Member Contributer Dutchy Posted March 16, 2016 Member Contributer Posted March 16, 2016 hahahaha as cold as Hilary.... Choices choices.... at least she has a soul (from our euro-trash perspective!) I see you have not watermarked all your pictures here; so are you OK if some not watermarked one are posted on other MC forums? For they are amazing for sure! J-Lo "the Maid"????? did you run in a little 'misunderstanding' with one? (like euro-trash S K?) Quote
Sweeper Posted March 16, 2016 Posted March 16, 2016 Two questions... Hilary has a soul? You are a sock? I have this much fun in my head when I travel but it doesn't come out as well as yours. Nice work. Quote
BrianF Posted March 16, 2016 Author Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) Two questions... Hilary has a soul? You are a sock? I have this much fun in my head when I travel but it doesn't come out as well as yours. Nice work. Lol more of a tube sock if ya know what I mean. hahahaha as cold as Hilary.... Choices choices.... at least she has a soul (from our euro-trash perspective!) I see you have not watermarked all your pictures here; so are you OK if some not watermarked one are posted on other MC forums? For they are amazing for sure! J-Lo "the Maid"????? did you run in a little 'misunderstanding' with one? (like euro-trash S K?) "Maid in Mexican Hat" maybe. Although that seems a little racially-slanted. (P.C. Police don't get your panties in a bunch - I rode through the town of Mexican Hat, UT on Day 4) As for watermarks and usage, sure, do whatever with them. I use these reports as publicity/demonstration for my photography business. Any publicity is good publicity! Oh and as always, my one serious moment: thank you for the compliments and kind words. Edited March 16, 2016 by BrianF Quote
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted March 18, 2016 Member Contributer Posted March 18, 2016 Out-rockin'-standing! There is simply no other like you. Luck us. Quote
BrianF Posted March 21, 2016 Author Posted March 21, 2016 Day 5 Up at 5am to catch sunrise. Pack, hop on bike, turn key…dead. Pull battery, take in bathroom to hit it with the hand dryer. Great. Electrons warmed sufficiently, a bump start and we’re off. Can I please own a 6th gen for like 5 minutes without it breaking???? Goodbye Shorai – which sounds a lot like a 60’s song title. The net was money spent and weight gained – which sounds a lot like marriage. Out of Flagstaff to the underwhelming Sunset Crater. Though not as underwhelming as my experience with marriage. No idea why this is a National Monument. National Grassland would’ve been more appropriate. Or National Who-Gives-A-Shit. Decided to abandon the route plan I didn’t have and head to Monument Valley. This isn’t Monument Valley. I know when that hotline bling……that can only mean one thing. I got obsessed with sunbursts on this trip. Apologies to all the purists out there…now go listen to some 8-tracks or something. Random marmot photo because I can! And now back to your regularly scheduled f/22 diffraction. #fancyphotographywords No idea what this lady was up to. Maybe she was a Rossi fan who suddenly realized he’s a has-been? This is a sunset in Monument Valley. You’re on the internet. The sky is blue. Etc. Honorable mention to the guy at a gas station who said “it looks like your stuff sack is giving birth to a sleeping bag.” It’s a boy! This should calm the photography purists a bit. I guess I don’t have the hipster gene - though it would be mighty skinny if I did. Camp set up, $1 pizza eaten, and off to stand in the middle of a below-freezing highway. Amazing I don’t get thrown in a mental institution. Especially when you see me doing the ghost dance while holding two flashlights. Shoulda taken two mushrooms instead. Blue Shadows on the Trail. Then back to camp for the usual: photos, Fireball, hating my loud neighbors, etc. Thanks to the howling overnight wind for covering everything I own in red dust! MAP We're only half way...more to come. Quote
Member Contributer EhViffer Posted March 21, 2016 Member Contributer Posted March 21, 2016 Really great job on this trip report again Brian and return of the marmots too! Quote
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted March 22, 2016 Member Contributer Posted March 22, 2016 Wow - the phenomenal pics just keep coming! Maybe the vacant road in Monument Valley is a function of winter riding. When I was there it was non-stop cars and motorhomes. Looking forward for more installments! Cheers Quote
BrianF Posted March 22, 2016 Author Posted March 22, 2016 (edited) Wow - the phenomenal pics just keep coming! Maybe the vacant road in Monument Valley is a function of winter riding. When I was there it was non-stop cars and motorhomes. Looking forward for more installments! Cheers Yeah, maybe. I've never been there in the busy season so I'm not sure. Going after dark and pre-sunrise really helped - plenty of traffic free shots. As any famous place though, if you're patient enough there will almost always be a moment where magically there is no one. I spent about 5 hours total in that spot between sunset/night/morning. Edited March 22, 2016 by BrianF Quote
jerritt Posted March 22, 2016 Posted March 22, 2016 Great job looks like you had a lot of time to yourself. I think you should mount dual sport tires on your bike you seem to spend as much time off road as on Quote
BrianF Posted March 23, 2016 Author Posted March 23, 2016 Day 6 The only thing I hate more than other photographers is other photographers who want to chit-chat. This one didn’t even look at me. Perfect. I’d hoped for an epic sunrise. I’d also hoped I'd be successful and rich by 30. Needless to say, neither has panned out. That cloud looks just like a tuft of Greek God hair. Remember those mushrooms I was talking about? This was a day that started perfectly and went straight downhill from there. Sort of like most of my relationships. Oh mother tell your children, not to do what I have done…spend your lives in sin and misery… BTW a special shoutout to the a--hole who stole my camera battery and charger from a bathroom outlet – I hope you step on a tack. Or a landmine. Consequently the number of photos per day will drop quite a bit – just like the temperature did when this front rolled in. Off through the brutal, freezing crosswind to find a horrible gas station burrito. Oh the glamour of the road. My mom adores Canyon de Chelly, and I’d never been. I stopped by. I’ll be having a word with her about travel recommendations. Just kidding – the Not-So-Grand Canyon isn’t that bad. And the gas I got from that burrito also “wasn’t that bad.” More miserable crosswinds to Petrified Forest. I was getting really pissed at this point – it was utterly miserable. Look at that tree! The bike is parked that way because when I parked it leaned into the wind, it lifted off the sidestand. Instant panic attack. It really was beautiful though – I was just too irritated to enjoy it. Sort of like watching Beyonce in concert. To top it all off, I even got gum on my footpeg. And yes, that’s “gum” with a G, weirdos. I don’t like the VFR that much. A log dropped over a creek and petrified. 225 million years later I dropped a log in the visitor center. All is right in the universe. When you’re down to two camera batteries, only take pictures of the important things. You know, like, your helmet. Leaning into the wind for my usual shoutout to Patrice in Finance who makes everyone wear purple on Wednesdays. Sizzurp! All joking aside, Petrified Forest was really cool. It was just too cold and windy for me to care. Remember that epic sunrise I’d hoped for? It saved its energy for the set. Somewhere over that horizon is a hotel room with a hot shower and a bed. I’m traveling like the 1%! I just had a hunch that the sunset was worth waiting for – so I adjusted the chain while parked on the side of the road. It delivered. But not in 30 minutes or less so it was free. I definitely didn’t get distracted by the sunset and ride to the hotel with the pinch bolt not tightened. No way. Not me. This was the best sunset I’ve ever seen, hands down. Hands up, don’t shoot! #sunsetlivesmatter It was like an orgy with the Victoria’s Secret Angels – unreal in every direction, and impossible to capture with a camera. Or so I’ve never imagined. Anyway, this has dragged on long enough. A parting shot: MAP Despite your hoping otherwise, there’s still much more to come. Quote
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted March 23, 2016 Member Contributer Posted March 23, 2016 You Animal you!!! Quote
Sweeper Posted March 24, 2016 Posted March 24, 2016 I bet the wind was hell with that sail you had on the back unless you are accustomed to riding with the big pillion's. Quote
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted March 24, 2016 Member Contributer Posted March 24, 2016 The 2016 VFRD calendar could be made from only these photos - no need for anyone to submit anything else! Well done! Quote
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted March 24, 2016 Member Contributer Posted March 24, 2016 Jaw-dropping. And side splitting. I salute your Talent. Quote
VFRMike639 Posted March 28, 2016 Posted March 28, 2016 BrianF - always enjoy reviewing your posts and looking at your photos. I have had a few questions over the years, but never asked. Thanks for answering my first question: Canon 6d, 24-105 f/4L. I noticed your water mark in the lower corner, so I assume you have take enough photos and good enough to get paid for them. I was wondering if your full time job is photography? Or is this a side project? Also, how much time do you spend in photo editing software? Such as in your photos in the album Turkey day runaway II. If it is not a trade secret, what software do you use? Or if it is, which inexpensive software package would you recommend? And I assume you shoot in raw format? Thanks Quote
Member Contributer Mikey Posted March 28, 2016 Member Contributer Posted March 28, 2016 Excellent photography and an awesome trip. I see some Ghost Rider photo opportunities out there. Quote
BrianF Posted March 28, 2016 Author Posted March 28, 2016 BrianF - always enjoy reviewing your posts and looking at your photos. I have had a few questions over the years, but never asked. Thanks for answering my first question: Canon 6d, 24-105 f/4L. I noticed your water mark in the lower corner, so I assume you have take enough photos and good enough to get paid for them. I was wondering if your full time job is photography? Or is this a side project? Also, how much time do you spend in photo editing software? Such as in your photos in the album Turkey day runaway II. If it is not a trade secret, what software do you use? Or if it is, which inexpensive software package would you recommend? And I assume you shoot in raw format? Thanks Thanks Mike. I'll PM you in regard to the technical stuff - don't want to clutter this with photography discussion. Also everybody please hang tight on the posts for the last days of the trip. Out of town for pretty much the next week so no time to edit/post. Quote
BrianF Posted April 6, 2016 Author Posted April 6, 2016 Day 7 On the 6th day, I awoke in a Motel 6. There were no drugs, dead hookers, or exotic animals in my room so I hightailed it. It was not warm. I didn’t care about the temperature though, because I found US60. It was better than drugs or hookers. Not that I’d know. No idea what the name of this giant canyon is, but it was quite enjoyable. More ex-girlfriend material… You never expect the spilled paint on a road to still be wet – but this was. Cue correspondingly big wobble. You carved a turkey, I carved corners. Advantage: Brian. I didn’t even have to deal with your drunk, slightly racist aunt. Sebastiao Salgado is my favorite photographer. Sometimes I try to imitate him. Hey, it never hurts to try. “I’m Top Chef, you Top Ramen…all I see is strange clouds.” When you look up “sweeper” in the dictionary, here’s what you find. When you look up "dipshit" you'll find... I really should’ve bought these. They’re more real than the lashes on a lot of the hookers girls I know. Should I feel bad that I’m writing this whole ride report at the office? No? Okay good. Stickin’ it to The Man! In Oracle my progress was slowed dramatically by a huge car accident and a life flight helicopter. How dare they get in my way! I ate McDonald’s in Tucson, then jetted up the Mt. Lemmon highway. I’ll let you guess which I enjoyed more. Although if someone catches me writing a ride report at work, I might end up working at McDonald’s. Yes, it’s that good. Mt Lemmon, not McDonald’s. I cast a very imposing shadow. That’s about thing only thing imposing about me. I think I’ve seen this exact photo on a religious pamphlet. They’re perfect for starting bonfires, by the way. Joke time: Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field HAHAHA More sunburst action. Pause for purists to clean vomit off their screens. Up next: more HDR! Golden Hour > Golden Shower I’d make an R. Kelly joke here, but that’s a dated reference. Maybe I’ll ask Bill Cosby for a drink instead? Random fact: The US Handball Association Hall-of-Fame is in Tucson. Eat that Canton and Cooperstown. This is a sunset over Tucson. These captions sure are creative today. And then it was off to find the worst Thanksgiving dinner on earth. 100% success. Look for this in your local grocer’s frozen foods section. I would’ve been better off eating at the homeless shelter. When you return to your campsite, don’t smoke a bowl and eat half of a cherry pie. You’ll regret it. I sure didn’t. I'm sure I was missed at my family Thanksgiving. Hopefully they poured out a little White Zinfandel for me. MAP: Alarmingly, there's still more to come. Quote
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted April 6, 2016 Member Contributer Posted April 6, 2016 Never has self wry deprecation been so funny. Let me pick myself up off the floor before the (hopefully) next installment. Quote
The Phantom Posted April 7, 2016 Posted April 7, 2016 Amazing photos and terrific prose. Thanks for again sharing the journey. I really have to see the US at some point, you guys have some of the most incredible landscapes on the planet. Quote
atx Posted April 7, 2016 Posted April 7, 2016 Should I feel bad that I’m writing this whole ride report at the office? No? Okay good. Stickin’ it to The Man! Shit no, i eat food at my desk and hit the gym on my paid lunch break. I consider myself a professional athlete since i am getting money for it. Quote
Member Contributer crazybrother Posted April 7, 2016 Member Contributer Posted April 7, 2016 Hey, I just saw these... Great pic's. I saw two Mt. Dew but no Taco Bell... WTF, get your feces coagulated... Quote
BrianF Posted April 7, 2016 Author Posted April 7, 2016 Hey, I just saw these... Great pic's. I saw two Mt. Dew but no Taco Bell... WTF, get your feces coagulated... Lol I'm gradually turning from young jedi to old crazybro. I used to not drink soda or eat fast food at all. Progress! Quote
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