BlackRapid Photo-Moto Ride 2023 – Part 3 by Bry Cox

Reposted from Bry Cox’s Photography Blog: Once a year, some photographer friends of mine get together for a multi-state motorcycle ride. For the last few years, it’s been branded and put on by Ron Henry, the founder of BLACKRAPID. This is part 3 of this year’s ride.

Waking up in Santa Barbara, we all hit the road looking for the curviest highways we could find. I took these images off-hand with an SLR camera slung on my shoulder, pointing backwards – using a BLACKRAPID sling (of course) to avoid dropping it on the pavement below. I love how these turned out. I love seeing the group hug the road on the curves, the gorgeous sky, and all the beautiful terrain we rode through.

Ron took us on a particular backroad that was mostly secluded. It was quite a pretty place to stop and take some photos.

I really like my pretty blue bike, and how the blue pops against different backgrounds. So at this stop I took a few angles of my ride. These kinds of images make great small prints for the house to look back on our adventures.

I always try to photographed the team now and then too. When the group would stop to talk for a minute, I’d swing my camera up and get these images.

At one point, I got out my drone for some group photos, but first took a test shot – a drone selfie (… a dronie perhaps?).

With the drone set up, I got some group shots with everyone standing by their bikes, and then looking down for the abstract angles on the bikes.

You can see Ron here looking up with his hands out.

We eventually hit a small town called Solvang. It’s a Danish inspired town with fun buildings and architecture. It’s a great place to stop, photograph, and perhaps stay a bit to enjoy the food and the ambiance. Everything about the town was quaint and lovely.

Our bikes looked especially good lined up in this cute town.

From there, we headed back to our hotels in Santa Barbara to eat, relax, and compare stories about the day. That night as we talked, we realized that various people needed to head in different directions, and this seemed to be the best place to split up.

So the next morning, before everyone took off, we went out to the Santa Barbara board walk. I got out my drone for an abstract shot looking down on us and our bikes. 

Ron was wearing his official BLACKRAPID Moto-Ride sweatshirt.

And of course one more shot with Ron before everyone headed out in their various directions.

And as different groups headed out, I got a shot of them each leaving, driving off down the boardwalk.

As Mike and I left, I got this image of him and Cade behind me. But before that, Mike, Cade, and I hung out a bit longer, figuring out a route home to Utah – avoiding freeways and focusing on curvy backroads. We found an outdoor breakfast place and ate as we planned and talked tings through. Then we headed out through some beautiful California country.

As we drove, Cade was our travel agent, checking routes, available gas stations and hotel options. Our route home through Death Valley and the Utah Salt Flats will be featured in the final Part 4 coming up.

And until next time, America.