Ron Cain
I was looking for someone to photograph a vintage motorcycle I had recently restored and John Black came highly recommended by several of my wife’s friends who have worked with him in the past. I wasn’t sure what I wanted other than it be “striking” and not just another bike-sitting-in-the-driveway shot. That wasn’t much for John to work with but he was patient enough and after several conversations, we decided on a studio shoot. When we got there, John was already set up and ready to get to work. My job was to position the bike in various poses and he did everything else. We spent a little over an hour trying different angles and perspectives. By the time I got home, the proofs were in my email inbox. I spent a day or so looking at them and getting other peoples’ opinions. It was hard – they were all so good. In the end, we chose six. I contacted John to let him know which ones we wanted and by the end of the day, he had them all finished and ready for me. Feedback on the results has been overwhelming. Even folks who know nothing about motorcycles - let alone vintage bikes, are amazed at the standout quality and how the bike is presented. All of the finals are so good, I offered to make prints for three of the people who helped me with the restoration and all four of us ended up selecting different ones. I wanted “striking” and I got it. This was my first time working with John, but it won’t be the last.
