Day 1…let the adventure begin!!!
I’m stressed. I’ve been going non-stop from dawn till…well…REALLY LATE. But I’m getting very close to having everything buttoned up for the Moto Photo Mexico Adventure to begin tomorrow morning.
One big item to check off the list was FINALLY publishing Ep4 in the series! In this video, Jason and I showcase all my camping and travel gear, as well as how I store it on the bike for these fun trips.
Tomorrow the adventure begins!!! See you in the next video…
The next installment of Moto Photo Mexico is here! This one is all about the electronics, gadgets, and technology that I’ll be bringing with me on my adventure. Only 4 more days to go!!! 🙂
Episode dos of the Moto Photo Mexico Adventure series is out! This one is all about the farkles and fittings that have helped transform Trinity, my Honda CB500X, into the perfect bike for this amazing trip!!! 🙂
After spending the weekend camping and enjoying the company of other wonderful motorcycle junkies at the Horizons Unlimited Travelers Meeting in Appomattox, VA, my friends and I spent 3 days riding the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway!
The famed scenic highway, which is America’s longest linear park, runs for 469 miles from Anon, Virginia to Cherokee, NC. Linking Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway is also America’s most visited national park.
My good friends Scott, Kristi, and Steve were kind enough to join me on this bucket-list quest to ride the entire parkway from start to finish. We broke the trip up into 3 day so that we could enjoy the ride, and stop to take in the beautiful views. This is the first installment of our 3-part series!
GEAR FOR THIS VIDEO:
Sena 10c Pro – https://amzn.to/2MeHemo
Sandisk Extreme 32GB MicroSD – https://amzn.to/2CkeGDs
GoPro Hero 7 Black – https://amzn.to/34CUJEP
Sandisk Extreme Pro 64GB MicroSD – https://amzn.to/2OyASRr
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Sandisk Extreme 64GB MicroSD – https://amzn.to/2SWX4o8
GoPro Suction Cup Mount by Smatree – https://amzn.to/2D8StcT
DJI Mavic Pro – https://amzn.to/2OzDYoq
Sandisk Extreme Pro 128GB MicroSD – https://amzn.to/37MVFbH
Samsung S7 – https://amzn.to/2AMr3rU
Joby Gorillapod for Smartphones – https://amzn.to/2CkcLie
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HJC RPHA Max Helmet – https://amzn.to/2SW1eMT
The Horizons Unlimited Virginia 2019 event took place at the Holiday Lake 4-H Center near Appomattox from April 25th – April 28th. It was a record-setting event, with the largest turnout yet!
“Whether you’re a seasoned veteran with wisdom to share or a complete novice hungry for ideas and guidance, it doesn’t matter if you ride a motorcycle, a bicycle, or drive an expedition vehicle…
Horizons Unlimited meetings are for everyone who dreams of adventure along the road less travelled.
Some people value Horizons Unlimited events for what they learn from the unique line-up of presenters. Some people value the chance to discover new products and services at the trade stands. Some people value just kicking back with a beer among old friends and new.
Most people enjoy a little bit of everything, and everyone goes home fired-up for adventure with a smile on their face.”
Many thanks to Sue & Grant Johnson, for founding this amazing organization, to Steve Anderson for orchestrating the Virginia Travelers Meeting, to Steve’s merry band of organizers, including Linda Pearce, Jim Truesdell, Robert Stransky, Sharon Truesdell, Charlie Pearce, Lloyd Messner, and Annette Stout, to all the fabulous presenters including keynote speaker Sam Manicom, to Tom Asher for the off-road training, to all the camp staff, to the many fabulous volunteers, and of course to each and every awesome attendee!!!
Here are a few photos from this fantastic weekend for you to enjoy, tag, share, and download. Thank you so much to Sue and Grand for trusting me to be the event photographer again this year!!!
“How do you fit all your gear on THAT?!?” This is a question I get a lot.
Most of my friends know that I’ve been riding motorcycles since I was about 15 years old. Aside from being a joy to ride, there are many practical reasons for using a motorcycle as a means of transportation. Not the least of these is the fact that my current bike, a Honda CB500X, gets 60-70 miles per gallon. That’s THREE TIMES what I get out of my SUV!!!
According to Honda: “Our objective when developing the engine for the CB500 series was to produce a global, kind-to-the-environment parallel twin-cylinder engine that looks ahead to the next generation and, by being both sporty and easy to handle, transcends regions to appeal equally to those in both developed and emerging countries.” In other words, this bike produces plenty of power, while putting out very low emissions into the environment.
It feels good to know that I’m doing my part to save the planet. 🙂
Aside from being fun, economical and environmentally friendly, motorcycles are more maneuverable in tight traffic. While driving to photo shoots downtown with its narrow streets, it’s not uncommon to have a delivery truck stopped in the middle of the road blocking most of the traffic. Plus parking spaces are hard to find and tight to get into. Such issues are more easily managed when on a small vehicle like my CB500X, which has been affectionately named Trinity.
As an adventure-style motorcycle, Trinity has been accessorized with Givi locking panniers and top boxes made out of aircraft grade aluminum. I use ThinkTank camera bags, with excellent padding, and professional grade material, that slip perfectly into each box. This allows me to carry my valuable equipment securely and safely.
Adjusting my luggage system into any number of configurations according to the job requirements is literally a snap! The Italian-made boxes clip on or clip off with the turn of a key. Sometimes I just need a top box with a single camera bag that holds 2 bodies, 4 lenses, and a couple of flashes. Switching to two panniers works better if I need a little more lighting gear. For really complex assignments, I can mount all three boxes.
In this assignment at the Center for Birds of Prey, I was photographing head-shots of the staff using the natural wooded environment of their beautiful facility in Awendaw. For the first day of photography, I took my SUV. For the follow-up date, I took Trinity (see picture below). One pannier carried a Nikon D5, Nikon D500, Nikkor 24-70 f2.8, Nikkor 70-200 VRII, Nikkor 300mm PF, and 2 SB-500 flashes. The other pannier held 2 SB-800 flashes, a MeFoto carbon fiber tripod, a 24″ softbox, 2 sand bags, and various other accessories. A 48″ softbox and 2 9-ft Manfrotto light-stands were strapped to the top plate where the top box would normally be.
I didn’t use all the gear I brought, of course. But I like to be over-repared! I ended up using the Nikon D5, the 70-200, and both SB-5000 flashes. One flash was fired through the 48″ softbox on a light-stand to my right. The other was given a 1/2 CTO gel and placed on a stand behind the subject to my left as a warm rim light or kicker light.
I truly love working with the Center for Birds of Prey! They are a wonderful organization, staffed by people of integrity, who are doing good work for our planet and the beautiful creatures we share it with! I HIGHLY recommend visiting their world class facility just 30 minutes from Charleston. It’s a great place to take a date, bring the family, or enjoy a peaceful outing on your own. Learn something new on the walking tour, be fascinated by the huge variety of species on display, marvel at the aerial acrobatics during the flight demonstration, and enjoy the great outdoors. You won’t regret it!!!
