Launch Recite Me assistive technology
A person wearing a denim vest and jeans leans over a red Moto Guzzi motorcycle. The bike features the brand name “Moto Guzzi” and the number “850” on its fuel tank.

Photographer Bex Day shoots brilliant hairy biker men for Trip Magazine

—
Date
6 February 2015

If you can resist a photoshoot in which two bikers who belong to the 59 Club whip their denim off and get cosy in and around London’s iconic biker spot Ace Café, then you’re a stronger person than I am. I came across this masterpiece by photographer Bex Day yesterday afternoon, and it’s so charged with hairy, sunny, smiley biker love that I’m tempted to print images out and stick them around to remind myself how great life is.

The making of the shoot, from the casting to the location, was an exercise in authenticity, Bex explains. “I first became interested in bikers after researching the 59 Club,” a British motorcycle club which started in Hackney, London in 1959. “I wanted to document the renowned Ace Café and the lives of the bikers who hang out there and get to know them better, but most importantly to investigate their take on the movement of the 50s and 60s.

“I cast the main subjects, Dean, Mick and Jake beforehand to make sure they’d be comfortable with me shooting them semi-nude, in more avant-garde poses.” Her choice of subjects was key, she continued. “Photographers focus too much on conventional beauty and what ‘model agencies’ consider aesthetically pleasing. I wanted to break these barriers by showing alternative subjects in a positive light, in a way that they feel comfortable in front of the camera.”

There’s no questioning that they feel comfortable, they look like they’re having the time of their lives, furry and bare and exposed to the elements in a way that makes London look like the west coast of the USA. What’s not to love?

Two shirtless people with long hair and beards laugh together against a yellow wall. Above them, a black and white sign reads “TOILETS”, and posters for Ace Cafe London advertise the “March of the Teds”.
Above

Bex Day: Speed Ramp for Trip Magazine

A person with long dark hair and a goatee smiles at the camera. They wear a pink patterned bandana and an open denim shirt.
Above

Bex Day: Speed Ramp for Trip Magazine

Two people sit side by side on a low brick wall, their backs to the camera. One wears a denim vest and the other is shirtless, with an arm draped around their companion. To the left, a weathered sign reads “SPEED RAMP”.
Above

Bex Day: Speed Ramp for Trip Magazine

A shirtless person stands against a white brick wall, wearing blue jeans, sunglasses and a red patterned headband. A single black plastic chair sits beside them in the bright sunlight.
Above

Bex Day: Speed Ramp for Trip Magazine

A person in a denim vest and jeans leans over a red Moto Guzzi motorcycle. They are parked on a paved area with a railway bridge and a car in the background.
Above

Bex Day: Speed Ramp for Trip Magazine

A close-up of a person sitting with their arms folded, exposing their stomach above the waist of blue jeans. A dark tattoo is visible on their forearm.
Above

Bex Day: Speed Ramp for Trip Magazine

A person with long hair and a goatee smiles, wearing a white patterned headband and a denim jacket. They are framed by the window of a vehicle, with a blurred car park in the background.
Above

Bex Day: Speed Ramp for Trip Magazine

A person with long hair and a beard sits on a motorcycle, holding a cigarette. Behind them is the Ace Cafe London, with the words “ACE CAFE LOND” visible on the building's facade.
Above

Bex Day: Speed Ramp for Trip Magazine

Share Article

About the Author

Maisie Skidmore

—

Maisie joined It’s Nice That fresh out of university in the summer of 2013 as an intern before joining full time as an Assistant Editor. Maisie left It’s Nice That in July 2015.

It's Nice That Newsletters

Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox? Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world.