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The American Biker
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The American Biker
Location: DeLand,Florida, USA
Nationality: American
Focus:
Politics, Documentary, Photography
Covering:
USA & Canada
Skills:
Lighting Tech, Color Correction, Black & White Printing
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© 2024 Eric Smith
Cover
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
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
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© 2024 Eric Smith
Patriot Guard Rider, Wixon, MI 2007
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White Boy, Cabbage Patch Bar, Samsula, FL., 2018
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Ray C's Harley Davidson, Lapeer, MI, 2007
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Iron Horse Saloon, Ormond Beach,FL.,2019
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Main Street, Daytona Beach, FL., 2022
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"Jesus Freak", Dearborn, MI, 2015
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Patriot Guard Rider, Wixom, MI, 2007
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Michigan Militiaman, Morley, MI, 2006
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Vietnam Memorial, Washington DC, 2007
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Vietnam Memorial, Moving, Eustis, FL, 2019
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Showing Colors, Rolling Thunder, Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, 2007
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Washington Monument, Rolling Thunder, Washington DC, 2007
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Patriot Guard Riders, Lake Orion, MI, 2006
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Customized Harley Davidson, Rolling Thunder, Washington DC,2007
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Sidewalk Parking, Main Street, Daytona Beach, FL, 2017
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Daytona Harley-Davidson, Ormond Beach, FL, 2016
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Religious procession, Main Street, Daytona Beach, FL, 2022
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White Privilege Edition, Harley Davidson TriGlide, Samsula FL, 2021
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Bikers, Cabbage Patch Bar, Samsula, FL, 2017
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Son of the South, Samsula, FL, 2017
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Veterans with Don & Melania, Eustis, FL, 2020
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Road Side Attraction, US-1 Ormond Beach, FL, 2017
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Cruising Pioneer Trail, Spruce Creek, FL, 2017
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Iron Horse Saloon, Ormond Beach, FL, 2019
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Politics, Cabbage Patch Bar, Samsula, FL, 2016
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Contestants, Cabbage Patch Bar, Samsula, FL, 2021
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Missionary, Main Street, Daytona FL. 2022
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Downtown, Daytona Beach, FL, 2022
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Tattoo Contest, Beaver Bar, Ormond Beach, FL, 2017
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Rooster Mascot, Cabbage Patch Bar, Samsula, FL, 2017
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Body Painting, Cabbage Patch Bar, Samsula, FL, 2017
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Indian Tattoo, Iron Horse Saloon, Ormond Beach, FL, 2019
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Crackleberry Campground, Samsulal, FL, 2021
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Carnival Food, Daytona Beach, FL, 2022
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Downtown Main Street, Daytona Beach,FL, 2022
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Biker Graffiti, Cabbage Patch Bar, Samsula, FL, 2020
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Cabbage Patch Bar, Samsula, FL, 2017
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Vintage Biker, Old New York Ave. DeLand, FL, 2022
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Midget Wrestling, Samsula, FL, 2016
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Boot Hill Saloon, Daytona Beach, FL,2017
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Main Street Station, Daytona Beach, 2016
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Bar, Daytona Harley-Davidson, Ormond Beach, FL, 2016
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Dancing, Cabbage Patch Bar, Samsula, FL, 2017
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Main Street, Daytona Beach FL, 2022
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Chocolate Pudding Wrestling, No Name Bar, Edgewater, FL, 2020
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Overdose, Iron Horse Saloon, Ormond Beach, FL 2022
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Back Lot, Iron Horse Saloon, Ormond Beach, FL 2021
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Back Lot, Iron Horse Saloon, Ormond Beach, FL 2020
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Politics, Main Street, Daytona Beach, FL, 2021
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Bathroom Bar, Ormond Beach, FL, 2020
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Annual Bike Burn, Volusia County Fairgrounds, DeLand, FL, 2022
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Dirty Harry's Pub, Daytona Beach, FL, 2022
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Annual Bike Burn, Volusia County Fairgrounds, DeLand, FL, 2022
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Party Pictures, Boot Hill Saloon, Ormond Beach, FL, 2017
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Harley Davidson Wide Glide, Samsula, FL, 2018
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© 2024 Eric Smith
MY 2017 Harley Davidson Road King
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