Paeroa Sandbagger

Is 2026 far enough in to start referring to things that occurred in 2002 as ‘earlier this century’?

If the committee approves, I will call this shot from the street races at Paeroa, NZ, such.

After a 27-year run, the annual event was discontinued in 2018.

In its heyday *early this century*, it drew huge crowds to watch a full card of racing, from old dungers to F1 machines, dicing with serious intent around the hay-baled rural Waikato town.

It was quite a spectacle. At places in the circuit, wire mesh on temporary poles and scaffolding was all that separated the throng from pinned Gixxers and R1s.

I went several times with my Kiwi Rider hat on and took thousands of shots.

This is my favourite.

Unfortunately, Mr Buckley has jagged one of the sandbags that lined the chicane and proceeded to unwittingly veneer the track with it.

One of my favourite photography quotes is attributed to Ansel Adams: ‘A good photograph is knowing where to stand.’

That’s not so hard to work out at a racetrack, but it’s a quote that stuck for general photography as well.

Rob K's Road Glide.

We were shooting a feature on dealership co-owner Rob K’s big-wheel Road Glide build.

I had an idea: if we went up onto the freeway and I hung out of the back window of the Gasoline Alley truck as we passed the dealership it might be a shot.

To impart a sense of movement, the trick is to slow the shutter speed right down and hold the camera as steady as possible.

But I have to admit, this was one of those times when I was simply shooting in burst mode and the perfect framing was a split-second fluke. The way the trees frame the helmet, the alignment of the logos ....

The more you shoot, the more you keep. I learned from watching the professionals I worked with over the years that while most people take one or two shots—if that—the pros start with ten.

Shoot heaps then delete the junk. 

Dave's Classics: Scott's Steampunk

According to the Oracle, the term ‘Steampunk’ was coined by writer K. W. Jeter in 1987. So the manufacturers of Scott motorcycles could not possibly have imagined that they had invented a genre 60 years beforehand. But they did a great job of it!

2006 Dylan

Rockin' Bob and a cool montage.

Lake Pukaki NZ

We picked up the bikes in Auckland and were on the road to a HOG Rally in Dunedin. With Adam and Tim. It was quite overcast when we reached the Mackenzie District, but I managed to talk the Harley execs into waiting for the cloud cover to lift a bit. It was worth it.