Article & Photos By Tim Wemple
Two in the morning and patterns of light and dark dance across my tent like the shadows of Ponderosa Pine on an afternoon ride through the Black Hills of South Dakota, the ground rumbling as chromed-out stallions race a few feet from my head. It was Sturgis 2008–my first ever bike rally. I had buffeted two rough years before heading out on this adventure; separating from my wife after 22 years of marriage, dealing with my son’s brain tumor, mourning the loss of my father-in-law to prostate cancer, but the truth is, it was the less obvious internal chaos I needed to sort out.
The journey back to normalcy in my life has been a long one. But at Sturgis that year I felt normal and I hadn’t felt that way in a long time. Sturgis wasn’t a spiritual awakening for me. That had happened about a year before when my son was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Sometimes God just brings you to your knees and forces you to acknowledge who’s in control and what is truly important in your life. Things spiritually for me were changing. Paradoxically, some might think, Sturgis was just the confirmation that I was healing, and that my priorities in life were finally becoming what they should be.
I will always think very fondly of my experience at Sturgis, not just the rally, but the trip there as well. Bikes have been a part of my life since grade school. They were always a way for me to unwind. I felt the same sense of freedom I had as a kid riding across the fields of Illinois; only this time it was the plains of Kansas and the sand hills of Nebraska. The thing I will remember most though about Sturgis is the camaraderie. Friendships were forged in minutes, and everyone seemed to be accepted. Bike rallies are a rare place where heathen and faithful seem to be able to come together and co-exist in some amazing caldron of non-judgmental stew. It didn’t matter what you did for a living, or what your status in life was either–you were just one of the guys.
My whole goal that trip was to become real, to find the middle ground in my life, to be myself for a change, to not have to put on pretenses, and the Sturgis rally provided the perfect place for that goal to mature. It’s a funny thing about bike rallies and being real, because bikers can be some of the most image conscious people around–urban cowboys you might say. But then there are the real bikers, the ones who don’t care about image. Some are scary, yes, but teddy bears
really, as my biker brother puts it–a rough looking guy himself, but one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.
That’s not to say rallies are always safe. When grown men revert to their childhood and are highly intoxicated, crazy things can happen. Crazy things! But for the most part, I loved the people and the experience. That’s why I decided to start photographing them. I’ve made it a moral point to never photograph a woman as an accessory to a bike and to avoid the stereotypes a lot of people think of when they imagine bikers. Oh, I’m notsaying I don’t photograph women or the long beards and well worn leather jackets, but I hope I do it in a way that the real person behind
those images comes alive. My goal, which I may not accomplish all the time, is to photograph people with dignity intact, to show they’re real people. That may be why a lot of people say my pictures are different than anything they’ve seen.
I also want to capture the God-given ability of men to be creative beings. The custom bikes at these rallies simply blow me away. Photography is my forum for creativity, and I want to celebrate art with my work, whether it be the composition and Photoshop work I do, or someone else’s use of metal and paint. The bottom line is bike rallies just seem to be the perfect place to do all this. You never know what or who will come riding around the next corner. I love it!
That’s a little about my perspective on photography and bike rallies, but what can I say about Daytona Bike Week? Let me put it in one word: COLD! My girlfriend Sherry, who is from Florida, joked that she looked like a “bag lady” with her seven layers of cloths as we walked up and down main street taking pictures and handing out business cards. This was my first time taking pictures at Daytona and
it was awesome, in spite of the cold weather. How do you go home to Southwest Missouri after walking the streets of Daytona Beach and not feel a little let down? The excitement was palpable. These are a few shots that capture a little of what it was like to explore Daytona Beach during one of the most celebrated bike rallies in the country.
To see my work visit www.BikeRallyPhotography.com or shoot me an email at twemple@hotmail.com to discuss the possibility of photographing you and your bike at the next rally I attend. I’m also looking to conduct private sessions, especially with bike builders, for magazine articles. Hope to see you at the next rally.
I should tell you too that my son who had the brain tumor is doing well. He has had two surgeries and
undergone radiation treatment since his diagnosis, but is doing well. His last three MRIs over the last year and a half have shown no signs of the cancer. He just graduated this year from Ozark Christian College with a music ministry degree and has plans on starting a family with his wife Victoria. God is good.
ChromedOutMag.com | The Premier Online
Karen you did a really amazing job with the layout of Tim’s article and photography. Thank you so much for bringing Tim’s work into your magazine and on the first online edition. Everyone that has seen it has had nothing but positive comments! Keep up the great work. We are very pleased at Bike Rally Photography with the end result! Hope to give you more in the future!!
Sherry and Tim
So, glad you like the new online magazine and the way we layed out Tim’s work! Keep it coming!
Thanks,
Karen
Just to let everyone know, Dark Knight is the webmaster for the website. He did not write the article or take any of the photos.
Thanks,
Karen
Owner Chromed Out
Bike Rally Photography Kicks Ass!!!
Glad you like his work and yes he does Kick Ass!
Yes, Tim does awesome work!
Karen
You are welcome!