Daily Slideshow: Sometimes it Takes a Goldeneye

1. You were going for this

We all want that great looking action shot of ourselves, riding our machine into the unknown. Great photos hanging in our living room to remind us of that awesome day, but sometimes, it just doesn't work. We envision a shot like this with the bike in perfect clarity with the world blurring by...after all, that's how we remembered it, right? So, we get our buddy, our wife, husband or next-door neighbor to follow us out in the family truckster with their handy-dandy point and shoot and away we go, let the photo shoot begin! After several shots, we head back to the house to upload the pictures of our awesomeness, with excitement spilling over about where we're gonna hang this work of art!

2. But ended up with this

Just as you are about to start picking out a frame that is worthy of holding such magnificence, you see that the best picture in the camera looks like this. You have...no words. You get mad, your impromptu photographer gets mad because you've insulted his or her efforts and everybody sulks for the rest of the night. All for naught. Those great looking photographs aren't just snapped by some everyday Joe with some off the shelf camera from the local mega-mart. 

3. The Right Tools

Take a gander at that pile of gear. That's a good start to what you need to grab those great action photos capturing your coolness. Have you ever gone to a bike shop and seen the mechanic's tools? The guy working on bikes with the toolset he bought at TG&Y in '84 may not inspire the same confidence as the guy with a full set of Snap-On or Mac tools...that's because every good technician knows that the right tools can make, or literally break, a job and professional photographers are no different.

4. Gear can only do so much

A good photographer also knows that he (or she) needs a good driver if they want to capture those really great action shots. The scenery and the lighting changes by the mile and they need a driver that understands that, maintains the right speed and keeps the vehicle steady. Also, if they're going to be riding down the highway with the doors open, they will probably want to consider getting a harness and strapping in, just in case something unexpected happens. You don't want your cool action shot to be of you on your slick bike, running over a $5,000 camera...or more importantly- the photographer!

5. Lichter Style

Or, if your photographer has nerves of steel, they could try the technique perfected by famed motorcycle photographer, Michael Lichter- the reverse bike mount. Michael has been doing it for decades and he has taken some of the most famous, and iconic, motorcycle action shots ever captured.

6. Gadda and his crew

Stefano Gadda knows a thing or two about motorcycle photography, too. After all, he has covered numerous press launches for new bikes and new models...such as the latest Softail lineup release from Harley-Davidson. He has been doing it for quite some time and got it down to a science...well, an artistic science, that is. He has several photographers on a crew and when they go out, they hit several different locations, all with different backgrounds. The smallest detail can be what separates a good photograph from a great one; something so simple as the coloring of rocks in the background or the shade of green in the bushes, to the gleam of sunlight on the chrome or the reflection of the surroundings in the chrome.

In addition to the action shots, he also takes some stills that capture the details of the bike in a way that makes you want to run to the dealer and break open your piggy bank. For shots like that, he uses a variety of techniques and equipment to angle the light, or even create an alternate light source as is seen in this photo. Stefano and his crew try to capture every detail. After the shoot, he will go through the photographs, sometimes over a thousand of them, to pick just the right ones. 

7. Shots like this

Stefano and his team go all-out to capture the shots that really portray the feeling of riding the bike, as in this shot captured during the Softail press launch. If you can look at this picture without wanting to go ride your bike, you might want to check your pulse.

8. Speaking of your pulse

This photo from the Softail presser, captured by Gadda and his crew, is a great example of a picture that could say a thousand words. It almost comes to life. The rider's intent stare, looking into his turn, the asphalt rushing by as the powerful Milwaukee iron beast leans hard into the corner. You can almost hear the engine roaring as the pegs are about to grind into the pavement. An action shot like this is what you want to hang in your house. It evokes that exhilarating feeling of riding.

>>Join the conversation about having the Goldeneye for Great Pictures right here in the forum.

9. Stefano Gadda

There is a reason that the MoCo called Stefano "Goldeneye" Gadda and chose to use him for their Softail launch. He's got the tools, the crew, the expertise and the artistic eye to get the shots that they really wanted. Launching a lineup like the new Softails is no paltry task, after all. A lot of traditionalists were less than enthralled by the discontinuation of the Dyna line and a lot of others weren't sure how to feel about the new designs of the Softails. By using Gadda and his team, the marketing folks at H-D's HQ were able to show those die-hards that their beloved bikes were still everything that they used to be, just with more performance and better technology. 

Gadda was tasked with capturing the spirit of the American ride, and the Italian photographer did it with vigor. He doesn't just shoot bikes, either. He captures everything from motorcycles to men's health through his lens and for a price, he might even be willing to get that awesome, frame-worthy action shot of you on your bike. 

>>Join the conversation about having the Goldeneye for Great Pictures right here in the forum.

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