Michael Kasianchuk Photography

The Road Home

2009-08-18T12:49:00.003-04:00

Ok So I am really behind writing here. Pretty much I blasted back from San Francisco in about a week and a half. Running low on money and spirit, I really wanted to get home. Someday I would like to return to Yellowstone and head north to the Canadian Rockies as well. Here is just dump of some of the pictures I took on my way back.

So I headed east to Minnesota to visit some family, and had a great night out with my cousin. Next I went to Milwaukee to visit a friend from home who just moved there, and saw the Harley Davidson Museum. Pretty cool. After that it was interstate blasting. My last day I rode 730 miles home from Toledo Ohio. This trip was amazing and life changing and I can't wait to do it again! haha

Pacifica CA

2009-07-25T22:00:00.003-04:00

I've been in Pacifica for a week, mainly relaxing and exploring San Francisco with Kim. I've been really bad about taking pictures, and I bought a disposable camera which has been my photo outlet. Digital picture taking will resume when I depart tomorrow heading East! I plan on taking between two and three weeks to get back to Boston. While I was here I got some new shoes for the bike, watched alot of tour de france, and had tons of fun. As much fun as California is, I definately wont be missing the 9.5% sales tax, or the insane traffic. (Though legal lane splitting is the best thing ever, and also the scariest). Oh also, the house I stayed at had 6 chickens and we had eggs every morning!

Yosemite

2009-07-21T22:19:00.001-04:00

Kyle fixing my computer

2009-07-21T22:18:00.001-04:00

NorCal

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MotoGP Laguna Seca

2009-07-21T22:13:00.001-04:00

Day 16 - Zion Utah (6/29/09)

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Day 15 - Grand Canyon South Rim (6/28/09)

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Day 13 - Prescott AZ (6/26/09)

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Day 12 - Show Low AZ to Prescott AZ

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Day after birthday

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My new camping partner.

2009-07-12T23:17:00.000-04:00

I can't pet him cause he's covered in ticks, and I think he's blind in
one eye. He's cool though. Klamath Falls OR. Back to California
tomorrow.

iPhone pics

2009-07-09T19:19:00.000-04:00

Only iPhone pics for the next week or so. Roaming around Northern
California.

cranky computer!

2009-07-03T12:23:00.001-04:00

Oh no! My computer crashed. No picture posts for a while. Fortunately all my pictures to date have just been backed up. I'm in Santa Barbara now and I'm gonna take my computer to the Apple store in SF on Monday.

Day 11: Santa Fe NM to Show Low NM

2009-06-25T00:37:00.001-04:00

Back on the road! Great riding today. Almost all on smaller highways (which of course out here have 65mph limits!). Great sites, no traffic, and not too hot. And I even avoided all the rain!

Prescott tomorrow to visit Scott!

Day 10: Santa Fe and Pecos NM

2009-06-25T00:35:00.002-04:00

Decided to stay an extra night in Santa Fe and explore the area. Met a cool guy named Mark on a WeeStrom. He's doing a similar trip with no really deadline. He is a chef between jobs. Might meet up with him later in California.

Went to some Pueblo Ruins in Pecos. There was some nice riding in the area as well. I had heard going up to Taos was really nice but I didnt get the chance.

Got a burrito for lunch and ate it by this river.

Fixed gear in New Mexico haha!

Day 9: Elk City OK to Santa Fe NM

2009-06-25T00:32:00.002-04:00

Not much to say. Long ride from OK to Santa Fe. Scenery was intense!
Hi guys!

Don't Mess With Texas

Unless you're a tornado.

Largest Cross in the western hemisphere.

FLAT.

Day 8: Morrilton AR to Elk City OK

2009-06-25T00:31:00.000-04:00

No pics again today. I blasted 415 miles on I-40 in a desperate attempt to get out of the heat. It didn't work, but I got closer to New Mexico which is only in the low 80s. I broke down and got a cheap motel room here and boy was it worth it. I did manage to lose my main set of keys at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere, I'm using my spares, and I'm gonna try and stop into a Honda dealer to maybe get another spare when I have some more time in Arizona. There is a Honda dealer across from this motel but they don't open till 9am tomorrow and I want to get an extra early start again. It makes the first 2-3 hours of riding bearable. Santa Fe tomorrow!

Day 7: Parsons TN to Morrilton AR

2009-06-25T00:30:00.000-04:00

It's still hot!!!!!! Today I got up early to try and beat the heat, and I just blasted on I-40 all day for about 340 miles. Got into a KOA at 230 and I'm just hanging out in the store on my computer. (AC in here). Didn't take any pictures cause it was just interstate. Had to take extra pit stops to hydrate! Its about 96 Degrees here and I think I'm gonna have to do the same thing tomorrow. Not much to see in Arkansas and Oklahoma anyway right?

Day 6: Tellico Plains TN to Parsons TN

2009-06-25T00:27:00.001-04:00

ITS HOT! Heat wave in the south! This yankee can barely take it. I got some BBQ in Lynchburg and it was OK. I've actually had better in Boston! (Blue Ribbon BBQ - Arlington MA It's amazing!)

Stopped in for the tour, and it was great. Had a great guide who was really entertaining.

Wasn't allowed to take this picture but I did anyway. I want to live in this building. Smelled amazing!

Felt terrible when I finally arrived at Mousetail Landing State Park in TN. Pretty much just set up, showered, and passed out for the night.

Day 5: Oak Ridge NC to Tellico Plains TN

2009-06-25T00:25:00.000-04:00

Road the end of the BRP and got some amazing views.

As soon as I came down off the parkway a huge thunderstorm rolled in and I had to take a break at a Post Office cause I thought I was going to be blown straight off the road!

After the storm I followed a river for a while and there were people rafting and kayaking through the fog on the river.

Stayed at Hunt's Lodge in Tellico Plains TN. Can't say enough good things about this place! Best campsite I've been to, and its motorcycles and bicycles only! Great people running this place, if anyone is in the area stay here! They have cabin's with AC too. Free coffee and laundry.

Day 3

2009-06-17T12:22:00.003-04:00

Rain! Rode from Staunton Virginia to my Uncle and Aunt's house in Oak Ridge NC. I'm glad I only had about 185 miles to ride today because it was pouring rain almost the entire time. I had originally planned to ride about 100 miles of Skyline drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway but when I saw the view of the parkway in the picture below, I decided it would be safer to just blast on the highway. I'm glad I didnt get caught in the rain in wind up at 3000 feet!

It was my Uncle's birthday as well so We went out to dinner and had some birthday cake! When my Aunt asked "Do you want to cut the cake and make a wish?" my Uncle replied "What do I have to wish for? I already have you!"

I'm staying an extra night here in NC because its going to be nothing but rain tomorrow. So I'll be heading to Tennessee on Thursday.

Day 2

2009-06-17T12:20:00.002-04:00

Got into my site really late last night after dark due the the late departure from Massachusetts. Spent the night in the Delaware water gap right near the borders of NJ, Pennsylvania, and NY. Rode 375 miles down to Virginia and took part of Skyline drive which was beautiful. Wish I had time to ride more of it but I had to put down some miles before dark.

Bye New England!

2009-06-17T12:16:00.003-04:00

Heading to California. See ya later!

You can see my home made tent pole holders attached to the inside of my saddlebags (pvc pipes). If you see the back of this motorcycle somewhere in the country, say hi!

The Bikeriders, Danny Lyon

2009-04-03T19:49:00.001-04:00

More Daytona 2K9

2009-03-30T16:48:00.001-04:00

More bad scans.

Daytona 2K9

2009-03-19T22:13:00.002-04:00

Crappy scans, more to come.

Ice Racing Lake Champlain VT

2009-02-21T23:50:00.002-05:00

Chris (HatedoftheWorld)

2009-02-09T21:09:00.003-05:00

Today I visited Chris at his workspace in Boston. He is in the process of building an awesome Triumph chopper. Check out his blog @ www.hatedoftheworld.com

Winter Storage

2009-02-09T21:03:00.003-05:00

Last week was slow as far as available events and models, so I visited my father and photographed the bikes stored for the winter in his basement, as well as his workspace. All the bikes are his except the 748.

2 More Expo Pics

2009-02-09T21:01:00.003-05:00

The Blog is Back!

2009-01-26T17:54:00.009-05:00

I decided to resurrect my blog to help with a new project I am working on. I am going to start focusing on photographing motorcycle culture. I have been riding for a long time, and I decided I would like to combine my two passions. To get the project kick started, I visited the NYC Motorcycle Expo. Below are some images from the show. This blog will hopefully be a place for me to post new work on the fly, as well as share work with people who are interested in being photographed, or who I have already worked with. Since Winter in Boston is hard on motorcyclists, I will be focusing on ice racing, polar bear rides, and bike builders for the next few months. I am already scheduled to visit Daytona for Bike Week, and I am planning a 2 month cross country trip this summer, with a focus on motorcycle racing and rallies. If you would like to be photographed, or you know of any motorcycle events in New England, feel free to contact me at Michael@Kasianchuk.com. Also check out my website for some of my other non-motorcycle related work. www.Kasianchuk.com

New England Survey @ PRC Boston

2008-04-08T21:08:00.006-04:00

This exhibition surveys contemporary work from, of, and about the New England landscape, featuring one artist from (or project based in) each of the 6 New England states: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. The photographers/projects include Barbara Bosworth, Jonathan Sharlin, Tanja Alexia Hollander, Janet L. Pritchard, Thad Russell, and Paul Taylor. New England Survey serves as an occasion and a location in which we can meditate upon on the grander, ineffable “sense of place” unique to this area.

Barbara Bosworth, famous for her "Trees: National Champions" series, continues her work with the 8x10 view camera. She continues with this work in color however, and the work begs to ask why she hasn't always been shooting color! The new series is titled "Meadow, Carlisle, Massachusetts." The work is printed extraordinarily well at 40"x50". I especially like the way each print has a different color palette. It really feels like the color pallette of the image is different and not just the color cast. The photographs show the cycle of a specific meadow in Massachusetts.

Tanja Alexia Hollander joins the exhibition to represent Maine. Hollander uses a spur of the moment method of shooting, setting her focus on infinity and shooting from the hip. While the photographs are enticing and beautiful, as a local New Englander I find it hard to identify with Hollanders representation of the Maine landscape. All of the photographs exhibited are flat, drab, and full of fog. It makes you wonder why Maine is full of nothing but reeds and bogs. Where is the rocky Maine coast and endless forest? While the photographs are quite interesting, they don't work as well in survey of Maine.

Janet L. Pritchard's work focuses on the historical nature of man's interaction with the New England landscape, and the marks he has left behind. Sometimes it seems like the New England woods are litered with history. Behind every tree are the remains of a farmers handmade wall, each stone pulled from his field so he could provide for his family. It actually makes you wonder why settlers were stupid enough to try and farm land chock full of rocks. Every New Englander has at one time or another come across history in their own backyard, and Pritchard's work is about just that. She combines Polaroid Type 55 negatives with digital processes and samples the tones of traditional tintypes to create a process all her own. The reference to 19th century photography is more interesting than the melding of traditional and digital processes. This work may have been even more effective if it was made from wet collodion negatives. It would have been hard to view this work as a contact printed alternative process such as platinum/palladium because the small size would have limited the viewing of the work.

Thad Russell created work in the wake of his Mother's death caused by cancer. He split his time between his home in Providence and his parent's home in northern Vermont. The work is interesting, but seems very personal. The statement talks about the work in regards to his parents "off the grid" lifestyle of living with the land, but the information about Russell's mother is like a monkey on your back you just can't get off. Once the viewer knows that information the work completely transforms into something else. The idea of a family living with their land in a modern society is an interesting one, and is actually being explored by a contemporary of mine, Adam DuComb. Russell's work however is detached and vague and therefor quite ineffective. The most interesting thing about his part in the exhibition was his choice of framing. Russell used what appears to be untreated wood for his frames, which is the only choice of exhibition in the group to connect to the landscape. I found this an interesting choice of frame material but was contested by many of my colleagues. They found the choice tacky and unnecessary. To each is own I suppose.

Jonathan Sharlin's work in this show is simple but enjoyable. Sharlin is an avid outdoorsman and often brings his 4x5 Camera with him. The images for this exhibition were created at his favorite spots in Rhode Island, and are luscious black and white inkjet prints created from scanned Type 55 negatives. (There are two artists in this show who will be very disappointed about the cease of production of Polaroid film.) The work emphasizes the experiential quality of a walk in the woods.

Paul Taylor uses wet plate collodion negatives and sellenium toned silver gelatin prints stained with tea to create images which are a timeless representation of the rivers of New England. The prints are quite large and have the feel of vintage photographs and Luminist paintings, yet with a contemporary aura. Taylor has mastered his craft and does not sacrifice detail for aesthetic. His images are bold and detailed, as well as soft and manageable. His images certainly give a fresh look at the New England landscape, while referencing the history of photography, and the history of the landscape itself.

New England Survey Online
The PRC invites you to share your photographs with our new Flickr group, "New England Survey Online." This is an un-curated, open opportunity for all to share and discuss photographs which resonate with our upcoming exhibition and asks "What is New England about New England landscape?" We are hoping to gather together images that explore a state of mind and a sense of place that is unique to this region. We invite you to post your thoughts about this issue as well as any information on your images (and even poems too!). Join us and show off your work!

Not making our jobs any easier...

2008-04-07T23:01:00.002-04:00

Wow... check out the full story here.

February 28, 2008

2008-02-28T20:15:00.002-05:00

February 16, 2008

2008-02-16T21:21:00.001-05:00

Eddie's Vintage Motorcycles (and aprilia and moto guzzi and bineli)

February 14, 2008

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February 13, 2008

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February 12, 2008

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February 2, 2008

2008-02-03T18:47:00.000-05:00

FINALLY got the Canon 5d. I am in LOVE. Check out some stupid shots around the house with weird lighting.

January 30, 2008

2008-01-31T19:03:00.000-05:00

Did a reshoot / second shoot at the gym with Nick. Feedback? Note this pictures arent edited.

January 30, 2008

2008-01-30T20:25:00.000-05:00

I went to my Father's office today to scout out the location and do some test shots with minimal lighting. Im starting to think that in some locations, (such as this) I may only need an off camera flash and a little time in Photoshop. Here are two quick edits. I dont like the images all that much but let me know what you think of the lighting. I plan on returning in two weeks. Unforunately there may actually be a policy of no cameras allowed in the building, which would mean I could not shoot again. My Father is checking on that. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm trying to find a way to be able to shoot in indoor situations that don't allow for full lighting setup. Any ideas?

January 26, 2008

2008-01-28T23:07:00.000-05:00

The newest ideas floating around for Junior. I will probably re-shoot both in the near future. Feedback welcome.

January 14, 2008

2008-01-28T23:06:00.000-05:00

Took a little vacation in Mexico with my Father. Didn't take too many pictures, because I spent too much time relaxing.

December 22, 2007

2007-12-22T01:25:00.000-05:00

Merry Xmas

Have some stitches!

thanks,
Samantha

December 17, 2007

2007-12-17T18:21:00.000-05:00

So finals are over and it snowed twice. Check out the asshole in the Ferrari. Tonight a news van came and did a live story on snowed in cars. Nothing like live action news...

November 15, 2007

2007-11-15T20:06:00.000-05:00

October 2, 2007

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October 1, 2007

2007-10-01T17:03:00.000-04:00

September 30, 2007

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September 24, 2007

2007-09-24T21:31:00.001-04:00

August 7, 2007

2007-08-08T12:15:00.000-04:00

Track Racing, Londonderry NH, USA.

August 1, 2007

2007-08-07T01:26:00.000-04:00

Mount Desert Island, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA.

July 28, 2007

2007-07-30T22:05:00.000-04:00

The Departed Alleycat Race, Boston MA.

a rainy start.

scott worked hard.

1st place.

2nd place.

1st female.

1st wastoid.

July 26, 2007

2007-07-26T23:44:00.000-04:00

Justin Sturbing

Ricky Oyola

Jeremy Hutner

July 22, 2007

2007-07-24T16:55:00.000-04:00

July 16, 2007

2007-07-17T00:21:00.000-04:00

Smirnoff Ice Skull Funneling

July 14, 2007

2007-07-16T01:01:00.000-04:00

Cape Cod

June 10th, 2007

2007-07-11T01:17:00.000-04:00

vegan dumpster diving.

July 10, 2007

2007-07-11T01:16:00.000-04:00

some pictures I never got around to posting.

June 10, 2007

2007-07-11T01:14:00.000-04:00

i went to delaware for the weekend...

June 6, 2007

2007-07-11T01:06:00.000-04:00

sleepyheads

hano st.

allston mass meets hampton beach new hampshire.

QT