Travel Photographer Motorcycle Touring Assignment and Stock Images
"Motorcyclists who visit (The Foothills Area of Eastern Tennessee and The Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina) often talk of the legendary two wheel roads that bear names like "Tail of the Dragon", "The Snake" and "Moonshiner 28". I’ve ridden all of them and have always been the first to say that they are all technically challenging but are hyped entirely way too much. Because of their notoriety amongst visitors they have all become way too crowded; unbearably so on the weekends in prime traveling season, and overly targeted by law enforcement to convert speeding violations into revenue for the local government. There are so many other outstanding roads in this area that no one seems to ever speak of. Maybe people are trying to keep them well-guarded secrets but I’m putting this one out there. Little River Gorge Road on the eastern Tennessee edge of Great Smoky Mountain Park, between Townsend and Gatlinburg, Tennessee is one of the world’s great motorcycle roads. It is every bit as technically challenging as any road I’ve ever ridden and has the added difficulty factor of being distractingly scenic as its pavement follows the sharp contours and flowing waters of the beautiful Little River Gorge. I talk a great deal more about this in my Amazon #1 best selling road travel book, "Roadwork: Images and Insights of a Modern Day Explorer" (Available in paperback and Kindle versions on Amazon and also available on Apple Books). It sums up one of the beliefs I hold, and practice every time I wind up behind the handlebars of my motorcycles). Explore! Some roads have garnered legendary status in the motorcycling community…most of them deservedly so, for their technical challenge, scenic beauty or both. The problem, however, is that they soon become tourists traps plagued with high traffic volume and overzealous law enforcement activity. While many motorcyclists will make trips to these legendary roads the focus of their vacations, I try to steer clear of them, as much as possible, for obvious reasons. I prefer to explore the roads less traveled and often find those that are true unspoiled gems. Pictured here is my BMW motorcycle on the side of Little River Gorge Road just north of Townsend, Tennessee. The road weaves through the forests of Great Smoky National Park in The Foothills of Eastern Tennessee and ultimately ends in the tourist Mecca of Gatlinburg…home to Dollywood and hundreds of other tourist attractions. The popularity of this destination has exploded and has resulted in major thoroughfares being built to usher the vacationers expediently to their desired haunts; leaving roads like this one lightly traveled. Now that’s progress in my book! Put all the vacationers in their minivans out on the super highways and leave these back road gems to the two-wheelers that will thoroughly enjoy them! This photograph was captured using a Nikon mirrorless camera fitted with a Nikkor zoom lens. The camera was mounted on a Peak Design lightweight travel tripod; perfect for carrying along on a touring motorcycle, where space is at a premium. A long shutter speed was used to create the flowing water effect in the stream running alongside this wonderful byway. As a photographer, author, writer, Moto-journalist and adventurer I always have a camera at hand and always am prepared to pull over, stop, enjoy and capture the scenes I discover during my journeys. Many of my favorite photographic images from my travels can be seen right here on my web site. I have volumes of other stock photographs from my adventures across the United States and Canada and, of course, am available for assignment at any time. I’m always looking for an excuse to climb into the saddle of my BMW motorcycle and head out to capture, on film and in words, all that this great land has to offer.