Freedom of Expression

My first foray into the crowd at the Queen of Hearts drawing in Garrettsville was exhilarating. This was by far the largest crowd situation I'd ever worked. My mind went on sensory overload almost immediately. The photographic opportunities were endless. I gravitated toward the section reserved for motorcycle parking. I entered the crowd and began making my way through, meeting many interesting characters, each with a story to tell. Many of the bikers were military veterans and wore emblems representing their service. Leather vests, chains, patches, tattoos and t-shirts were everywhere. Here's a series of images showing some of these visual expressions. I decided right away that this series would be done in all BW. I wanted to drop out the color and emphasize the textures and tones that I was seeing.