Blurb.
https://www.blurb.com/b/11565321-bikers
Published June 2023. Printed at Blurb.
https://www.blurb.com/b/11565321-bikers
Intro Page
The American Biker
Eric Smith
Photographer
based in DeLand,Florida, USA
Throughout my career as a photographer, I havedocumented public life in public places, taking candid pictures with no real purpose other than to find the visual moments within what is first perceived.
Photography allows me to be in the front row to explore those places I would normally hesitate to enter.
My goals have always been to understand what it looks like to feel and to find my identity in the photographs I make.
For years, I cruised the streets of Detroit, photographing industrial ruins; a requiem for the dead auto factories and neighborhoods that became urban prairies, creating images that were visually arresting, emotionally charged, and deeply personal.
But I longed for a sense of humanity. To that end, I attended church block parties in the inner city. I went to funerals of American soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan to photograph The Patriot Guard Riders, a diverse group of bikers, many of whom were veterans, who escorted fallen service men to their graves.
At these events, and others like it, seeing and hearing hundreds of Harleys roaring down the road was thrilling and inspiring.
I had this urge to buy a motorcycle. First, a Honda 750 Shadow. I quickly realized something had been missing from my life. This incredible machine gave me a new sense of freedom and adventure. It hooked me. Then I went all in and bought a Harley Davidson Road King.
Bored with Detroit, no longer able to handle Michigan winters, I loaded up the bike and headed to Florida, renting an apartment in Daytona Beach, the epicenter of biker culture. My mission was to photograph the annual motorcycle events, Biketoberfest and Bike Week, attended by half a million Bikers.
These multi-day events were about partying with the brothers and their "old ladies," biker slang for their significant other, a term both endearing and sexist. The rally-goers listened to heavy metal music and drank lots of beer. I tagged along.
This was the beginning of my photographic exploration of biker culture. Bikers foster an image of dangerous outlaws with an attitude best summed up by the acronym D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F (Does It Look Like I Give A Fuck), an expression of in-your-face confrontation, a rejection of the norms of polite society and political correctness.
While all that was certainly true, my photos look deep into the heart and soul of the American Biker. For me, it has been a journey of self-discovery that continues to this day. - ES
Order a copy at Blurb
Online viewing Flip Book
Photography allows me to be in the front row to explore those places I would normally hesitate to enter.
My goals have always been to understand what it looks like to feel and to find my identity in the photographs I make.
For years, I cruised the streets of Detroit, photographing industrial ruins; a requiem for the dead auto factories and neighborhoods that became urban prairies, creating images that were visually arresting, emotionally charged, and deeply personal.
But I longed for a sense of humanity. To that end, I attended church block parties in the inner city. I went to funerals of American soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan to photograph The Patriot Guard Riders, a diverse group of bikers, many of whom were veterans, who escorted fallen service men to their graves.
At these events, and others like it, seeing and hearing hundreds of Harleys roaring down the road was thrilling and inspiring.
I had this urge to buy a motorcycle. First, a Honda 750 Shadow. I quickly realized something had been missing from my life. This incredible machine gave me a new sense of freedom and adventure. It hooked me. Then I went all in and bought a Harley Davidson Road King.
Bored with Detroit, no longer able to handle Michigan winters, I loaded up the bike and headed to Florida, renting an apartment in Daytona Beach, the epicenter of biker culture. My mission was to photograph the annual motorcycle events, Biketoberfest and Bike Week, attended by half a million Bikers.
These multi-day events were about partying with the brothers and their "old ladies," biker slang for their significant other, a term both endearing and sexist. The rally-goers listened to heavy metal music and drank lots of beer. I tagged along.
This was the beginning of my photographic exploration of biker culture. Bikers foster an image of dangerous outlaws with an attitude best summed up by the acronym D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F (Does It Look Like I Give A Fuck), an expression of in-your-face confrontation, a rejection of the norms of polite society and political correctness.
While all that was certainly true, my photos look deep into the heart and soul of the American Biker. For me, it has been a journey of self-discovery that continues to this day. - ES
Order a copy at Blurb
Online viewing Flip Book
Public Story
The American Biker
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