Edwards FreeLance Photography

The 2009 Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride

They started rolling in on Friday morning. There are doctors, lawyers, business folk's, husbands and wives, people from every walk of life. Chattanooga is abuzz, since 1994 every 3^rd Saturday in September, thousands of avid motorcycle enthusiast have come together to make the ride from Chattanooga Tennessee tracing the path taken by the Cherokee Indians resulting from the 1830 Indian Removal Act.

Though the forecast for rain may have reduced the number of attendees at this year's event, spirits were high. During the early morning of the 19^th, diehard bikers from across the country began to line up two abreast at the corner of Broad and 20th and meandered nearly back to the riverfront park. On this day, it doesn't matter what you ride, be it a Harley or Honda. All that matters today is that everyone is here to honor the Native Americans that were forced from their homes and marched to Oklahoma.

At 8:00 AM, Mayor Ron Littlefield and candidate for Governor Zach Wamp gave the command, and in seconds the roar of engines began to echo throughout the downtown area and the caravan began to pull out. For the next twenty minutes, riders rolled by the waving spectators turned right on Broad and headed toward Monteagle Tennessee.

The ride headed north passing through neighborhoods and small communities, all along the way well-wishers also fighting the rain, stood with umbrellas in hand - waved, held signs and cheered the riders on their journey that would take them some 200 miles across the Tennessee Mountains to Florence Alabama.

The Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride - Images by Murray Edwards

Approaching Fayetteville Tennessee the rain began to subside and the sun began to shine, the temperature started to rise and the rain gear came off. The hour long stop in Fayetteville provided a fuel stop for both riders and motorcycles. Around 1:00 PM the riders climbed back aboard the motorcycles, turned west onto to highway 64 and headed toward Florence Alabama.

All along the final leg, the Tennessee law enforcement officers cleared the way for the procession. As the motorcade crossed over the Alabama state line, the Alabama Highway patrol took the reins and escorted the columns into Florence.

After arrival into Florence, the final destination for the majority of these riders, they headed to McFarland Park where they dismounted, shook off the mud and joined in the celebration.

Not All Stock Photography is Created Equal

These days everyone seems to using micro-stock agencies for their image requirements. I can't say that I really blame them, you've got millions of images to choose and the cost is basically non-existent. If you are content reviewing image after image of people smiling, keyboards, signs and the untold selections of illustrations and graphics then I suppose you are looking in the right spot.

But let's not forget about the professional photographers that spend their time and effort to produce a different type of stock photography, images that a cover a specific subject matter or geographic region. Photographers, that have spent years, working to hone their skills and perfect their style. Those that are up at the crack of dawn to catch the light, those that take chances going places, covering situations that the average person cares not to tread. Not someone who at the spur of the moment decides, I'm going to go out and take some snapshots and call it stock photography.

For the most part, you won't find those types of stock images on these micro-stock sites. You've got to do a little research to find the professionals that spend their days, doing nothing but creating high quality stock photography. Ones that aren't just posed models smiling happily into the camera lens. And yes, you will pay a little more than a dollar or two – But you get what you pay for!

So before you head off to one of those many sites that are well known for stock images, visit a site like PhotoShelter. Here you'll find many independent professionals that also offer Royalty Free and Rights Managed images available for your use; many also offer specialty products that can't be found on micro-sites and for the most part at very affordable prices.