Shooters Images Blog

Patriot Custom Cycle Shoot

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:48:29 EDT

Some shots from a shoot of Patriot Custom Cycle and their newest bike. Great job on the bike. The detail from Wes and Kevin is incredible.

Barnett's Magazine - Rat Fink Road King

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:52:03 EDT

Check out our latest shoot in the upcoming issue (Fall 2010) of Barnett's Magazine of the "Rat Fink Road King" by Dave Dupor of DD Custom Cycle. This bike has one of the wildest paint jobs I've ever seen. It hits the stands on September 15th.

Sturgis Rally & Shooters Images 2010

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:20:15 EDT

We're happy to announce that the Sturgis Rally Department has contracted with Shooters Images to provide photography of the major rally events. In the past, we've freelanced for our own books and shot assignments at the rally for other organizations, but this will be our first year shooting in an "official" capacity for the rally/city itself. We're excited they've chosen us and we look forward to working with the rally department and providing them with some great images of the 70th. In addition, we will also be shooting for Monkey Rock during the rally; and, with the addition of the Rock N' Rev festival at Monkey Rock, it's going to be a busy, busy rally for us. This is the kind of busy we like!

Monkey Rock Take Two

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:01:14 EDT

Monkey Rock is back in Sturgis this year and we will be photographing all the events for Monkey Rock again. It should be particularly interesting this year with the announcement of Guns N' Roses, Daughtry, et al at Monkey Rock. We are looking forward to getting some great shots of the bands.

Checking Vimeo HD Embedding

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:04:03 EDT

Recent video of the Springfield Mile flat track races.

Algona Freedom Rally

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:20:15 EDT

Another year at the Algona Freedom Rally, this time as attendees rather than vendors. Most people know the story and the "powers that be" are a little touchy about the details so I'll skip the reasons behind our change in status. We had a great time, shot a lot of pictures, and visited with a lot of friends we've made over the years of being there. Anyone interested in seeing our pics from the rally can see them by going to our website and clicking on "event pics" then scroll to the Algona Freedom Rally galleries.

American Cycle Magazine - Illuminati

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 08:55:17 EDT

After a long wait, Big Tony’s bike finally made it into the magazine. We shot it last summer and a year later, it’s out. The bike has won numerous awards and shows but many magazines were reluctant to publish it since, as they said, “these bikes were cool 5 years ago, but not now.” They’ll be saying that soon about bobbers once the trend changes and they are off to something else. But, these bikes were the trend for a while and certainly not as much now; however, when this bikes goes out, it generates a LOT of attention and admiration. I’ve heard it said that once something becomes “trendy” it’s days are numbered. How true.

Harley's "Celebrate Women Riders" Event

Sun, 23 May 2010 09:14:39 EDT

I made a trip up to Milwaukee to check out Harley's "Celebrate Women Riders" event yesterday. It was a 2 day event centered around, obviously, women riders. Lots of events going on at the museum Saturday and Sunday, a ride through downtown Milwaukee from the Summerfest grounds to a a street party near the waterfront. There was a heavy fog along the lakefront and temps during the street party were cold. We shot this event last year and it seemed a little more women oriented than this year. I couldn't get over all the guys who were attending this event. In fact, as I walked through the street party, it was almost impossible to get shots of just the women riders without a bunch of guys in in way. I'm assuming most of them were husbands or boyfriends but their presence at this "Celebrate Women Riders" event made it look more like a "Celebrate Couple Riders" event. It kind of ruined the flavor of the event. Can't these guys leave their wives/girlfriends alone long enough to let them have their day? Or are they still struggling with letting go of the ". . . . Bitch Fell Off" mentality? Aren't there enough male oriented biker events for these guys? It's a great idea but, come on, keep the focus on the women riders and tell the guys to go watch a baseball game.

Thank you, George

Sat, 22 May 2010 07:48:05 EDT

It took a while but I finally watched Farenheit 9/11 and it renewed my disgust for the Bush (family) administration. And to further the idea that stupidity isn't gone just because George Jr. left office, I ran across this video posted on another photographers website. I remember this incident happening a while ago and involved the death of several civilians, among whom were a couple of Reuter's photographers whose cameras were mistaken for RPG launchers (what?). Some would say it's a stretch to hold the Bush administration responsible, but he (they) were determined to get us into this. I hope the SOB has an eternity of sleepless nights for what he's done to other people; but then, people like that have no conscience, that's how they rise to such power.

Hot Bike's Under the Radar - Defiant Studio

Tue, 18 May 2010 13:03:46 EDT

A great feature article on a St. Paul Master Bike Builder "Noelski" which we shot for Hot Bike. Under the Radar is a series of articles featuring smaller bike builders around the country who may not get the press and attention they deserve. This is certainly the case for Noelski of Defiant Studio who hand builds all of his bikes and machines most all of the parts - a rare occurrence in the world of "bolt together" bikes made from other manufacturers parts. Hats off the Hot Bike for featuring guys like this. Check out his website Defiant Studio.

Little Angels Pledge Run: Another Great Day

Mon, 17 May 2010 12:34:13 EDT

Despite the Saturday forecast for cool and cloudy on Sunday, it was sunny and warm for the Little Angels Run. A lot of people turned out to enjoy the 80 mile ride and donate to a good cause. Lots of bikes, bikers, vendors, music, food, and drink made this yet another great year. We'll have pictures posted in a few days. Thanks to all the EAO members for their assistance and hospitality. This is a great group of hard working, dedicated people and we look forward to working with them every year. (I don't remember Larry having red hair.)

Checking out some new Lights

Wed, 12 May 2010 23:10:17 EDT

Deb and I spent the day working with some new lights and trying new setups. We used one of our (dirty) Coopers and got lucky enough to actually have a sunset. By some bizarre twist of fate, we actually had a day without rain so we took advantage of it by spending about 6 hours testing out some new lights and lighting configurations. Additionally, Deb was trying out her new knee. Looks like it's working pretty well!

Little Angels Pledge Run - 5/16

Thu, 06 May 2010 23:59:59 EDT

Every year we shoot the Little Angels Pledge Run sponsored by the Elgin Area Organization of Harley Owners. This is always one of the largest rides in the Midwest and always a great time. Come by and check it out. (From their website): The Annual Little Angels Pledge Run began in 1988 as a means for an Elgin Harley owners group to give back to the community. The group approached 2 other charities before Little Angels and was turned away because of their "biker image." This organization then reached out to Little Angels Administrator Shelley Lewis and found a grateful recipient. From this partnership, the Little Angels Pledge Run was born. The first Run was a local event and raised a little over $9000. Since then, the Little Angels Pledge Run has grown into one of the Midwest's largest single-day motorcycle pledge events, includes in excess of 2000 motorcyclists annually and has raised over three and a half million dollars. These funds made possible the construction of a state-of-the-art, nationally recognized residential facility and developmental training center. Originally this Run was sponsored by the Elgin Harley Owners Group. This group reorganized as the Elgin Area Organization of Harley Owners (EAO) and continues the mission of supporting Little Angels.

Ride Janie Ride Pics Posted

Tue, 04 May 2010 13:31:00 EDT

Check out the pics from Ride Janie Ride 2010 on our event site. Go to Shooters Images and click on "event pics."

Ride Janie Ride - This Sunday 5/2

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:08:00 EDT

The Ride Janie Ride Foundation has it's annual ride this Sunday beginning at Wildfire Harley Davidson in Villa Park, IL. and will end in Joliet. It's approximately a 60 mile non-stop ride to benefit local cancer patients. We'll be there shooting the entire event. For more info, check out their website at the link above and come out for the first big ride of the season.

Defiant Studio to be Featured in Hot Bike

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:58:56 EDT

Defiant Studio (Noelski) will be featured in the July issue of Hot Bike's "Under the Radar." This feature highlights smaller bike builders around the country who may go unnoticed but still deserve the attention because of the high quality bikes they build. Noelski is known for his "hand-built" bikes in which he fabricates almost everything himself. We shot this for Hot Bike last October. Check out the July issue.

Harley Leaving Rapid Civic Center

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:15:09 EDT

According to an article in the Rapid City Journal, Harley-Davidson is leaving Rapid City Civic Center and looking for a place in Sturgis. Read article here. Who knows the real reason but HD says they want to be closer to their customers in Sturgis. You mean motorhomes pulling 20' trailers full of customized Harleys with 500 miles on them can't make it to the RC Civic Center? Or, is HD referring to their "other" customers? Since when is Harley concerned about their customer except when they want to sell them something. It's all about money. Why can't they just be straight about it and say they are doing it to save money. Times are tough and HD's poser, cash cow customers are getting tired of the biker thing so Harley needs to (get back to) "get closer" to the biker who has supported them all along. Just a repeat of history.

Hot Bike Feature - Shooters Images

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:53:41 EDT

Hot Bike feature of the white softtail below.

Hot Bike Feature - DD Custom Cycle

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:18:50 EDT

Another bike we shot last fall is featured in Hot Bike's June issue. This was customized by Dave Dupor of DD Custom Cycle and is a good example of how you can clean up a stock Harley to create an entirely different bike. All the clutter has been removed and key parts replaced/modified. Pick up a copy of Hot Bike and check out the great job Dave did on this bike.

New Shooters Images Promo Fusion DVD

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 21:59:28 EDT

Every year we try to create new promo material. Here is our fusion DVD for 2010.

Shooters Images - Cover and Feature - American Iron

Sun, 04 Apr 2010 22:05:02 EDT

Check out our cover and feature shots in the June issue of American Iron. The bike, "Dirty Lo Down," was built by Defiant Studio (Noelski) in St. Paul. Great looking bike and congrats to Noelski for his first cover. Visit our main site to see more pics of this shoot or just pick up a copy of American Iron magazine for the full story.

Donnie Smith Show

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 08:23:03 EDT

We're in St. Paul for the Donnie Smith Bike Show where we're shooting a couple bikes. Got a few shots of other bikes on display at the show and it appears the theme is Big Wheels and Bobbers. Lots of both of them. A couple bikes with big 30" front wheels - so big that they cover up the headlight. Overall, there are some great looking bikes here. More to come . . .

Sportster for American Cycle Magazine

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:05:16 EDT

We did a shoot a few days ago for American Cycle Magazine. The bike was a Sportster that was worked over by Big Tony, owner of Big Tony's Chopp Shop. Tony is located in Crete, IL just south of Chicago and builds custom bikes as well as doing custom work on bikes like this Sportster. Tony went over this bike big time to the point that it bears little resemblance to the bike it once was. I saw the bike in it's original state and can attest to the fact that it looks nothing like it did before he worked on it. Look for all the pics in an upcoming issue of American Cycle Magazine.

Upcoming Charity Work

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:44:13 EST

Every year, we donate our work to certain charities that we feel are good causes. Obviously we do it to help out in what way we can; plus we feel it's our responsibility to give back to the community. The first one coming up is one we have done for several years and was organized to help people with various types of blood cancer. Each year the organization Ride Janie Ride sponsors a fund raising ride through the Chicagoland area that is unique in that it is a non-stop 100 mile or so ride. It's accompanied by police escorts and there are no stopping (for anything) all through the ride. The ride is followed by a big party with lots of food and drink. Again this year, they are having a kick-off party on 3/18/10 with raffles, music etc. If you are in the area on May 2nd, consider joining us for the ride. It's a great way to kick off the riding season.

V-Twin Expo 2010

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:02:37 EST

Just returned from Cincinnati and the V-Twin Expo for 2010 at the Duke Energy Convention Center. My thanks to Paul McKelvey and Rennegade Wheels for the show badge. The weather couldn't have been much worse as it took me over 10 hours to drive 300 mile due to a big snow storm. The V-Twin Expo by Easyriders focuses exclusively on the V-twin motorcycle market and is the v-twin industry’s premier trade show. It has held strong over the past 10 years in terms of exhibitors, exhibit space and V-twin dealers attending the Expo. The Expo attracts dealers from the US, Canada and world. Although I didn't count, there appeared to be a couple hundred exhibitors representing all kinds of products for v-twin motorcycles and biker accessories. Lots of custom bikes and builders (Arlen & Cory Ness, Dave Perewitz among others) as well as the obligatory models with big boobs. It was pretty interesting to check out all the newest products to be offered in 2010. Baggers and bobbers looked to be the main theme throughout the show along with all kinds of electronic gadgets for your bike - GPS, iPod, iPhone holders etc.

Crazy Horse

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 10:44:00 EST

I was going through our library of images for a new DVD project I'm working on and came across some pics taken at the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota. Normally, I don't do the "tourist thing" during the Sturgis rally, but there are a couple of places I routinely visit. One of them is the Crazy Horse Memorial. I enjoy going there each year to see the progress on the sculpture. It's quite a site and if you haven't seen the film about the making of the memorial, you should see it. The whole experience is pretty inspirational - not only the Crazy Horse story but also the story of the man who started the whole project Korczak Ziółkowski. Mr. Ziółkowski (and now the family foundation) refuse to take any money from the government to aid in the project. Essentially, they don't want the government coming in and screwing it up by putting their own "spin" on the project. He (they) envisioned a project beyond just a sculpture and one that would provide educational and cultural experiences for the larger population. Of course, with government financing comes government obligations and they feared that with government financing, the government would abandon these larger goals. Crazy Horse too resisted the US government which eventually lead to his death in 1877, but not before he had established himself and one of fiercest (and deadliest) opponents to the US government. He gave his life for the preservation of his culture. Both men are symbols of resistence and independence and, think about it, isn't that what the real biker culture is all about? I encourage everyone to visit the memorial during the rally. For the price of one beer in Sturgis, you can support the memory of two men who share a strong kinship with bikers.

Hot Bike magazine spread

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:15:48 EST

An upcoming issue of HOT BIKE magazine will feature another bike by DD Custom Cycle, photographed by us. The white Heritage softail is another one of Dave's great modifications. We got some great shots of this bike so keep and eye out for the next few issues. For any photogs out there, this bike was shot with the Canon 5D Mark II and a 135mm f/2.0 lens. A killer combination.

Renegade Wheels Ad

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:20:23 EST

Renegade Wheels will be using some of the pics from our recent bike shoots to advertise their wheels. Below are a couple of layouts from a bike built by Tony Starita of Big Tony's Chopp Shop. This bike is soon to be featured in American Cycle magazine. Another layout using the bike recently featured in Hot Bike Baggers that was built by Dave Dupor of DD Custom Cycle.

Hot Bike Baggers - March 2010

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:03:07 EST

Check out the March issue of Hot Bike Baggers for a shoot we did of "Thug Life." The bike is an '05 Road King done by Dave Dupor of DD Custom Cycle and another example of his great work. The bike was shot in downtown Aurora, IL back in September of '09 along with another bike built by Dave that may be coming up in Hot Bike. Downtown Aurora has some great shooting locations that are, unfortunately, not always in the best section of the city. The bike attracted a lot of attention from some of the locals (homeless people) who regularly inhabit the area.

"Thug Life" featured in Hot Bike Baggers March 2010 issue. Built by DD Custom Cycle.

Sturgis Main Street?

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:48:53 EST

For you Sturgis fans, ever wonder what Sturgis Main Street looks like in the winter? We are in Sturgis doing some business for a couple days and decided to post a winter shot of Main St. We just missed the giant Christmas tree that was in the intersection of Main and First St (where the Victory MC building is.) This shot of Main Street was taken today, which was a couple weeks after a huge snow storm hit the area. For reference, I was standing in the middle of the street across from Gunner's. The streets are still snow packed and side streets have snow piled 8' high and over. They are expecting another few inches tonight along with below zero temps.

Take away the snow and cars, add a few hundred bikes, and raise the temp about 90 degrees and you've got a Main St rally photo.

Master Painter

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:16:46 EST

I'm repeating this post from our old blog because it has been one of the most frequently read posts.

No, I don’t mean bike painter. While in Sturgis last summer, we did some photo shoots of girls who were body painted to match the paint on bikes. We worked with Mark Reid who is a world renowned body painter. Mark travels worldwide giving body painting workshops and also maintains a studio in Albuquerque, NM. Mark, along with his assistant (sorry, his name escapes me now), was set up at Monkey Rock (the old Thunder Dome) and spent all day during the rally body painting women – many of them to match custom bikes brought in by builders and/or customers. We’ve seen a lot of body painters at various rallies, Mark is hands down the best we’ve seen. Check out some of his work on his website or visit our Sturgis Picks 2009 gallery in the Featured Galleries section of our web page.

New Year, New Blog

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:12:56 EST

With the new year comes a new blog. We were looking for a new blog design that was clean, easy to navigate, and didn't look like 2 million others. We'll be reposting some of our more popular posts along with our older videos. This blog supports flash video but personally I don't like the quality of video on flash sites. In a few days we're going to be posting a few "Best of 2009" images. Some you may have seen before, most will be those that didn't make it to our main site. On that note, here is one of our favorites. "Family Reunion" has gotten a lot of attention and is one of our most popular images. Nothing like promoting family values for the new year.

One of my all time favorites. A shot by Deb from the Little Sturgis Rally in KY.

Still waiting for the arrival/ship date for Canon's new camera. Supposedly, it was to ship at the end of December. Looks like that's not happening. This camera is the replacement for the the 1D Mark III - a great camera for bike photography and one that I used exclusively for action/riding shots. My only complaint about the camera was the low megapixel count which didn't allow for much cropping. However, it was (is) FAST, FAST, FAST and produced some razor sharp images and great color. For still shots (bike spreads for magazines) I preferred the 1Ds Mark II, 5D Mark II, and now the 1Ds Mark III due in part to the high megapixel count and full frame capability. The new Mark IV has approx 16mp (finally) but still a 1.3 crop factor frame. It's supposed to be just as fast as the Mark III (10fps), so I'm looking forward to working with this camera. It also has full HD video capabilities - a feature I've been using more and more with the 5D Mark II. Hopefully, it will arrive in the next few weeks so I can check it out at the upcoming January bike show in Chicago.

Fusion video from Bikes, Blues, and BBQ in Fayetteville, AR.

Springfield Mile Flat Track video made for Toyota.

American Bagger Magazine shoot

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 12:56:49 EST

I traveled up to Milwaukee last Sunday to do a shoot for American Bagger and DD Custom Cycle. This was another bike built by Dave Dupor of Lake Villa, IL. Dave continues to turn out beautiful bikes and this one in particular is a little different in that it's a bagger built on a chopper frame with a 300 rear tire. We went right down to the wire on this shoot because a snow storm and colder weather was moving in that evening. Steve, the owner of the bike, had to ride a few miles to get to the shooting site but luckily the temp hovered around 30 and we got it finished. Good thing. They are predicting somewhere around 12" of snow followed by below zero temps. We picked a great location along Lake Michigan and the pics look like they were shot in some fishing village in New England. Keep an eye out for this bike to be featured in American Bagger magazine.