“When I first joined LIRC, I was a stupid kid on a dirt bike without any real idea of what or why I was doing it outside of wanting to have fun and look cool. Now, I’m a slightly less stupid kid on a street bike who is part of a fantastic community, I’m still having fun, and I might even look cool doing it (depending on who you ask)! The knowledge, experience, humbling moments, and friendships are just a few of the things that I often find myself looking back on and feeling thankful. To everyone who makes the LIRC what it is, thank you.”
-Liam Berry
Vitals
First Name: Liam
Last Name: Berry
Bike Year: 2011
Make: Triumph
Model: Street Triple 675
Current Job: Welder
Home Town: Victoria
Thoughts
When did you get your first bike and what was it?
September 2017, 2007 Suzuki DRZ400SM
Why do you ride?
For fun! Riding is the only place that gives me a fully immersive experience where I can get out of my head, and focus on enjoying myself. The rewards of practicing are easily measurable, and I find that it is one of the most motivating factors for my recovery.
What motorbike related book, movie or show would you recommend to a friend?
Total Control Vol. 2, the many informative YouTube series available through channels such as Motorcyclist Magazine, Fort Nine, Brian_636 etc.
What does your dream bike look like?
My dream bike looks like several bikes! At the moment, that would be a DRZ400SM for off-road/supermoto, the street triple for corners, a 750/1000cc sport bike, and whatever else I can learn to build.
What’s your favourite route to ride these days?
Willis Point, Ross Durrance, Millstream Lake, Munn, and back towards home along Prospect when I’m feeling fresh. I’ll usually opt for a ride along Dallas Road/Beach drive, or an easy cruise in North Saanich when I’m looking for something else.
Earbuds in or out?
In! Always!
Worst accident?
March 2019, T-boned by an F150 coming out of a driveway. Still on the mend from that lovely encounter.
What place/route do you dream of riding?
The PCH and the Tail of the Dragon stand out the most at the moment.
What’s something unique to the motorcycling community?
The camaraderie, the appreciation for life and the experiences we’re given along the way, and how much fun we’re all having!
Aaron Ellie asks: If you could change one thing about the world (in relation to riding or otherwise), what would it be?
I would ask that people be more accepting of people’s goals and ambitions. Not everyone wants a Ferrari in the Hollywood Hills, and not everyone wants to hit the road without looking back. To carry the expectation that everyone should want what you want, or that they are wrong for not wanting that is selfish and naive.
What question would you like me to ask the next rider?
If you had nobody but yourself to answer to, what would you do and why?
Post Shoot Analysis
I came away from my time with Liam feeling better than ever with the results! With each new assignment I’m getting closer to the vision in my head. I’m seeking that commercial editorial feel, powerful images that strike a balance between subject and detail, interesting colors and compositions, most importantly a flow. I’m not there yet, not sure I will ever be there but I certainly feel like this was a step in the right direction.
The past few weeks I’ve been looking at countless other photographers websites for inspiration on design, marketing, SEO and ultimately to help me determine what direction I’d like to take my work in at this crossroad. I found a man by the name of Chad Kirkland who’s work certainly inspired me on this shoot. I must have gone back to his website and instagram 10 times over the course of a week to study what it is that makes his images sequences so appealing to me. The details he catches, like seeing the snowmobile loaded up on the truck THROUGH the cab of another truck tell the story so well.
I believe my preproduction needs to improve. We need to establish a storyline or theme going into the shoot and really work on sticking with it. I get distracted by cool light and backdrops all the time and while this makes for some nice shots I feel it detracts from the flow. It’s like a paragraph opening with “Once upon a time in a land far away…” and the next sentence reads, “Today, 30,000 new cases of Covid-19 virus emerged…. It’s just jarring.
It was a real pleasure getting to know and working with Liam. This time I enjoyed learning about the details from the film camera on his belt down to his #EverryDayCarry pocket knife, initialed ring and black storm-trooper looking riding attire. Liam selected all the locations used in this photo shoot and I think they fit really well with his urban style getup. After three hours of shooting we had gotten everything we needed just as the rain was really picking up. Wet and a bit chilled we rode over to a nearby Mexican joint for a couple bowls of taco soup together.
Thanks Liam for being part of the project. I’m totally taking you up on the offer to ride the Triumph, that was quite literally a “rain cheque”! See you at the next LIRC meetup.
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