Doug Barber AKA Q-Ball
Born 1949 in New York State, Q-Ball grew up in a military family all over the United States. He bought his first camera, and motorcycle 1965 in Okinawa Japan where he barely graduated from high school. Moving every 2 years made him a bit of an outcast. Though a little hard to handle his high school art teacher saw a glimmer of hope, and saved him from the fast track to prison.
He then attended The Maryland Institute College of Art on a full scholarship, thanks in part to his high school art teacher, and being poor. While attending art school he was inspired by the work of Danny Lyon “The Bikerider”.
After art school he was working in a Baltimore camera shop when he was approached by an officer of a 1% motorcycle club. The club was looking for someone they could trust to photograph the national mandatory run, and funeral for their sergeant of arms. That club then, and even today does not like having photos taken, but they wanted to honor the wishes of the family. After a final briefing by the president of the club, Q-Ball was allowed to record this major event, but all the film stayed with the club. This life altering experience got him hooked on spending the next 30 years sharing the road with the old school, and hard core bikers.
Q-Ball spent time as a patch holder riding, partying, and mixing it up with the good, the bad, and the ugly. Never regretting a moment, he found brotherhood, and respect for those who would make citizens cross the street to avoid them. As much as he loves the life as a biker, he is also a husband and father. To provide for his family he has spent years doing commercial work as Doug Barber Photographer, winning awards, getting published, and making a living.
In 2004 he was invited to show his biker photography at the The Susquehanna Art Museum in a show “Motorcycles & Art”. Since then he has had several shows, and even more invitations to show his work. His biker photography has been seen in many motorcycle magazines including a year of covers plus calendar for Hot Bike Japan. He has been sharing his work with the biker world on his web site VtwinBiker.com, but this is the first time his photography will be available as high quality reproductions.
For years he has been encouraged to publish a book, but many factors kept him from this dream. One nagging element was the words that may accompany the photos. His friendship with Eddie Sorez changed his mind and finalized this vision for this book. It was Sorez’s deep insight, and the living words of his poetry that made him feel that bikers would not be pigeon holed but expressed in a broad way. His hope is that this collaborative work will be accepted by all as a portrait of the human struggle for freedom, and expression.
More about his book “living the life” on www.VtwinBiker.com
