Pink Roses

Durability of Unusual Finishes: Chrome Plating and Clear Powdercoat

This winter I've been riding some bikes with unusual finishes. My main ride is a clear powdercoated Brompton. There are also two chrome-plated bikes in my possession at the moment: a vintage Raleigh Tourist and a modern Bella Ciao. The idea of riding these bikes on salted winter roads has been met with some concern, and I've been asked to comment on how they are holding up.

To start with, I just want to say that chrome plating and clear powder coat are entirely different finishes, and I am by no means placing them in the same category. But the one thing they have in common is that they are unusual, which invites curiosity about their durability compared to paint.Unfortunately, I cannot address that question meaningfully. I didn't have the heart to experiment with the beautiful finishes, so I've been cleaning the bikes after every salty ride this winter. But in truth I am not sure how much this extra care is warranted.

When it comes to the chrome plated bikes, I am actually surprised by the concern for their durability. Chrome plating might be pretty, but its real purpose - as I understand it - is to make the frame more resistant to corrosion. Therefore, a chrome plated frame should require less, not more maintenance than a painted or powdercoated frame. Issues of cost aside, chrome plating should make for an excellent and entirely appropriate winter bike finish. For what it's worth, my chrome Raleigh Tourist is a 33-year-old bike that was well-ridden by its previous owner. The chromed frame shows less wear than a typical painted frame from that era, though a similar degree of component wear.

Clear powdercoat is a different story. Generally speaking, powdercoat is considered to be a more durable finish than liquid paint, which makes it a preferred choice for winter bikes. But clear powdercoat is tricky and may not be reliably rust-proof. Owners of clear-coated bikes have reported problems with corrosion. Rivendell used to offer clear-coated frames, but no longer does. Brompton at some point reformulated their raw lacquer finish to address corrosion issues. Today there are owners of clear-coated Bromptons who ride them in winter, and dealers seem to feel this is perfectly fine to do. I do not see any signs of rust on mine so far, although again - I've been cleaning it.I would notintentionally choose a clear powdercoat finish for a winter bike.

All things considered, I feel that (pigmented) powdercoat and liquid paint are more practical choices for a bike finish. Chrome plating is expensive and difficult to do properly. Clear powdercoat is reputed to be less durable.

Then again, there are bikes that do perfectly well with no finish at all. As an experiment, Henry Cutler of WorkCycles left his personal Fr8frame unpainted. For three years the bike was stored outdoors in Amsterdam's rainy saltwater climate. Over time the frame has developed a patina of surface rust, but it remains structurally fine. Go figure!

A Scandal in the Family

John Brubaker, my 3rd great grandfather, was born May 19, 1819 in Perry County, Ohio and is the son of Martin Brubaker and Nancy Neel. He passed away on February 8, 1879 in Huntington County, Indiana.

John was the father of William Brubaker (1843-1912), my 2nd great grandfather, but he was not married to William's mother, Sarah Foster (1818-1904). The family story goes that John had two girls pregnant at the same time but he married the "other" girl who was a cousin to Sarah.

John married Catharine Clum on March 18, 1843 in Perry County, Ohio. Less than four months later, their daughter Annetta was born on July 8, 1843.

It is highly likely that John was not aware that Sarah Foster was pregnant at the time he married Catharine since William was born on November 20, 1843 - eight months after his marriage.

In 1849, John and Catherine Brubaker moved from Perry County, Ohio to Rock Creek Township in Huntington County, Indiana. He purchased land from his father, Martin, who had bought the land in 1838. No evidence has been found to substantiate claims mentioned in biographies of several of his sons that Martin actually ever lived in Huntington County. John's brothers Samuel and James joined him in Huntington County within the next few years.

The Huntington County census records for 1850 through 1870 show that John was a farmer. With each census year his family grew, as did the value of his personal and real estate. John did quite well for himself. In 1870 his real estate was valued at $6765 and his personal worth was $1100, both sizeable amounts for the time.

John's obituary was published on February 13, 1879 in The Huntington Democrat (Huntington, Indiana).

After a long affliction Hon. John Brubaker was called from his labors among men. On last Sabbath his mortal remains were placed in the silent grave by a large concourse of mourning friends and sorrowing neighbors. The history of Rockcreek township is incomplete without the mention of his work. He settled there in 1849, twenty nine years ago. He, with twelve others, built the first school house in the district where he died. John Henderson, Geo. Bear, James Marshall, William Heindle, James Bonawits and Samuel DeHaven are of that number. Mr. Brubaker has been identified with all enterprises tending to improve the material interest of our county. At the October election of 1866, he was elected county commissioner, performed the duties of his office with fidelity and to the very best interest of our county. He was a thrifty, enterprising farmer. He was a man whose integrity no one doubted. He will be greatly missed in the community. One by one the old pioneers are passing away. Their toils and sacrifices will live in history. Peace to their ashes.

Catharine Clum was born on March 4, 1822 and died March 8, 1877 in Huntington County, Indiana. She is buried beside John at the Barnes Chapel Cemetery in Rock Creek Township. Regarding the family story that Catharine was a cousin of Sarah Foster: I have not found evidence of that but I do think that Catharine was related to George Parkison, whom Sarah married on March 28, 1849 in Perry County, Ohio.

John Brubaker had twelve children with his wife, Catharine Clum. (They will be listed in a separate post.) William Brubaker is not mentioned in John's will so it is not known if William had a relationship with his father or not. In both the 1850 and 1860 census records, William was listed in the household of his step-father and mother, George and Sarah Parkison, under the Parkison surname. In the 1870 census he is listed in their household as William Brubaker. When William enlisted, at the age of 17, in Co. E, 17th IVI on April 21, 1861 he did so as William Brubaker. George Parkison, in his will dated June 10, 1902 stated "It is my will that said William Brubaker, although he is my step-son only, shall take his equal share as hereinbefore and hereinafter set out, the same as if he were my son by blood."

My grandmother knew that her grandfather, William Brubaker, was an illegitimate child, or "born out of wedlock" as she stated so often. Grandma started researching her families in the 1960s and continued into the 1970s. Early on, she had no luck in finding out anything about William's father. But in February 1970, grandma received a letter from a great grandson of Nancy Jane Brubaker Kemp, daughter of John and Catharine. We'll call him Don. He had gotten her name from a researcher in Illinois! Mind you, this was back in the days of snail mail, where connections were still made between researchers, but at a much slower pace than is done today.

Don's letter gave some family information and stated that he thought Nancy's father, John, was a son of Martin Brubaker of Perry County, Ohio. This was exciting information for my grandmother, as it gave her some clues to pursue. I found it interesting, that in her response to Don's letter, grandma states that she remembers "Aunt Jane Kemp" as well as Nancy Jane's brothers, Thornton and Samuel. She goes on to state that she attended several Brubaker family reunions in Huntington when she was a young woman. She mentions that her grandfather is William Brubaker and that he was a brother to Nancy, Thornton and Sam.

Having gone through all of grandma's papers, several times, I have not found another letter from Don. But in May 1970 grandma writes to him again, replying to his letter (the one I don’t have). In her letter she tells Don the story she was told by her parents and Uncle Thornton's family. The story about John getting two girls pregnant, etc. saying "I wish that I knew more about the way this was handled, but my grandfather took the Brubaker name and was always friendly with the half brothers." Apparently the information in Don's letter (the one I don’t have) convinced her that her grandpa William was the son of John Brubaker. She says "I was not sure of the name, as I am sure now from your records, this has helped me very much." Why didn't she keep those letters and records he sent?

About this same time, grandma made contact with another Brubaker researcher, Kenny Fawley. I don't know the details of how they hooked up (possibly through the sign-in sheets at the Allen County Public Library) but Kenny is married to my first cousin, Caroline. Weird, huh! Her mother and my father are siblings. Kenny is my 5th cousin once removed and our common ancestors are Hans Jacob Brubaker (the 3rd) and his wife Elizabeth Steinweg/Stoneroad. She may be the subject of a future post as Kenny has an interesting story about her surname. Kenny was able to provide my grandmother with information on the parents and other ancestors of John Brubaker. He made her very happy! (Thanks, Cuz.)

As you might think, there can be a stigma (for lack of a better word) attached to being a descendant of an illegitimate child. Not so much from my point of view. That's life, those things happen. If he hadn't been born I wouldn't be here. I am delighted that he was born! And it doesn't bother me in the least that my 2nd great grandfather was born out of wedlock. But apparently it bothers descendants of the children of John and Catharine. I've been in contact with several of them over the years. Each time it starts out fine, until they begin to think that I'm not part of "their" John's family. One lady was putting together a history of the Brubaker families in the area. We exchanged information. The book was printed. But William and his family were not included. I never received a response from her regarding my inquiries as to why.

So, what evidence, or clues, lead us to the "fact" that William's father was John Brubaker?

• The missing letter from "cousin" Don that satisfied my grandmother.
• After her parents, Charles Romain Brubaker and Maud Catherine Wise, were married in February 1897 (against the wishes of Maud's parents) they went to live near relatives in Huntington for a year or so.
• In the photograph of grandma's family at the Goose Lake Farm, Uncle Thornton Brubaker is sitting on a tree stump off to the left side of the family.
• The obituary of Martin Brubaker published in the Columbia City Post of November 13, 1908 states: "William Brubaker of near Etna was called to Rock Creek township Huntington county Saturday by the death of his brother Martin Brubaker."
• William's obituary published on January 27, 1912 in the Columbia City stated that he "is survived by two brothers, Samuel, of Fort Wayne, and Thornton, of Huntington, and one sister, Mrs. Wm. Kent [sic], of Huntington"

But the one thing that my grandmother didn't do (and I don't know why she didn't) would have provided sufficient evidence of the name of William's father. She didn't check the Whitley County death records. Why not? I'll never know. . .


His death records found at the Whitley County, Indiana Department of Health (Bk 2A pg 55 #19-12 AND City Book 1 pg 14 #4-12) clearly show the name of his father as John Brubaker. His mother is given as Sarah Fosler (the clerk had a habit of not crossing his t's). The images above are from Bk 2A, click on them to view a larger image.

Joslin Family :: 1850 Whitley County Federal Census

As shown previously, the household of Jonas Joslin was the only 'Joslin' family in the 1840 Federal Census in Whitley County, Indiana. In 1850, 'Joslin' families can be found in the ancestry online index in seven counties in Indiana including Carroll and White in the west-central part of the state; Brown, Owen, and Vigo in the southwest; and Starke and Whitley in the northern portion. There are two 'Joslin' households in Whitley County: James and Lysander. The entire census for Whitley County has been viewed on microfilm and there are no other Joslin households in the county.

1850 Census, Whitley County, Indiana, dwelling 270, family 278, page 472a

James Joslin, 54, farmer, born L. C. [probably Lower Canada although it has been interpreted as South Carolina by some researchers]
Abigail, 46, born Ct [Connecticut]
Edwin, 20, farmer, Real Estate valued at $200, born O [Ohio]
Joseph, 17, farmer, Real Estate valued at $160, born O [Ohio]
Emily E., 12, born O [Ohio]
Mary L., 6, born Ia [Indiana]
Bela Goodrich, 74, born Ct [Connecticut]

Lysander Price Joslin was married on August 23, 1843 to Lydia Robinson. Their family is listed in the 1850 census on the page preceding that of James and Abigail.

1850 Census, Whitley County, Indiana, dwelling 262, family 270, page 471b

Lysander P. Joslin, 25, farmer, Real Estate valued at $350, born O [Ohio]
Lydia, 24, born O [Ohio]
Ann E., 5, born Ia [Indiana]
Melissa M., 11/12, born Ia [Indiana]

Fanny Joslin, the sixth 'child' of James and Abigail, was married to Joseph Shoemaker on February 5, 1843 and they were also living in Whitley County in 1850 (page 460).

While the 1850 census does not provide relationships to the head of household, the fact that James Joslin was the only 'Joslin' found in Whitley County in 1840 carries a certain amount of 'weight' indicating that he is the father of the children listed in his household in 1850 and he is really the only candidate to be the father of Lysander and Fanny as well.

James Joslin :: 1837 Land Purchase

The earliest record found so far for James Joslin in Whitley County, Indiana is his purchase of land from the U. S. government on September 20, 1837 and which was patented on August 20, 1838.

In September .. a distant cousin, Richard Kutz, sent me copies of the land entry files he had received from the National Archives. The Original Patent Records can be searched and viewed online at the General Land Office Patent Search site but only the patent record is available online. The land entry file for James Joslin included the application for purchase as well as a receipt for payment.

A portion of the left side of the application for land purchase is cut off. I've added what I think it should say in square brackets. Text displayed in bold face is written on the application, the other text is printed.

Land Office, Fort Wayne, Ia. Sept 20 1837

I, James Joslin, [of] Delaware County, Ohio do hereby apply for purchase E ½ NW ¼ Section numbered 25 in Township numbered 32 N. of Range number 8 E. containing 80 [acres], according to the returns of the Surveyor General, for which I have agreed with the Register to [pay] at the rate of One Dollar and Twenty-five cents per acre.
for James Joslin
Price Goodrich
I, Robert Brackenridge, Register of the Land Office, do hereby certify that the lot above de-[scrib]ed, contains 80 acres, as mentioned, and that [the p]rice agreed upon is one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre.
R. Brackenridge, Register.

The interesting thing about the land entry application is that the entry was signed by Price Goodrich "for James Joslin" indicating, perhaps, that James didn't make the trip to the land office. I wonder if he even saw the land before he purchased it or did he rely on Price to select good land? Also, did you notice the abbreviation "Ia." was used for Indiana?

This record also confirms the speculation noted by Irwin Joslin in his letter to my Grandmother on July 29, 1969 that James was "of Delaware County, Ohio" indicating that he was indeed living there, at least in 1837.

The receipt for payment is also dated September 20th 1837 and it shows that James paid $100 for his 80 acres.

The land purchase was not filed in Whitley County until October 14, 1885. It was found, after an extensive search, in Whitley County Deed Book 15, page 314. Two paragraph breaks have been added to the transcription to make it a bit easier to read.

[page] 314 certificate No. 20721 } United States to James Joslin.
Filed Oct. 14" 1885 at 3 P.M.

The United States of America, To all whom these Presents shall come, Greeting: Whereas James Joslin of Delaware County, Ohio has deposited in the General Land Office of the United States a Certificate of the Register of the Land Office at Fort Wayne where by it appears that full payment has been made by the said James Joslin according to the Provisions of the Act of Congress of the 24th day of April, 1820, entitled "An Act making further provision for the sale of Public Land" for the East half of the North West Quarter of Section twenty five in Township thirty two North of Range Eight (8) East in the district of land subject to sale at Fort Wane Indiana, containing eighty acres, according to the official plat of the survey of the said Lands, returned to the General Land Office by the Surveyor General, which said tract has been purchased by the said James Joslin.

Now know Ye, That the United States of America, in consideration of the Promises, and in conformity with the Several acts of Congress in such case made and provided, Have Given and Granted and by these presents Do give and Grant unto the said James Joslin, and to his heirs, the said tract above described. To Have and To Hold the same together with all the rights, priviliges, immunities, and appurtenances of what so ever nature, thereunto belonging unto the said James Joslin and to his heirs and assigns forever.

In Testimony Whereof, I Martin Van Buren, President of the United States of America, have caused these letter to be made Patent, and the Seal of the General Land Office to be hereunto affixed. Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, the twentieth day of August in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight and of the Independence of the United States the sixty third.

By the President: Martin Van Buren
By M. Van Buren Secy.
Jos. S. Wilson acting Recorder of the General Land Office
Ad interimRecorded. Vol 42 Page 127

A set of plat maps drawn from the "Original Land Entries of Whitley County, Indiana" was published in 1981 by Stuart Harter, Churubusco, Indiana. Below is the southeast portion of the drawing for Troy township. In the upper left corner of Section 25 is the land of James Joslin. Among his neighboring landowners were James Goodrich and Price Goodrich. In Section 22 is the land of Bela Goodrich and two more properties for James Goodrich. In Section 23 is the land of Ralph Goodrich which borders that of James Goodrich in section 22.

Of course, just because James Joslin purchased land in Whitley County does not necessarily mean that he ever actually lived in the county. There were land speculators back in those days too... but he wasn't one of those speculators.

It's Almost Here!

At 1 o'clock Wednesday afternoon I ordered a new scanner, the Fujitsu ScanSnap S300. If I had paid the extra $15 for express delivery it would already be here, but the "slow boat" delivery by ground is fine with me. It should show up on my doorstep Monday!


Denise Olson on her Family Matters blog has been extolling the virtues of the S300M (for Mac) that she purchased in July. After reading about her experience with it I started checking out Automatic Document Feed (ADF) scanners for Windows. I've got all those genea-documents that I want to scan and the idea of doing them with my flatbed scanner is more than a little disheartening.

After reading this November .. Review of the S300, I was hooked on the S300! Well, actually, Denise had me hooked, that review clinched the deal. There will still be some things that will have to be scanned using the flatbed, but I think much of what I have can be done by the S300.

So I am patiently waiting.

And trying to getting some things organized for phase two of my scanning project.

Dragon

The dragon that the firefighter is standing on represents the forest fire that the firefighters fought.

18 Below and Beautiful!

Sunrise and Sea Smoke over the Susie Islands on January 19, . This morning when I saw that the temperature was well below zero (a rarity this winter!), I knew that there was going to be plenty of sea smoke (steam) rising off the waters of Lake Superior. So, I headed to my favorite place to make photographs of the steam. It's difficult heading outside on such a cold morning, but the spectacular photos make it worth the effort!

Wild Sunflower

Sunflowers help brighten up my day.

It's About Time...

For those of you who have been wondering where I've wandered off to... let's see... I left Maine on the 28th of September and spent a few days in New Hampshire.







One of many lakes in northern New Hampshire, this one near Milan on Route 16.





As it had been for much of the previous week, it was a foggy, cloudy, rainy day.





But the fall colors were gorgeous.


Then it was a quick drive through Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania to spend the first weekend of October with my Aunt and Cousin and her family in Rockville, Maryland. It was great getting caught up on all the family happenings of the past 3 years! The kids, Connor and Melanie have gotten so big! Thank you to Carol and Eric and Aunt Shirley for their hospitality.



After leaving Rockville, I returned to Berks County, Pennsylvania for two days then headed west to Ohio. Not wanting to return exactly the same way I came into the state in early September (on US 30) and not wanting to take the Toll Road, I took US 22 from Harrisburg all the way through Pittsburg. It is a mostly 4-lane highway through some beautiful countryside. It wasn't quite as "challenging" as driving US 30 but it still had plenty of hills to get over and curves to go around.



After spending one last night in Pennsylvania (at Keystone State Park, east of Pittsburg) I made my way next morning (October 11th) to Lisbon, Ohio and stopped in at the Columbiana County Archives and Research Center. This is a wonderful resource for anyone with Columbiana County ancestors. One of the ladies that works there (both are unpaid volunteers who devote a huge amount of time organizing and indexing their material - a huge Thank You to both of them and the other volunteers) happens to have the "other" John Hoffman in her husband's lineage so we compared notes trying to figure out if or how they might be related.



The next morning, I returned to the Columbiana Archives for a few hours before heading westward once again. It was about then that I realized that I could probably make it to Fort Wayne for the Midwest Geneabloggers .. Fall Meetup! It was about noon on Saturday when I got to the Allen County Public Library where everyone else was already hard at work. After the library closed we all converged at the home of Tina Lyons for a Pizza Party.



I'm so glad that I was able to make it to the meetup and see "old" genealogy-friends again and meet a few new ones too. I had a great time - thanks to everyone there and thanks especially to Tina for organizing it and to her and her husband for hosting the after-research party.



So, here it is, October 23rd, and where am I? Still in Indiana, where I'll be for a little while longer until I get a few "things" resolved. And then? I'll be heading out to somewhere a bit warmer, at least for a little while...



And, because my grand-nephew, Zachariah, was born 18 years ago on this date, I want to wish him a very special birthday...






Ah, yes! We were both much younger back then! Happy Birthday, Zach.

The Phend Surname

The "Phend" surname, as you might imagine, is not a common one. The index to the book on the Phend Family that was published in 1991 only includes 331 people with the surname, and that included everyone that I had found since the family came from Switzerland to the United States in 1832. Johannes Phend, the progenitor of our family, had two daughters and two sons, John and Jacob. John didn't have any children. Jacob had seven children, six sons and one daughter; there were 43 grandchildren, 29 grandsons and 14 granddaughters. In the next generation the numbers flipped and girls outnumbered the boys by about 2 to 1.

According to my Grandpa Vic, his grandfather, Jacob, pronounced the Phend surname as "pay-hend" and said that it was spelt pay-hay-a-n-day. He also told me it was originally spelled with a B instead of a P but that the B was pronounced softly like a P and that is how it got changed from B'hend to Phend. However, in Swiss records the surname has been found spelled as B'hend, Bhend, Fend, Fendt and Pend. In the United States, the surname has also been found in records as Fend, Fiend, Fin, Phind, Pheud, Phena, and Phent.

Considering that names were often spelled phonetically, and the fact that many record keepers and census takers wrote so poorly, the variations are not all that surprising. It just sometimes makes it a bit challenging to find the right records.

Johannes Phend was recorded as Jean (or Sean?) B'hend on his 1832 passport.


The signature of Johannes on his passport.


The Land Record from Carroll County, Ohio (Deed Book 11, page 367) showed John Phend and his wife Susan selling their land in 1849 - and his signature!

The family was found in census records the "old fashioned" way - by turning the crank and going through the reels of microfilm image by image, before indexes were widely available, and before the internet. Lucky for me, from other records, I knew where to look and the townships they lived in were relatively small.

1840 Carroll County, Ohio (Brown Township page 192)


1850 Greene County, Indiana (Taylor Township page 409b)

1860 Marshall County, Indiana (German Township page 56)


1870 Kosciusko County, Indiana (Scott Township page 434)

1880 Kosciusko County, Indiana (Scott Township page 33)


In 1900 and 1910, Jacob was livng with his daughter and her husband, Sophia and John Ernest, in Elkhart County, Indiana. (Nappanee, Locke Township page 232 in 1900 and in Concord Township page 56b in 1910)

Three other recent posts highlight some family records from Switzerland, the christening record of Johannes Fendt, and the family's emigration to the United States.

Early snow

Nothing like a little snow, to bring one out of a blog slump.



Every channel forecast snow, but I didn't pay much attention to their percentage predictions. My belief that it would actually snow, in Alabama, in early December, was exactly 0%.



But it did snow, a little.



Jasmine romped. She adores cold weather.



The chickens were wary. It might have been some evil plot, after all.



I don't remember the trees ever looking so nice, after such a light snow.



I hope the rosemary didn't get too frizzen.

Port Angeles

A few miles above Lake Crescent we came to the city of Port Angeles. Port Angeles is one of the northern most citys in Washington. From there you can catch a ferry, cross Strait of Juan de Fuca, and dock in Victoria, Canada. Regretably we did not have the time to take the ferry to Canada. I will save that trip for another time. (Remember it is another country, and now you need a passport to go there. Even for just a day visit.) In this photo you can see one of the ferrys. They were huge. We wern't able to get real close but did get some shots as some came in on there return from Canada. We visited some gift shops, had a bite to eat, and decided we would spend the night in Port Angeles as it was to late in the day to see Hurricane Ridge in Olympic Park, which was to be the high point of the whole trip.

The Bicycle Photographer

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of working withHeather McGrath - a woman whose excellent photos have graced many a magazine page and gallery wall. Those who love bicycles might also recognise her work from framebuilders' websites and cycling blogs: In recent years Heather has made quite a name for herself as a bicycle photographer.




In the course of running this blog and plunging deeper into the bicycle industry, I have thought about the relationship between cycling and photography. Many seem to get into photography as a result of riding their bikes. Perhaps it starts with wanting to photograph the scenery they encounter on a ride, or the bike itself. Over time taking pictures becomes a hobby and the rider's photography skills improve, sometimes to the point where they turn professional. Another scenario is where an established professional photographer becomes a cyclist, thereafter focusing largely on bicycles and cycling. Either way, bicycle photographers are almost invariably cyclists themselves. They have to be, to truly understand how to capture the defining characteristics of our beloved two wheel machines, as well as of those who ride them and make them. And Heather - as a daily cyclist, friend to local framebuilders and owner of a handbuilt bike - certainly understands all this. Ever wonder what being a pro bicycle photographer entails? I post a brief conversation with Heather below.








You describe yourself as an editorial photographer. In your own words, what does that mean?


I get hired mostly by magazines. But ad agencies hire me as well.



Roughly what portion of your projects would you say are bike-related?



A good portion. I have been very fortunate in this. I always marketed work that was directly related to my life. I just kept shooting for myself and the things I loved, and assignments started following. The bike industry has responded very well to my eye.



Do you recall who was your first bicycle industry client, or what was your first bike-related photo shoot?



My first shoot that got me anywhere was just of my friends who lived in LA at the time. I came out with my Mamiya 67 and just hung out and shot a few frames. Some of the shots ended up on my first promo which lead to my first assignment withBicycling Magazinea couple years later.





Do you get to travel for work? What sort of places have you recently traveled to?



I do. I have been flown to California, DC, Oregon, Austin, etc., for clients. I also travel alot for myself in pursuit of more photos for my portfolio. I actually just came back from a 7 week backpacking trip to the Netherlands, Croatia, Sweden, Norway and Iceland. I am going to start marketing these photos to travel companies and hopefully get more work there.



You've mentioned that for years you did not have a car and carried your photo equipment by bike. Can you describe your setup?



Thank god I have a strong back! Usually I just have my Bailey Works bag with a little subdivider in it with the body and two lenses. I don't light usually so I can travel light. But one time before zipcar existed I had a big shoot about 8 miles from my house. It was a big magazine and I was super nervous and of course it was about to rain right before I was about to leave. So there was no time to take the bus or anything. I packed up my huge Lowepro Trekker 2 bag which is supposed to be waterproof. I overpacked with lights and stuff I really didn't need because I was nervous. I threw in an extra set of clothes. attached a stand to one side of the bag and tripod on the other. And of course the downpour starts while I was en route. Like completely soaked to the underwear. And when I got to the house It had just stopped and this poor family had to open their doors to a girl who looked like a drowned rat with about 20lbs of gear on her asking to use the bathroom before we shot...





You own a beautiful handbuilt bicycle by Geekhouse. What made you decide to get a custom bike? Did you give the builder criteria as far as what you wanted in a bike?



Geekhouse wanted to make me a bike that was going to be a part of their NAHBS show bikes that year. Together we brainstormed ideas and colors. We all wanted something really classic looking. And my most important request was no toe overlap. I love track frames but I was sick of the toe overlap. A lot of the details of the bike were a surprise from the boys. They wouldn't even let me see it until it was completely done. I was there first curved fork and Brad made me my own monogram on the handlebars. I honestly think about how much I love that bike every time I ride it. I would never buy another bike that is not fitted to me.



[Note: See studio shots of Heather's bike here. Also: The basket pictured here does not actually live on the bike, just a joke.]





Are there any special challenges for you in photographing bikes compared to other types of photo shoots?



The hardest thing I have faced is keeping my shot in focus. I have all manual focus Zeiss lenses usually kept at f2.8 or lower and I'm often shooting motion or riding with the subject and have to have both hands on the camera and just look through the eyepiece to even see where I am going! You have to be able to stay on your bike, not hit anything, keep a good frame, and keep the person sharp! But I like these challenges. So I see it more as fun than torture. Another good story was when I was shooting the Lucus Brunelle shot for Bicycling Magazine. I had my assistant riding me around the city on a moped. I had no feet pedals, and makeshift belt keeping me and brad back to back. I just held on with my thighs and kept my feet in the air! We did this for about 2 hours. and the whole time manual focusing everything while we zipped in-between lanes of traffic at full speed. Luckily I grew up riding dirt bikes so I had no fear in any of this. We got really lucky though at the last shot when we found the police car that Lucas could skitch on. The police never looked over and it was hands down the best shot of the day!



Any advice for amateur bicycle photographers considering venturing into paid work? Do you think a formal education in photography is essential?



You don't need a formal education. I almost dropped out of my own photo school. I had already been a professional retoucher and a graphic designer before I decided to be a photographer, so I came into the industry already knowing the back end. But because of those skills I was able to keep retouching for ad campaigns while I was working on my photography career. Eventually I didn't need to retouch anymore. My suggestion is to sacrifice your social life while you work on your skills. Assist as many other people as you can. And shoot what you love. That's how I got here and I am very grateful.





Having worked with Heather, I would describe her approach to photography as intuitive, fluid and thorough - focused on staging lively and realistic scenarios which can then be captured as still images. Heather uses both film and digital equipment. She prefers to ride fixed gear, and usually rides in her regular clothing and shoes, using pedals with toe straps. She commutes by bike around Boston, using her car when needed to transport props and large equipment. Whether working in her studio in Boston's South End or on location, Heather is good, really goodat what she does. And her taste in bikes is none too shabby either.

Cranford - Burton Latimer - Cranford

Barry led this. With Maureen, Gordon, Eddie and Ian and Carol. Just over 7 miles. Fine, but grey. Muddy fields. Lunch at the old café in Cranford.





We set off from the street named Top Dysons, which is opposite Cranford Village Hall, heading west, across a couple of fields, then turning left before the Grange, passing Hayfield Lodge and to the Cranford Road. We crossed this and took a footpath close to some houses. The path had a couple of sections where we were almost obliged to crawl, as vegetation was taking over. The path takes you to the A14, but by walking on the path almost alongside, and up to the roundabout we had simply to cross a couple of not-too-busy slip roads. We then walked back until we were opposite the original course of the path. Next obstacle was the A6 - patience required, but no problem. At this point we walked south towards the edge of Burton Latimer. We follwed the edge of a couple of fields, and turned briefly left then right, eventually joining Church St, which we followed to woodcock st and then into fields. (I think this is where new houses are being built.) The path took us east, down to the A6, which we had to cross again

We were now close to the wind turbines, and walked through the fields, pausing for a snack break at a footbridge. The path continued eastwards, coming out at the A510, at the Round House.





The Round House, Burton Latimer - Thrapston Rd A510, OS grid 9374





Here we turned north, then north-east, and east to skirt an old quarry/ dump before reaching the A14. Once over the road the path took us to the Cranford Road, into Cranford St John, past a disused railway, and the primary school, past the pub (closed on Mondays), and along a path which leads downhill, through fields (Hall grounds) to the church and dovecote, thento Cranford St Andrew, and the Old Forge Café.



shortly before the A14 crossingSt Andrews Churchthe dovecote