Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk : Y&T

It's midsummer and as summers go here in northern California, many bands come out of retirement to play state fairs and local wineries and festivals. One of the best annual concert events is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. 

Having grown up in the DC area, my idea of what Santa Cruz was like was all based on the fictional town of Santa Carla, in Lost Boys. I hoped that vampire gangs on motorcycles led by a rather evil Kiefer Sutherland was normal, but it's basically just a northern California beach town evening. With Y&T playing the soundtrack.

Aggro Bruce Willis guy, wife is tuning it all out

he loves summertime girls, and hell yeah that is a Coors Light in his hand

this guy was wearing this thing until the sun went down

this is the only shot I got of our buddy Kent!

Tony just fits right on in

Hollister Rally 2014

My pal Jason and I rode down to Hollister, CA and went to the rally yesterday. It's more or less a showcase for Harley-Davidson bikes with enormous credit lines taken out to fund the work on. But it's an amazing people-watching spot and was a great way to escape the fog and explore some killer back roads..

I'd thought the history included a Hollister Harley manufacturing site, but it turn out that it's all based on a riot that happened after the AMA's Gypsy Tour rally, the weekend of July 3-6, 1947. Reportedly a minor scuffle, the small riot was sensationalized by the press and began the stereotype image of bikers being violent, drug-addled sex freaks. It's actually a cool story that you can visit here. The movie the Wild One was based on these reports and has added to the drama and popularity of the event.

Today it's more or less a place to show off your bike, your girlfriend, and buy stuff, hang with your bros and watch bands and drink beer. All in all a fun place to ride to on a vintage bike with a camera:

Jason and Jesse are totally missing the pink-shirt hottie to the left

hangin' out. literally.

no idea.. father and son?

heading to Jawbone Canyon store

 my favorite photo of the day

hella damn teenage boys

"If you can read this the bitch fell off" describes these two. Drunk-kicking the hand sanitizer....

Crüella (obviously an all-girl Mötley Crüe cover band..)

these went on for table after table...

this guy was sweet and wanted a copy of this.. I think his wife was maybe done with Hollister

best custom bike there

your photographer at the Vest Fest 2014!

Skylock for Velo-Labs

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a local company interested in having me shoot their new bicycle lock. Velo-Labs turned out to be a really small company with a great vision: create a bicycle lock that has remote, phone app-operated entry.

It was a pleasure working with them. We collaborated on ideas for shots, based on some tear sheets, but for the most part they were willing to give me creative freedom to illustrate their lock. I truly enjoyed working with Velo-Labs on their Skylock and wish them the best!

the lock, a bike / the lock on a bike 

Killer Reviews:

- a review by C-Net here
- a review by Wired here
- a review by Gizmodo here
- a review by NPR here

- an awesome introductory video here 

Proof that a Toyota Matrix can do it all! 

(note the two 9' seamless paper rolls at top left)