Motorcycling Alabama and The Photography of David Haynes, New Burrow Museum Exhibition Opening February 14, 2012

The Evelyn Burrow Museum at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville will host “Motorcycling Alabama: The Photography of David Haynes” from February 14 through March 31. The event is co-sponsored by the Wallace State Art Department.

As a professional photographer for more than 35 years, David Haynes’ work has included photojournalism, portrait and wedding photography, commercial and advertising photography. He now focuses primarily on black and white portrait photography, fine art photography, guiding photo excursions and teaching photographic technique.

Haynes’ latest book, “Motorcycling Alabama: Fifty Ride Loops through the Heart of Dixie” was published by the University of Alabama Press last year. This is the first exhibition of his photography for that book.

“David Haynes’ outgoing and adventuresome personality comes through in this exhibition, and we think it will appeal to a wide variety of interests. There’s something here for motorcycling enthusiasts, fine art aficionados, individuals interested in day trips in Alabama, and even dog lovers to enjoy,” said Donny Wilson, Director of The Evelyn Burrow Museum. A number of works show Haynes’ golden retrievers, Bailey and Roscoe, tagging along on his trips in his motorcycle’s sidecar.

“Through Motorcycling Alabama I rediscovered the beauty of Alabama, which is captured in the photography for this book. Alabama is one of the most beautiful states of the union to explore on two wheels,” said Haynes. “Because Alabama has a relatively low population density, expansive rural areas still untrammeled by over-development and congested traffic, a good highway system, and vastly diverse landforms—from the rocky outcrops of the Appalachian plateau to the sugar-white beaches and teal waters of the Gulf of Mexico—it is a rider’s paradise.”

In the book, Haynes offers 50 ride loops of between 75 and 150 miles in length, 10 for each of five regions that are bounded by Interstate highways so that the start and stop points (with GPS coordinates included) are identical and easy to locate. He outlines both street bike and dual sport rides in this handy, sized-for-a-tank-bag guide and includes detailed, color-coded maps of the routes with turn-by-turn directions. Stunning, full-color photographs accompany each ride description, highlighting scenes and points of interest along the way. There are introductory chapters on motorcycle safety, proper gear, and the use of global positioning devices, as well as pointers on motorcycle camping in the state. A companion web site, motorcyclingalabama.info, accompanies the book.

As a photojournalist in the 1980s, Haynes was the recipient of more than 40 newspaper photography awards, and from 1982-89. Since leaving the newspaper business two decades ago, his images have been reproduced in numerous publications and have been featured in gallery exhibitions in several cities. His black-and-white portfolio “Alabama 2000—The Millennium Project” is on permanent display at the U.S. District Courthouse in Montgomery, and he was one of two Alabama photographers awarded an artist fellowship by the Alabama State Council on the Arts for 2001-2002.

Haynes’ current projects include an ongoing monthly column with photographs for Alabama Living magazine called “Alabama Motorcycle Diaries” in which Haynes travels the state writing about and photographing interesting and out-of-the-way places on his motorcycles. His photographs also illustrate a book published in 2008 about Cumberland Island, Ga., and he’ll begin work on “Paddling Alabama”, a guide to canoeing the state, later this year.

He has taught photography classes through Wallace State’s Continuing Education program and for University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Special Studies programs.