I first met Brian, many many years ago, at my dear Brother Tom's tattoo parlour. They were good days back then... Life was pretty simple for me. I lived in a warehouse, I dressed in black and I rode a classic 1970’s superbike... Life was good.
Fast forward 30 years... I choke just a little when I think about that... and I get a phone call from Brian. He told me that he had some cool things for my garage and came around to visit... I feel very privileged when people share stuff with me, man cave stuff is pure gold and I understand the value of it.
Brian brought me his father's home-made tool cabinet... Pieced together from packing crates, from a local business, a long ago. Brian's kids said...”Dad why aren't you keeping thatHis response... ”because Carl will immortalise it”
How freaking cool is that!
So it was with great pleasure today, that I slid this beautiful big handmade cabinet into place, as one of Brian's kids, had surprised him with a gift voucher for a shoot with me!
He told me that he had always wanted to come across, but would never get around to asking...
I will be doubling the size of the garage soon and this cabinet will be filled up with all sorts of cool things and take pride of place within the extension. I may even throw a 1970’s Playboy Bunny on the inside of one of the doors for good measure.
Like most people that come here... This was the very first time Brian had stood in a photographic studio to be shot and it was lovely to work with him creating these very cool images... his denim finished Harley looked bloody amazing lit up.... Such a cool look.
I love the image of him with the helmet and sunglasses... He rode up my driveway and I called out to him...
“don't take the helmet off and don't touch anything, just walk in here”
How could I do not take this photograph, with his wild whiskers going in absolutely every direction.
I was blessed to work with two fine gentlemen today... straight up good people.
“Carls Garage” - where respect and friendship means the world to me.
what an adventure...
The story continues on
The Shoots Archive #5
Richard came up to my studio today, on this very cool 48.
He brought a brother along with him for the run and from the moment they walked into my studio... The “bike talk” began and didn't stop, for the next two hours... it was very cool.
He pulled out a smartphone and flicked through an album of motorcycles, that he has built, owned and ridden throughout his life...Pan heads, Flat heads and Zeds of all denominations..... You name it, this man has owned it.
True bikers appreciate all motorcycles, as I have said before and he was just as interested to hear my motorcycles fire up and talk about their stories, as he was to share his stories with me... this man is a passionate enthusiast.... end of story
Well not quite the end of story...
I have only photographed one 48 before and it was dressed up as a chopper.... I love what he has done with this one and I bet it would be an absolute hoot to ride... and ride it he does... Daily!
Richard thank you for coming out today brother, it is lovely to meet passionate people like yourself and the time flew by very quickly, as we created these images together.
Your Harley is beautiful and looked sensational in my garage.
Tonight I photographed another amazing motorcycle, but it is late and I am tired and I will edit the shoot in the morning, before the next person arrives.... so for tonight my friends... this is me signing off!
“Carl’s Garage” - Build it and they will come!
Craig rang me up and said he was keen to bring his bike down for a shoot. Taking advantage of this good weather, I asked if he could come for an early evening session, as I was working through the day...... and in the quiet of night, I heard this beautiful Harley Davidson come in for landing...
Sorry not sorry neighbours
It wasn’t until he came up into the lights of my garage, with his wife Deb on board, that I got to see what model this was and it was a very pleasant surprise, when all was revealed...
I can remember when this Heritage Softail was released and it felt like I had stepped back several decades in time, as this bike was in sensational condition.
The engine had a beautiful patina, a look that only comes with age... I'm so glad that he chose not to polish the alloy out to make it new again. Classic bikes like this need to show some age.
I feel it is a mark of respect to leave that age there
We talked at length about our life adventures, rallies and all things motorcycle, while I captured this stunning bike.
Compared to the modern Harleys I shoot, this bike felt quite light and small beneath me.
It was of no surprise to me, that when I pulled back the black velvet, that this motorcycle, looked like it had just come home.
“Carl’s Garage” - for life is a brief as a butterfly’s fart
You shoot one Gold Wing and bugger me, they are falling out of the sky!
Trevor lined up a shoot with me a while ago and he has been really excited, about coming up for a ride from Sydney with his wife Carmen, to my studio in Newcastle, to get some cool images taken, of his beautiful motorcycle.
I didn't know what he rode, so it was quite exciting when the Starship Enterprise came through the door!
This is a whole lot of motorcycle... I have only ever ridden one of them and it was just amazing.
Trevor bought this bike 10 years ago and it is doing the miles... and lots of them. With 100,000+kms on the clock, the engine still sounds like it hasn't even been run in yet... so smooth and so quiet. Honda really knew what they were doing, when they built this touring motorcycle... make it big, make it comfortable and make it last for a long time...
all boxes ticked!
Thank you friends, for what was a rollercoaster of a shoot, with laughter and tears and everything in between
You are good people and it was lovely to spend some time with you and create these images together!
“Carl’s Garage” - undoubtedly dashing with a smidgen of wicked
I have wanted to photograph a motorcycle like this, from the very beginning of the series... so it was awesome, when I saw Darren and Janine turn into my drive, on this amazing bike.
It absolutely sparkled in the morning sun, like a Vampire from the Twilight Series and the pressure was on, for me to do it justice, under my studio lights.
I couldn't start straight away, as I wanted to walk around this bike, throw my leg over it and take it all in.
Darren is a big bear of a man, a full pickaxe wide across the shoulders and when I sat on this bike..... it was set up to suit his build which suited my bloody long legs.
The attention to detail on this bike was truly something to behold. With it’s deep and layered paintwork and sweeping lines, I couldn't wait to light it up and see it through my lens for the first time.
It did not disappoint!
I love how classic bikes look amazing in my old school workshop ... I love how modern superbikes, contrast against the aged workshop ... And now I love how a wicked chopper of this dimension and style, explodes out of the background.
I asked my daughter to come out and have a look at this bike and the first thing she said was that it looks like the bike Snoop Dogg is on, in the Menulog Advertisement.
So cool!
Thank you brother for bringing this gorgeous motorcycle to my humble studio.
“Carl’s Garage” - did somebody say Menuloggggggg
Damian sent me a message back in February, asking if he could come to get shots taken, when I had just kicked off the “Carl’s Garage” series and then the whole world turned upside down. His last message to me was ”I am definitely getting this done”
Fast forward seven months, the world now turning, just a little more normally, than the rest of 2020 and we reconnected... Another message sent from Damian..... When can we do this Carl?
My response ... “Tomorrow”
His response ... “What time?”
You can imagine the smile on my face, when this beautifully illustrated motorcycle, rolled into my studio.
The artwork on this bike it Is pretty bloody clever... I did quite a bit of airbrush illustration back in the 80's, so I have a keen eye for technique.
Thank you brother for bringing your bike to my studio today... it is a very cool machine indeed and I enjoyed creating these images with you.
“Carl’s Garage” - built on respect and friendship
Social Media....Love it or hate it... my business would not exist without it. We all know the downside of it, in that it connects with all of the ratbags in the world.....but it is pleasantly balanced out by the connections that are made, with men like Dave.
I had some spare time yesterday and I put up a post to see if anybody wanted to come over for a photo shoot and Dave messaged me immediately, a time was set and over he came. I must thank all of my friends who shared that post.... humbly appreciated guys
As he climbed off his shining Street Bob, he reached into his dilly bag and pulled out a beautiful bottle of Shiraz for me!!
I told him that that was not necessary but very much appreciated and he replied with....
“you can't go to someone's place and not take anything with you”
I was blown away with this gesture of kindness.
Dave's journey through life has been a very interesting one and when I meet men like this, I draw great inspiration from their strength. Those of you that know this man, know what I talking about. It has not been an easy path at all for this fella.
Much respect
My wife came out to say hello when the shoot got started and the first thing she said was, that the balance of textures and surfaces was perfect... Just the right amount of gloss just the right amount of matte finish and just the right amount of alloy....
She nailed it with that comment I felt... The balance is perfect on this bike. And as I was pulling down the black velvet curtain that I hide behind, when I shoot a bike.... I smiled at the fact that I was about to hide behind a black curtain to photograph a black motorcycle on a black background..... lol
Some of you may know, that my family history runs deep in the strength game. My grandfather Carl, was a strong man in England in the 1800s and when he came to Australia, he and my father Joe, built one of the first gymnasiums and started the Olympic weightlifting movement.
A tall skinny lad called Carl, preferred to chase girls and ride motorbikes, rather than exercise but I had a strong connection with Dad and the gym, as I travelled around the country, photographing weightlifting competitions as a young fella, for his magazine..
It was those early formative years of my time behind the lens, that gave me a keen eye for the physique.
Fast forward a few decades and it was quite obvious that muscle photography was something that I would enjoy and be good at. Motorcycle photography is very new to me, as my main source of income for many many years, has been bodybuilding photography. When the world turned upside down this year, my business ground to a halt and I had to regroup and find a new way to pay the bills.
This is where “Carl’s Garage” began.
Which brings me to this biker that you see before us. Shannon is a competitive bodybuilder and had locked in a shoot with me, earlier this year. With his competitions cancelled, he still trained hard towards working with me, until restrictions even prevented that..... as he is in the Armed Forces and travel was completely shutdown.
You can imagine the disappointment, when an athletes strives for such a long time, to produce the finest physique, the long hours of damn hard work, the dieting etc etc to then have it all done in vain....
When Shannon saw what I was now doing with motorcycles, he asked if he could travel up to Newcastle to work with me... a resounding “Yes” was my reply and here for the first time... my two worlds collided.
Once the world gets itself sorted and athletes can compete, I am sure to get very busy photographing athletes once again.
Of course being a Kawasaki rider, when the bright green weapon came into land.... it put a huge smile on my face as I knew how electric it would look in my old school garage.
Thank you brother, for coming up to my studio today...
“Carl’s Garage” - Boom!
I got my learners permit, aged 16 years and nine months, I bought my first motorcycle and I learned to ride.
That was four decades ago.
Motorcycles have been a special part of my life, so it is a very pleasant surprise, when I get to meet one, that I have never seen... and this was the case with Mick’s Roadliner!
The classic lines and art deco feel of this motorbike, put a big smile on my face. Details added where often other companies wouldn't bother, this is a beautiful motorcycle.
Mick has followed my work for some time now, so it was lovely to meet up and spend some time creating these images for him.
He asked me to capture his bike now, as he has some very cool modifications planned for it and then he wants to return.
Thank you brother for surprising me with this beautiful machine and for wanting me to photograph it for you
“Carl’s Garage” - Established 1963
Red’s wife contacted me and asked if I would photograph his 1938 Matchless..... My face lit up with a huge smile, as this was to be the very first vintage motorcycle in the series... at a stately 82 years young!
Unlike the firebreathing beasts, of massive cubic inch dimensions, that I normally photograph.... you know the type... the ones that I hear coming from three suburbs away... this beautiful machine rolled quietly down my street and turned into my drive and up to my studio door.
I was so excited about shooting this bike, as I knew that once I finished photographing it on the black velvet.... that it was going to look spectacular in my garage...
And it did!
Red is a passionate enthusiast... we talked at length about our motorcycle histories... We even began our road bike adventures on the exact same motorcycle... A 1978 CB 250T - a blue Honda Hawk!!!
I couldn't start shooting the bike, until I had taken it all in, I had to sit on it, I had to squat down next to it and look at all the bits and pieces, so many beautiful textures and surfaces to look at. Red was happy to talk through and answer all of my questions about this Matchless and I could hear great pride in his voice as he spoke.
Then I set about capturing this motorcycle in detail.... Red’s wife rang, to find out if he had got lost at the pub on the way home, wondering why he was gone so long... He just told her that we were having a great time talking and creating cool images.
The fins on the barrels are heavily corroded, the cases worn from decades of existence... The Amil carby, its body made of brass... was truly a thing of great beauty. The list just goes on...
Can you tell that I've really enjoyed having this bike here?
When all was said and done, I shot a video of Red firing it up... a little tickle here and a twist and turn there and with one swift kick it burst into life... Sitting up on it’s stand ....with it’s back wheel spinning....
Ready to roll!
How freaking cool is that!
Thank you brother, for bringing me this beautiful machine and of course thank you, to your amazing wife, for giving you no other option than to come and see me.
“Carl’s Garage” - Suck Squeeze Bang Blow
Today I had the pleasure of photographing Trent and his son Kobi... Trent had been given a gift voucher, for a shoot with me and we made it happen. I can remember a very, very long time ago, my first experiences with a motorcycle, was when my father would ride home on his BSA Bantam and I would hear him coming up the street, I would open the front door and run outside waiting for him to turn into our home.... he would stop, I would climb up onto the back of the bike and he would do three laps of the front yard and then ride around to the backyard...
Fast forward 50 years plus and here I saw a young man, with a huge smile on his face, travelling around on the back of his dad’s very cool Harley
Not quite a BSA Bantam.... but still something very cool to see.
We got started and halfway through the shoot, the conversation turned to bike safety, when Trent told me that he had just tragically lost a dear friend on a ride, a few short weeks ago. 52 years of age with young kids.
It really drove home how important it was for me as a biker, to return home each time, that I roll out of the driveway.
A tragic tragic story indeed.
We talked about this for a while, then got back to the business of creating cool images. The highlight of the shoot for me, was setting up the father and son images and asking them to give me a little bit of attitude... bloody perfect! It was lovely to spend time with you and Kobi today brother.
See you on the road some day!
“Carl’s Garage” - Be safe!
When Scott arrived for his shoot yesterday, he had a big nervous smile on his face... this is not something that he is well versed in... Standing in front of camera, held by a stranger, is not everybody's cup of tea... but he did great!
He has followed my work for some time now and it is really lovely when men like Scott, can talk in detail about past images, that I have created for people.
As much as this is a business for me, when I know that my imagery is appreciated by others.... that is absolute gold.
I get to make people smile (not in my photographs though....LOL) and that is a gift. Capturing a moment in time, so that they can look back with pride, is a very very cool thing that I do, on a daily basis.
Today was Scott's time to stand before me, with this stunning motorcycle. I was not familiar with this Honda VTX and it looked absolutely sensational up close and personal. So many beautiful elements in the design, which is how I felt about the Roadliner, that I shot the other day.
Scott looks after this bike and loves riding it, as often as he possibly can. Thank you brother, for wanting to be part of this series of images... I really enjoyed our time together and creating these cool images for you.
“Carl’s Garage” - Stopping time, for just fractions of a second
Peter is the father of one of my wife's best friends... when Kristy rang me up and asked if I would shoot her dad, I told her it was against the law.. but I would take photographs of him instead ... In all seriousness though... I told her it would be my pleasure.
Peter loves his grandkids and his Kawasaki and when he rode up the driveway and into my garage, on this glowing blue Vulcan... I knew that I was going to be able to create some really special images for him... What a mad colour!
He brought his grandkids along, as they are all travelling around in a campervan together and it was lovely to watch them get into Photo mode when I asked them to not smile in the pictures... sometimes it is very difficult for people not to smile when they have a camera pointed at them, but they absolutely nailed it for me.
Gumbo the Dog was an absolute star. When they all arrived I sat down on the ramp into my studio and got acquainted with this very animated pup. He then paid me the respect of posing perfectly, right through the entire shoot.
The famous actor WC Fields once said..... “never work with children or animals”
Will you know what Mr Fields... sucks to be you bro, because this was fun and we smashed it out of the ballpark
“Carl’s Garage” - where Gumbo gets his bum scratched
Jocelyn lined up a shoot with me a while ago and we finally got to work together on Friday night. I am a big fan of tassels... I even had them on my classic superbike for a while...
The more that people hated on them, the longer they stayed!
When Jocelyn rode up my driveway and into my garage... her tassels continued to move, even after the bike was at rest... So cool!
When I work with people, I love seeing there confidence build during the shoot.
Jocelyn looked as nervous as all get out when she first arrived, as this was not something she was well versed in.....but as the shoot progressed, and she saw just how amazing she looked and how special her motorcycle was... there was a light in her eyes that started to shine.
Thank you for wanting to create these cool images with me sister.
You Rock!
“Carl’s Garage” - capturing moments in time
I get to meet the coolest people and today Barbara and Craig, rolled into my studio, on two beautiful Harley Davidsons, for a photo shoot.
Some people are very easy to like... the sort of people that you feel comfortable with straight away.
These people fit that description!
It is so nice to have these short interactions, a brief moment in time, where our lives collide. Stories are shared, laughs are had and we even sang along to classic rock tunes from the 70s 80s and 90s.
Doesn't get much better than that!
This was their anniversary and they chose to spend it with me, creating cool images. I was really chuffed by that
Barbara’s matte white sportster, affectionately known as Bonnie, looked sensational when I lit her up.
I commented that the light seemed to come from the motorcycle, in comparison to Craig’s bike.... Black Betty, that seemed to absorb the light and draw you in. Two bikes, as vastly different as the people that ride them.
This was a really cool shoot.... A long time ago, I made a decision that I had to enjoy what I did for a living, because we're only here for such a short time... Work has to be pleasurable for me... simple really. Our time together flew by and that is the style of shooting I like to do. Cool people, beautiful motorcycles and great images created!
“Carl’s Garage” - Hell Yeah!
I was unsure what today would hold for me... there was a booking at 10 AM, to photograph Trena and Anthony, but there were light showers and complete cloud cover... this was early in the morning, as I can never really sleep past 6:30 AM.
I started my day in the usual way and kept my fingers crossed for clear skies.
Then, like it was scripted... the roads dried, the winds calmed and they arrived!
You can imagine the smile on my face, when I saw this bike for the first time... Scorched Orange, I believe Anthony called it!
“Bloody Beautiful” I replied!
I knew that when I peeled back the black velvet, that this motorcycle would look crazy beautiful in my old school garage... and it did.
I'm meeting the coolest people while shooting this series of images... Real people with real stories and I feel quite privileged, to be able to create beautiful images for them.
Tis’ a blessed life I lead indeed.
“Carl’s Garage” - where today's headlines are tomorrow's bum paper
When David rolled into my studio on his Road King, it looked bloody amazing. Such cool shapes and lines on this motorcycle.
He parked it and there began the bike talk!
I have the coolest job in the world... Hands down!
I walk 20 steps to work, I talk motorbikes to like minded people and take cool pictures for them!
Today, the “talking motorbikes” part of the shoot, was quite lengthy as David and myself share a similar long history with high-performance motorcycles... Comparing wheel stand techniques, discussing previously owned motorcycles and crazy things that we had done... all while his son Joel watched on with a big smile on his face... Himself a motorcycle rider as well!
Thank you for bringing this beautiful machine to my studio today David. It looked amazing under my lights.
“Carl’s Garage” - twist the throttle and I am out of here
I have said it before and I shall say it again... I enjoy photographing the people that ride the motorcycles here to my studio, just as much as the bikes themselves... and this was the case with Tracey and John.
Two strong and interesting characters that shared great stories with me and got right into the session.Their bikes, Dolly and Pearl, looked sensational in my old garage...
I particularly like the Vance and Hines System on Tracey's bike... Such a cool looking exhaust with a beautiful sound.
John's bike, could be heard coming in to land, from three suburbs away! It shook the walls of my studio with each fiery explosion of the 2 litre plus engine... so very cool!
Both these motorcycles are ridden hard and ridden often.... much respect for this... these guys do the miles, both here and abroad!
Thank you friends for travelling the distance that you did today, to come and work with me. It was lovely to meet you and spend a few hours with you capturing these images.
“Carl’s Garage” - fill it up, burn the fuel, then repeat... ride hard ride often
Frank and Gianna came over to my studio last night for shoot, on their beautiful Harley-Davidson, as black as black can be!
It was a fun session, as these two people are great communicators and we laughed and shared stories and created cool images together.
Two thirds of the way through the session, Frank realised that he had bought a series of prints off me, once before at the markets... I felt that I recognised his face, from when he first arrived.
It is so cool to meet people like Frank and Gianna... very keen bikers that do the miles.
I like genuine people and these guys tick the box!
“Carl’s Garage” - got anything blacker?
Frank and Gianna came over to my studio last night for shoot, on their beautiful Harley-Davidson, as black as black can be!
It was a fun session, as these two people are great communicators and we laughed and shared stories and created cool images together.
Two thirds of the way through the session, Frank realised that he had bought a series of prints off me, once before at the markets... I felt that I recognised his face, from when he first arrived.
It is so cool to meet people like Frank and Gianna... very keen bikers that do the miles.
I like genuine people and these guys tick the box!
“Carl’s Garage” - got anything blacker?
Mark and Angie rolled up on this beautiful Harley Davidson for me to photograph. I am a big fan of the colour red, it is such a dramatic colour and looks amazing in my old school garage.
So it put a big smile on my face, when we rolled this beautiful bike in to be photographed.
Thank you friends for wanting to be part of this series of images. I enjoyed our time together.
I like good people :)
Kat bought a gift voucher for Mick, because he is a pretty special bloke... So special in fact, that next weekend, they are to be married!
Congrats guys that is awesome!
When he road into my studio on this Softail Standard, it looked bloody sensational for a motorcycle with 80,000 km on it!
This bike is ridden ..... it is ridden hard and ridden often.
Mick suffers from the same illness that I do. You ride your bike, then you bring it home and you clean and detail it, ready for the next ride.
Some will never understand this affliction... But Mick does and it was reflected in the beautiful condition that this motorcycle is in.
Yes it has nicks and scars, but it is immaculate and when he fired it up, even to a Kawasaki rider, it sounded absolutely sensational. I do love how people customise their bikes... some do it in a subtle way, others smash you in the face with their design choices.
Everything that Mick has done to this bike, sits really nice into the overall design.... Right down to the tits and arse levers on the handlebars.....lol It was lovely to meet you both today and create this cool images for you... Thanks guys
“Carl’s Garage” - because life on two wheels should be celebrated
Kate came up for a ride from the Central Coast today, to have some photographs taken in my garage.
The first challenge was going to be, taking a photograph without a smile.... lol
She was pretty excited about being here.
Today has been such a cool day so far, meeting great people like Kate and her friend Dave, who came up for the run as well.
Real people with a real passion for bike riding..... so cool
“Carl’s Garage” - make it happen.... you know you want to
Today was an amazing day for me... I got to meet and photograph some of the coolest people and their beautiful motorcycles.
Jacquie and Martin, had booked a shoot with me a few weeks ago and today we were to make it happen.
This was my last shoot for the day...
Two lovely people on two really cool motorcycles.
Martin rolled in on his beautiful new Indian Scout and it looked bloody beautiful, with its warm colour paint scheme in my garage.
This bike was very new and absolutely immaculate!
When you sit on one of these bikes, the build quality is quite obvious.... they are a beautifully made motorcycle indeed.
Jacquie was next and her Honda Rebel and it was a very cool bike to the photograph as well. I remember seeing one of these at a service station recently and I said hello to the rider and commented on how awesome their bike looked.
There was a real positive energy in the studio with these people this afternoon... I like good people as I have said before and these guys ticked that box with a big black Texter.
“Carl’s Garage” - what a day what a day..... another big one tomorrow friends...stay tuned
What a hectic weekend... so many amazing motorbikes and so many cool people! Elsie and Alex came to visit and we had an amazing shoot together.
I am a bit of an old softy and the love between these two, was quite a tangible thing... and they brought such a positive energy to my studio. Thanks guys!
Alex loves bikes, loves riding them hard. His Blackbird is beautifully maintained and sounded awesome as it rode into my studio.
They are such a cool bike.
Elsie loves her Harley and you could see the pride on her face when it was her turn to stand before me...
I have the coolest job in the world.... hands down
Thank you friends for wanting to work with me... you rock!
“Carl’s Garage” - where the answer is simple..... be nice!
Thomas rang me up and asked if he could come over for a shoot with his dad Gary and their two beautiful motorcycles.
Sometimes I will know in advance what I am photographing, but for the majority of the time, I like to be surprised.
I get everything ready in the studio, I go inside and grind up some beans and make myself a fresh coffee and then I wait for the distant sound of motorcycles, that signals it is time for me to work.
I often know straight away what I am photographing by the sound, but when those two fellas game into land, I didn't recognise the unusual and deep sound of the Rocket and when it rolled in to view..... I smiled!
I like these bikes... They're very cool
What followed was a couple of hours of awesome image making... two really interesting characters with vastly different motorcycles.
Thanks for wanting to come to my studio Thomas with your dad... Beautiful bikes, cool people and good times... A great combination indeed
“Carl’s Garage” - where family matters
.
Dave and his family came today... and what a family it is!
We laughed, we shared stories, we played the Wiggles and cool images were made. Dave's Grandson Riley was the best behaved out of the whole family....
Once we got in to the shoot, we realised that we had some very common ground between us....
Dave's first motorcycle was a blue Honda Hawk
My first motorcycle was a blue Honda Hawk
Dave's first serious superbike was a 1981 GPZ 1100 B1 My first serious superbike was a 1981 GPZ 1100 B1
Dave went to the Long Flat rallies and many others
Me...... the same
So it was no surprise when Dave arrived today on both a beautiful fat boy and with his son Peter riding Dave’s brand-new 2020 Z900RS Kawasaki!
I have had the pleasure of riding one of these slingshots and any motorcycle that comes up on to the back wheel under power with my 300lbs leaning forward over the petrol tank.... gets my vote of approval
The man obviously has good taste... and skills.... as the tyres were melted from edge to edge!
It was a great shoot today brother and it was lovely to meet your family and take the fun images that we did.
“Carl’s Garage” - where real men learn to ride on twin shocked 1980’s superbikes!
Forget the wicked paint job... :)
Forget his beautiful wife... :)
Forget his rugged manscaping... :)
and just look at that rear tire, melted from edge to edge!!!
I ride Japanese superbikes and it has always been said that ... “bloody Harley Davidsons, they don't go around corners!”
It is like the Holden and Ford thing!
Well you know what!
This Harley goes around corners and it does it hard and fast. What I didn't realise was that, that super cool suspension thingamajig, that you can add to these that drops the bike down... can also raise the bike up to give it extra clearance and more cornering capability!
Go figure... You learn something every day. I have been schooled! Today Tania and Mark came to my studio. We created very cool images. We talked motorcycles, family and life! It was a good day.
“Carl’s Garage” - melt from edge to edge
p.s. of course I was kidding about forgetting his beautiful wife
Today I got to meet a very interesting character and Arthur was his name. He rang me half an hour before the shoot and said... are we still going to do this thing?
I smiled and replied... Yes we are!
30 minutes later Arthur Foster rode into my studio on this Breakout. I have said it before and I will say it again... I am enjoying photographing the people that ride the motorcycles here, just as much, if not more, than the motorcycles themselves... and today this was the case.
Yes his breakout is beautiful, but Arthur himself was a real character indeed.
The conversation quickly turned to drag racing, as Arthur raced for many years. We shared stories and pictures and took really cool photographs along the way.
This is not something Arthur would have done for himself, but his family organised a gift certificate for him and I know they are going to love these images.
He is a real character and it was great pleasure to photograph him and hear his stories, of his High Octane adventures.
“Carl’s Garage” - where quarter miles are measured in 1/1000ths of a second
Derek’s daughter organised a gift voucher for a photo shoot with me today and he rolled on in on his beautiful Fat Boy.
I have always liked this model... Strong lines and shapes make for a very cool motorcycle to photograph
Today Derek brought with him a few very special bottles of Jack Daniels... Something that he is a passionate collector of. They looked amazing in the set as their colour was perfect, not to mention that it is a pretty special bourbon whiskey.
I like when people bring something that is personal to them as it makes it just that little bit more special.
Time to set up for the next shoot now friends.
“Carl’s Garage” - something scotch drinkers will never understand
Several months ago, Vicki organised to have a shoot with her and her husband Coke. We almost made It happen a few weeks ago, but shitty weather prevented us from getting together.
Today however... we did this!
They got an early start and arrived as keen as mustard and ready to rumble ...I was greeted with warm hugs and presents, cool new props for my garage :)
I really didn't expect this, but it set the tone for what was a fantastic and fun photo shoot. Some people just ooze nice and that was the case here with Vicki and Coke. Such positive and friendly humans.
We started with Vicki’s bike Thumper.... I couldn’t hear Coke’s beast over this very special ride..... Grenades blasting out a sweet and in your face note!
I like all of her choices, right down to the tassels and Sissy Bar..... ultra Cool.
I started a Bearded Man’s Club many years ago and felt quite humbled by the whiskers that swung low from this brother’s chin..... Respect!
I am truly blessed to have such a cool job... meeting amazing people, creating cool images and walking 20 steps to work each day....
and I humbly appreciate all of the kind words and support that I get from you folk out there in social media land.... you guys rock!
“Carl’s Garage” - tic tic boom!
Today I got to photograph David on his 2019 Fatboy... A beautiful machine of great proportions and lines.
I was very lucky to photograph one of the first ones in the country, many many years ago and I think they are just a beautiful piece of design.
David had been following my work for sometime and his family organised a gift voucher, for him to come and have a shoot with me.
I do love the solid wheels on these bikes. Throughout the years, a lot of my motorcycles have had spoked wheels and I like that look... but they are an absolute bitch to keep clean!!!
I like the simplicity of Fatboy wheels!
In my next life, I am going to come back and invent a wheel spoke polishing gadget and make a fortune from it!
Thank you David for loving what I create and for coming to my studio today with your bike.
“Carl’s Garage” - Established in 1963
I have a busy day in the studio today... Quite a few shoots on. Next to arrive was Mick on his 2017 Breakout.
He brought some friends along who were interested in seeing what went on in a Carl’s Garage shoot, as they both road Harleys themselves.
I paused to ask Mick, if along with his Harley, he owned a Ford Ranger and a boat. They are all cracked up as one confessed to all three...... well.... he had a Jetski ... lol
A man that works hard in the mines, need to have toys.
So now there is a new standard for people that work in the mines.... a modified Harley, either a Toyota Luxxy or a Ranger, a boat
and...... A shoot at Carl’s Garage!
Thanks Mick for coming along today with your posse... it was a fun shoot and you were all very positive and good people to be around.
“Carl’s Garage” - for miners and their toys
