Treading Happiness

The photographer of this picture is Lanakila MacNaughton.

MacNaughton is a Portland-based photographer and motorcyclist well-known for founding The Women's Moto Exhibit. This traveling photo documentary project captures the modern wave of female motorcycle culture, focusing on revealing the "brave, courageous, and beautiful women who live to ride".

She frequently shoots in medium format using a Hasselblad camera, often while riding alongside her subjects at highway speeds to achieve her signature "rolling shots". Her work aims to shift the perception of female motorcyclists from mere ornaments to empowered, independent riders.

The motorcycle in the image is a vintage Honda GL1000 Gold Wing. First introduced in 1975, this model was Honda's first "naked" touring bike, featuring a 999cc flat-four engine. The specific bike pictured has the classic candy-red paint and chrome accents typical of mid-70s models like the 1975-1977 KO and K1 series.