RALLY BIKERS by michel leroy

Posted by editor on Jul 25, 2011 in IMAGE MAKERS | 0 comments

Photos and Words by Michel Leroy

Rally Bikers define an instant community with a singular common interest. Attending motorcycle rallies throughout the American West allows me to create portraits of riders ranging from seven-year-old kids on 90cc hill climbers to middle-aged firemen on 1200cc road bikes to sunburnt grandparents on 1800cc luxury touring marvels. The style is unrelenting: black-and-white images that reveal texture and detail beyond the casual glance.

I photograph riders in a portable studio to capture that moment just after we meet: that point of simple truth while the shared humanity is still in our eyes. The studio serves to remove visual distractions and allows pause for a more intimate portrait, a brief moment to reveal the truth and veneer of identity.

Through portraits of Rally Bikers, I am looking for the significance of the individual in the community that defines them. Biker clichés do little to describe ordinary people who live for the freedom of open roads, camaraderie, and the love of bikes. The patches, leather, and tattoos are trappings of a lifestyle that riders have chosen as a release from the obligations of a nine to five weekday existence.

This portfolio of images represents the diversity of bikers through the people who keep the spirit and legacy of the community alive.