Client / Buell Motorcycle Company
Product / Brochure Shoot
Website / www.buell.com
During a shoot for the Buell Motorcycle Company (Owned by Harley-Davidson at the time) we had arranged to shoot at Sycamore cove on the Pacific Coast. All the necessary permits had been obtained and a great deal of planning and preparation had been put into us shooting at the required location. One thing that was totally beyond our control was the weather and as the ‘June Gloom’ set in for the day as the thick layer of sea mist refused to budge, at lunchtime the art director made the decision to abandon Sycamore cove and head for another location.
We made our way up towards Big Bear with the knowledge that the authorities who constantly patrol the Pacific Coast Highway on the lookout for unauthorised filming and photography would not be so likely to venture up to Big Bear. As we gained altitude, the mist got thicker and thicker making driving at anything more than around 10mph extremely hazardous, then, just as we were about to abandon all hope, we popped through the cloud and were greeted with the phenomenal vista akin to being in an aeroplane.
All that we needed to do was get the bike in position which we did with some skilful riding and a considerable amount of brute force – and wait for the sun to drop towards the horizon. A small amount of remotely controlled flash filled in the shadows on the bike and job done, turning a potentially disastrous day into a productive one.
In spite of this shot not being part of the brief, it was used as part of the client’s global advertising campaign.
