Pictures are captured to soak up memories for a lifetime and Sara Liberte, a seasoned photographer knows that best. Open roads with two wheels and beautiful landscapes are some of her favorite scenes to snap. With over 30 years of experience, Sara shares her unique journey into the world of photography, where she brings her love for motorcycling and her artistic vision. Throughout her career, Sara’s work demonstrates the power of merging personal passions with creative endeavors, all while making a significant impact, one person at a time, and leaving a great mark on both the world and her heart.
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: You are a photographer. Where are you based out of?
Sara Liberte: Well, I just relocated to, I’m in southern Louisiana now. But I’m originally from Massachusetts.
Caption: One of Sara’s amazing on the road shots (Photo: Owned by Sara Liberte)
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: Talk to me about how you got into photography. How long have you been doing that for?
Sara Liberte: In art school I was introduced to so many different media to play with, one of which was photography. Had some amazing photography instructors. Linda White was very influential on me. And from there, I really just kind of started combining my passions, which was motorcycles and photography. I just kind of stayed into it and built my career and not really with a purpose or goal of doing that. I just kinda lived every day and did what I enjoyed doing, riding motorcycles and taking photos and sharing my experience with people and built a pretty amazing career doing that. We’re talking over 30 years now.
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: Could you share a story behind your first encounter with motorcycles and how that experience or that love of motorcycles got you into your creative work?
Sara Liberte: My love of motorcycling — my dad owned a steel business and was also into automotive. He was a race car driver. He collected cars. He was a gearhead. And so I kind of grew up in that environment. So anything motorized and that would take you for a fun adventure — I was into go-karts, everything racing, whatever we could get our hands on. My passion for that stuff kind of led me into exploring the machine creatively through my camera and through my words.
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: I would love to know about a collaboration that you’ve had that has been both inspiring and challenging?
Sara Liberte: I’d say probably the most important project I’ve been a part of was, Veterans Charity Ride. I was the embedded photographer, support videographer for seven years. We’d take wounded and disabled veterans on a motorcycle therapy ride. Typically we’d leave from the West coast and would traverse all the way up to Sturgis, South Dakota. It was challenging times. I don’t know how to describe it. I don’t even know if I can put it into words, what happens as you watch the transformation of this group of people that were strangers, all with their own tough luck stuff that they’re dealing with. And watch them just transform. And even myself — we’re here to support them and document, but it’s amazing the transformation that happens inside you. This group of strangers just becomes this lifelong bond now, this family just formed. And challenges were overcome and things were happening through the support of one another together. Just extremely powerful and humbling. And probably the most important work I’ve done in my career was being involved with the Veterans Charity Ride.
Caption: Sara on her wanderlust journey (Photo: Owned by Sara Liberte)
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: How do you add motorcycles to your photography by also adding in the love of the environment? How do you merge these two in a creative sense?
Sara Liberte: You’re shifting with your hands and your feet and it’s an extension of you. You’re controlling the power of that motorcycle. And so its natural environment is where it can bring you. Creating landscape captures with a silhouette of a motorcycle is important to me because that’s where the motorcycle belongs, in my opinion.
Caption: A stellar shot by the one and only Sara Liberte (Photo: Owned by Sara Liberte)
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: How do you see motorcycles as a vehicle for personal growth and transformation?
Sara Liberte: This motorcycle is putting you in experiences you’ve never experienced before. Maybe this motorcycle left you on the side of the road and you just figured out how to do whatever to get it back up and running. And that just builds your confidence like crazy. Gearing up for a ride and packing your motorcycle and making sure all your electronics on your motorcycle are working, and knowing firsthand that you just made sure that motorcycle is in top running condition — that boosts your confidence level and makes you feel more secure. There’s so many ways that the motorcycle can help you grow. It’s unbelievable.
Caption: Sara scaling new heights on an adventure (Photo: Owned by Sara Liberte)
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: What sort of advice would you give to aspiring artists who want to incorporate their personal passions into their creative work, while also making a positive impact on the world?
Sara Liberte: I’d say don’t be consumed with trying to make a positive impact on the world. Don’t overwhelm yourself with that responsibility, because having an impact on one person is having an impact on the world. For me, I’ve learned over the years that the one-on-one relationships, the experiences with new people coming together and working through something difficult together. Coming together as a team or just impacting a child, empowering them to do something, watching them understand something. To me, it is more important than trying to change the world.
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys: Have you ever been into a motorcycle accident? And if so, what did you learn from it?
Sara Liberte: Yeah. So I was in a pretty bad wreck in 2017. I can remember cruising out at 120 and looking down, watching that pavement just go ripping past and not feeling any hesitation, any insecurity whatsoever. But then after 2017, that changed. And I don’t know if it was a combination of age and that experience, but it had changed me to the point where I just wasn’t interested in being on the street riding anymore.
Be sure to check out Sara’s photography on her website and keep-up-to-date with what she is doing on her Instagram. Ride safe, and thanks for reading!
