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In 1977, after a stint simultaneously playing drums in a BeBop jazz band, bussing tables in a restaurant and doing personal photography, Michael decided he was a better photographer than a drummer and hung up the sticks. It was during this time that he started riding his 1971 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead (which he still owns) and photographing bikers. This work, along with a series on cowboys, was exhibited in group and solo exhibitions over the next few years. Prints were purchased for private and public collections, most notably by ARCO (Atlantic Richfield Corp.) and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, in Paris.
In 1979, Easyriders started to publish some of Michael’s motorcycle photography. He photographed a number of smaller events and features specifically for them, proved his abilities and then was off on his third trip to Sturgis in 1981, now on assignment for Easyriders, for whom he has returned there ever since. Also in 1981, after a solo exhibition of his work at the Gallery of Photography in Dublin, Ireland, which was boycotted by the League of Decency, Michael became disillusioned with the “art world” and again changed course. He stopped publicly exhibiting his photographs in favor of publishing his motorcycle work in Easyriders and simultaneously began developing his career as a commercial advertising and corporate photographer. By 1982, his studio was open in Boulder, Colorado. It wasn’t long before he developed a clientele that included companies like IBM, Sun Microsystems and Kraft Foods.
Motorcycle and commercial assignments have taken Michael across America and abroad to Canada, Europe, Japan, Mexico and New Zealand. While he has published more than 800 articles on motorcycling and custom bikes, he has also shot annual reports, product photography, advertising, brochures and posters. He has even shot two cookbooks, covers for more than 60 beer magazines and the same for audio magazines. His motorcycle work has grown to include commercial clients like American Ironhorse Motorcycles, Big Dog Motorcycles, Perse Performance, Weld Wheels, Legend Air-Ride and many of the best custom bike builders in America.
Over the last few years, Michael has contributed work to many books on motorcycling including images that were requested by Willy G. Davidson for his 100th anniversary book on Harley. More recently, a coffee table book was published of his Sturgis work titled Sturgis, the Photography of Michael Lichter and two more books are scheduled for release in 2004 including Choppers, Heavy Metal Art and Billy Lane. Michael has also returned to exhibiting his photography in public institutions. Since 2000, he has had solo exhibitions of his work at more than 15 galleries and museums. Michael’s reputation as a motorcycling photographer has led to Michael being featured in a number of television shows and in magazine articles in photography, motorcycling and general interest publications.
On a more personal note, Michael married his wonderful wife Catherine in 1982. They met when they were both on a 5-day holiday in Big Sur, California, Catherine coming all the way from Dublin, Ireland where she is from. They have two children, a daughter Kiera, who was born in 1985 and son Sean who was born in 1988. Incidentally, you couldn’t totally take the music out of Michael. While he wasn’t about to start lugging the drums around again, he discovered the Irish penny whistle could fit in his pocket. It has become a great outlet and perfect way to pass the time in the middle of a highway waiting for the right bike or the right light. If you are riding down an open highway and happen to hear an Irish jig coming from a photographer straddling the double yellow line way up ahead, it’s probably Michael about to take your photo.
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