Off Road Photography

When I was sixteen years old I found out that I would never be able to drive due to my poor eye sight. I was sad because I had been looking forward to driving and buying a car so badly. I felt discouraged and trapped but then came a cross another way to get around.

 It was hard for me to see all of my friends getting their licensees and driving around but I  was lucky enough to have been with my boyfriend Justin back then. He was nice enough to bring me to the places I needed and wanted to go. (he still does actually). I remember the day when he showed me his dirt bike in his backyard I asked if I could ride it. He was hesitant at first but ended up teaching me how to ride and I loved it.

Thanks Daddy! June 2002

My dad is an amazing guy he has always tried giving me all I have ever wanted in life. I called him one day and asked if he would lend me the money to buy a dirt bike and I would pay him back. I was too young at the time for a loan and he agreed. I got the bike I really wanted a Yamaha TTR 250. It was white, blue and in my opinion beautiful. I made sure to take a picture of me and my dad with the bike so that I could remember how happy I was.

Justin, West Meadows. Wb Mass 2006

Justin and I would ride everywhere train tracks, sand dunes and so many other exciting places. I would make sure to bring my camera because there was no telling what awesome things we would find. In the middle of nowhere we found the frame of an old dirk bike  that had been stripped of all its parts. Justin was wearing a yellow sweatshirt that day that matched the paint job on that bike. So I asked him to hop on the bike so that  I could take his picture. I  really like that picture because at first you may think hes  riding the bike but look closer and you'll see that the bike has been stripped.

When winter came around Justin would put screws into our tires so that we could ride in the snow. We rented a cabin in Maine with some friends one time and road for hours down the trails behind the place. There was also a giant frozen pond right outside our backdoor. We had the crazy idea to tie a snow tube on a rope and tow it with our bikes. We road on the ice while towing someone on the tube. I had such a great time while being towed but when we would rode along the shore near the I felt like a giant toy for a bear or mountain lion.  I took a picture while on the tube it is of Justin's back on his bike and you can see the rope that was pulling me.

Me in our back woods. Jan 200

We took an early morning bike ride one time down the train tracks next to where I live and I packed breakfast for us too. I brought a Camping Cook Set that had a little pan and everything we needed to make a little fire to cook the food I had brought for breakfast. I found a big flat rock that was perfect and safe to make a little fire on top of.  It was winter at the time so we had to clear away the snow. I had an  idea to have my picture taken next to our pot of coffee that was boiling. I used the newspaper I had brought to start the fire I held it upside down while I leaned against the rock. Then I acted like I was reading the paper (which for me is pretty much impossible). I think its funny when you notice that the paper is upside down and that we are randomly having coffee in the woods.

Me. May 2010

When I was pregnant I decided o sell my bike to my brother Jon. It was hard for me to let go but I was making way for my new baby, Lily. I thought that I should sell it and use the money to prepare for her. I was glad to of sold it to my brother because I can see now how happy he is to have it. He also lets me and Justin ride it whenever we want. I asked Justin to take my picture while I was riding. I wasn't dressed to be riding at all that day because it was a spontaneous ride in our back yard and I have my "mom" clothes on in the picture . I also took a picture of Justin on  the bike while holding Lily. The bike was parked we would never ride with a baby we are not  crazy.

Justin & Lily May 2010

I'm glad I brought my camera on all those trips because now I can look back on them and remember all the good times we had on our bikes. I may get another bike one day and maybe one for Lily too. Ill be sure to bring a camera along for those times too so that she'll be able to look back on the good times she will have.

(All of these pictures were taken with a Nikon Coolpix S4000 )