Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Idea

I stumbled across a motorcycle blog a few months ago that featured pictures taken from a helmet-mounted GoPro HERO Wide camera.  I loved the perspective these pictures provided.  Knowing nothing about GoPro cameras, I was pleased to see that the newer GoPro HD Helmet HERO was reasonably priced.

These cameras are pretty amazing -- for under $300 you can shoot 1080p HD video or set it up to take pictures every 'x' seconds.  The video mode is impressive, but the helmet-mounted images are my thing.  I know a lot of people who won't or don't ride motorcycles, and I hope this perspective helps them understand why some of us love it.

So, I decided to spend what free time I can find this summer combining three things I love:
  • Riding Motorcycles:  I haven't had time to ride much over the last five years, but I'm making time this summer.  I'm not so interested in seeing how fast I can ride the familiar local roads anymore.  Now I'm more interested in riding to places I haven't been and becoming more familiar with the back roads and neat destinations in surrounding counties.
  • Eating:  I love cooking.  I love grilling.  Mostly, I love eating.
  • Taking Pictures:  Having never upgraded beyond P&S cameras, I can't claim to be much of a photographer.  I'm scared to buy any serious equipment because I know I would get the bug.  The GoPro fits right in here:  it's cheap, there aren't too many tempting accessories, and it produces fairly unique pictures that require no effort.
I have a list of places to visit in KY and TN over the coming months, and I'm sure I'll do some quick improvised trips, too.  I plan to post pictures from each ride, a route map, pictures of the food, and a very unsophisticated review of each establishment while adhering to only three rules:
  1. No GPS.
  2. No Interstates or Parkways.
  3. Take a different route home whenever possible.