Gabe Making A Custom Tattoo Machine

Part of the process that Gabe was doing for his custom tattoo machine was heating up the metal so it will absorb oil. This would prevent it from rusting later on. After heating up the metal for awhile he would then drop it in a can of transmission fluid. After it cooled he would inspect it and repeated the process to make sure it's all done right.

Cruising with Gabe

After I shot photos of his Dodge and him making tattoo machines we drove around to see a few people. Stopped by a guy's house that Gabe tattooed a Caddy on his arm. After that drove by Doug Dorr's house to see if he was home. I'll be shooting Doug's 58 Pontiac for a upcoming editorial this Wednesday. Look for some pics of that shoot when I get it done. After that we drove down to Sid's Tattoo Parlor in Santa Ana to meet Sid. Those guys got a stock full of killer customs that I'm trying to get shot for editorial also. Hopefully look for some shots from that crew.

Gabe's 47 Dodge Business Coupe

Was down at Gabe's shop on Saturday taking some shots of his 47 Dodge. While I was doing that he was busy making custom tattoo machines. I'll be posting some photos of that process later in the week.

Smiley Drawing My Tattoo

I set up a day to go shoot Smiley at his shop for his Joyrides Showcase feature. First I had to cancel on him that day, but then I called back to tell him I can make it. So I show up at his shop and Smiley is standing behind his counter. First thing he says to me "Jokes on you Bro." I thought at first he was canceling on me. But he says we're not shooting today. "I'm tattooing your neck." Turns out he and my wife conspired this set up and I ended getting tattooed by Smiley that night. So while he was drawing my tattoo up I snapped off a few pics.

Another Shot of Donnie's 63 Olds

If your interested in getting a cool paint job drop Donnie a email:
donnie@imperialcustoms.com

Check out his site to see other projects he's done:

http://www.imperialcustoms.com

Sean Massey's Old School Bobber

This is a shot of Sean Massey's bike. Although you can't tell from this angle but this bike is beautiful. Another amazing paint job by Taylor Schultz. There will be a photo gallery of this bike on my website soon.

Cool Website on Art and Events

Website that covers everything from Art shows to Tattoo shows.

www.tslarmor.com/news

Another Moment With Sally

Another shot of Sally that I took one night at Top Shelf Customs. Sally is sitting on Barry's bike he built awhile back for himself. It's been featured in several mags domestic and abroad.

Adam Wright-Photographer

One of my favorite photographers. Guy does amazing stuff. Check out his blog. He also puts out Road Course magazine.

http://roadcoursemagazinetypething.blogspot.com/

Photo: Adam Wright

CHURCH OF CHOPPERS

Want to see bitchin shit on choppers. These guys know their shit. Check em out.
http://www.churchofchoppers.blogspot.com/

THE PROGRESSION OF THE FAT BOY

Here are pictures of my 97 Fat Boy and the paint progression it took. I bought the bike brand new in 97 from Westminster Harley and have invested some serious dough into it. I started out like every new Harley owner and started to bolt on every Harley chrome part they offered. After a few years of riding it around it clicked into my head and realized my Harley is not unique at all. It just blended in with the crowd where ever I went. So I wanted to completely do a revamp of it and started looking at what I could do. At about this time I ran into Barry Lacour when he worked for Performace Machine and I knew what I needed to do. He ordered all my parts and I had a shop in Redondo Beach install it. Turns out that guy didn't know what he was doing and I ended up having it redone all over again. So that leads to the next chapter of the bike. I wanted to change up the color scheme on it and Barry had sent it to a paint shop in HB. The picture with the flames is what we got back. The bike was put together and lasted about a day or so before both Barry and I couldn't take it anymore. So I did some research and sent Barry a different color scheme and off it went to Taylor Schultz up North to get painted. Taylor nailed it and the bike looks awesome.

Custom Sportster

Shot this beautiful custom sportster over at Top Shelf Customs this weekend. Barry has it at the shop trying to sell it for a customer. Check it out on the Top Shelf Customs website for sale.

SHOOTING PICS AT CHOPPER DAVE'S

Went down to Chopper Dave's today to get some shots of his Panhead and Knucklehead. I will have them posted up in the "Chopper" section in my website gallery. The website is coming along. Slow, but worth the wait. I will have all new pics in every section so you won't be looking at the same old thing. Hang tight. It's coming. Thanks again Dave for me letting hang out. Enjoyed your pics. Way more interesting to look at than my stuff. If you ever need a helping hand with those kind of shots you got my cell number!!!!

NELSON KANNO

Here's a photo I shot of Nelson a couple weeks back now. Kick starting his knuckle that he said hasn't been started in awhile. So he fired it up while I was getting some shots of it. He's wearing one of his favorite work shirt that he's had for a very long time now he said. Even with holes in the pockets he still wears it proudly.

Joyrides Art Co. Photoshoot

When we first did the photoshoot with Smiley for Saints & Sinners we also asked if Denise would model our wifebeater. She did and we got some great shots of her. My wife, Liz, did the make up and her cousin, Melinda Audiss, did her hair. Melinda has done all the hairstyling for my shoots. If you need a stylist let us know and we'll hook you up.

DENVER DAN AND HIS TOYS

Bikes, Guns and Pabst Blue Ribbon, makes Dan a happy man.

07 TSC

My bike that Barry Lacour from Top Shelf Customs built for me. I had the air cleaner engraved (by Tay Herrera) to match a tattoo I have. Fun bike to motor around on. Shot this photo in the alley by House of Hayden's in Long Beach over the weekend. Look for more shots from this shoot on the updated joyrides website soon to be up.

HERE COMES PAC MAN, HOLMES

Pac Man was over at Smiley's house Saturday night doing some pin striping. We were hanging out having a few beers watching Pac Man lay down some smooth lines on Smiley's tool box. After that they were headed off to go see Long Beach All Day.

THE 64 and the 50

My 50 Ford Custom

Went out early Sunday morning to shoot some pics of my Ford. This is out in Long Beach.

Donnie Baird-63 Olds

I shot a few pictures of Donnie's 63 Olds today while I was at his shop. It was high noon so I knew the photos weren't going to be in good light. His car has been featured in several mags and deservidly so. This thing is a rolling work of art. I look forward to taking some time and getting good photos of the car. One of my all time favorite cars. I can stare at it for hours.

Donnie Baird-Imperial Customs

Went down to Pacioma and did a mini photoshoot with Donnie Baird of Imperial Customs.

For those of you who don't know Donnie, he's one bad ass painter and a very cool guy.  I showed up at his shop and shot some photos of Donnie "sketching" out panel ideas for a customers buggy.  I plan on going back at each stage and shooting Donnie progress through the job.  We have other plans to shoot his awesome 63 Olds and his wife's 64 Thunderbird together some time next month.  It was pretty cool to hang out with Donnie and listen to all his stories of BMX riding, painting for Disney and getting a knock on his home door from the authorities for painting in his garage. 

Tree Experiment

I rented a tilt and shift lens one weekend and was experimenting around with it.  I took this shot of a tree across the street from my house.  It just finished raining and the clouds were just moving out.  Kinda cool and erry how the shot came out.

Morning Glory

Here's a shot from last years Mooneyes show.  I took this early that morning while walking up and down the aisles.

Dairy Queen

I shot this photo at the Mooneyes Xmas car show a few years back. I was walking around and saw this 54 parked in front of the dairy and snapped off a few shots.

Sally and Bad Idea

Sally with Al Raposo's Bad Idea Shovelhead.

DAVE'S SECRET WEAPON

Another shot of Chopper Dave's Secret Weapon bike. I'm going to try and make it over to his shop next week to get some more photos of his bikes.

CFL BUILT BY TOP SHELF CUSTOMS

CFL built by Barry Lacour and Al Raposo over at Top Shelf Customs.

ADAM WRIGHT-ROAD COURSE MAGS

Got Adam's magazines that he calls, Road Course. These mags are filled with amazing photography of guys like Jason Jessee, Shinya Kimura, Scott Craig, Max Schaaf and one mag dedicated to the art of Jeff Decker. I spotted these beauties on Nelson Kanno's coffee table and Nelson hooked me up with Adam. I was expecting 2 of them, but Adam hooked me up and sent me the one on Jeff Decker. Adam is currently working on the fourth one and I already can't wait to see what he got up his sleeve. It's guys like Adam that keep me inspired and shows how far I need to go to get to where I want to be. Keep up the good work Adam.

TOP SHELF CUSTOMS WEB SITE

Website I designed for Top Shelf Customs.  The first one I did.  Wanted to learn how to build websites so what better way to do it than just dig in and go for it.  Thank god it works.  I do the updates for it which is why it takes so long to get done.  Look for a added feature on the home page where it will link you to the bikes Top Shelf has for sale at the shop.  Check it out.

www.topshelfcustoms.com

ROCKING THE NEW JOYRIDES HAT

Liz sporting one of the new Joyrides Art Company flex fit hat.  I'm working on revamping the Joyrides website all week.  It will have a new Joyrides Showcase featuring Smiley from Saints & Sinners Tattoo, all new photos in the gallery and other new goodies to look at.  The Joyrides online store will be up and running also.  So if you like this hat it will be available to buy online soon.

COREY MILLER

Ran into Corey Miller and his wife Kat at the Ink & Iron show.  Nice to see that Corey is doing well.  I've known Corey for over 15 years back when he worked at Tattooland in Anaheim.  I got my first tattoo from him at his first shop, Optic Overdrive and have seen him move from a back room of a barber shop to his basement (this is where he got the name Six Feet Under) to his current shop in Upland, Six Feet Under.  He deserves all the success he's achieved because he's worked hard to get to where he's at.

Ink & Iron Show

Hung out at the Ink & Iron show this weekend.  Great to see and talk to some old friends as well as new ones.  The guys at Syndicate looked pretty busy on the ship cutting hair.  Tara got hooked up with Henry Powell from Six Feet Under and got a tattoo.  And Al was busy trying not to get attacked by the Long Beach Bear.

97 FAT BOY

My 97 fully custom HD Fat Boy.  I bought this brand new in 97 and dump a shit load of money into PM parts and others.  It's a pretty unique set up to where I have never seen one like it.  I just got it back from paint.  Barry LaCour from Top Shelf Customs sent it to Taylor Schultz to paint it.  I sent him the color scheme I wanted and like a true pro, he used his creative judgement and kicked ass on it.  If you need a killer paint job done call Taylor. Now the bike is for sale so  buy it!!!

NEW JOYRIDES PROMO CARDS

New Joyrides Art Company promo cards just got delivered today. I will have a stack out to grab from at the Syndicate Barber Shop booth at the Ink and Iron show in Long Beach tomorrow. Main photo is of Denver Dan and the photos on the back is Elizabeth, Chopper Dave's shop and Smiley from Saints & Sinners Tattoo shop.

CHOPPER DAVE DOING WHEELIES

On my second visit to Chopper Dave's shop to finish up the photoshoot with him for the Joyrides Showcase, he was out back doing wheelies on his "Secret Weapon".  

SAINTS & SINNERS T-SHIRT ART

Smiley called me one day and needed a logo for a t-shirt that he wanted to get printed up.  He was pretty clear on what he needed so I whipped this up for him in time to get printed and hand out for free to all his friends.  They were printed on black and white baseball jerseys and they came out bitchin.  He's supposed to get more printed up and I'm first in line to get my hands on one.

PHOTO BY BROOKE

Shot taken by my 9 year old daughter of me and my wife on a winter afternoon in Downtown L.A.

MERC

Photo I took of a Slammed Merc at the Mooneyes Xmas show a couple years back.

NEW JOYRIDES ART COMPANY STICKERS IN

The new Joyrides Art Company stickers just came in today.  We'll have some to pass out at the Long Beach Ink and Iron show.

LIZZY LATINA

My wife, Elizabeth, did a photoshoot while in Vegas during the the Viva show. She came back all dolled up and I didn't recognize her at first!! I took this picture of her in our hotel room before we went out with the crew. Damn I got one sexy little Latina.