A wallflower of epic proportions

I have been photographing the local legends and creatives of Brookvale for the past six years for a portrait book series and when I meet someone that catches my eye, I don’t let much get in the way of photographing them and finding out their story. 

This was certainly no exception when it came to meeting Old Man Bucketty, Roger, a man that most would deem the mascot of family-run Bucketty’s Brewing Co. in the heart of Brookvale. It was not just the fact that Roger looked like a real-life Santa Claus that drew me to him, but his energy and a deepness in his eyes that told me he was someone special, one with a story that would inspire, and I can say now that my instincts were correct. I explained my project to Roger and that I was looking for subjects with a great story and I knew he had one, I just didn’t know what it was yet. 

 Months later I was preparing for an exhibition where I planned to present the first release of portraits that would be included in my book and Roger had always been in the front of my mind as being one of the faces I wanted to include. When I arrived for the shoot, he was dressed to the nines with his Harley Davidson leather jacket, leather pants, Jack Daniels belt, gloves, boots, Ray Bans and a black Bucketty’s beanie. “Where do you want me?” He was ready to go, and I had to take a moment to compose myself. This was pure gold. I loaded my roll of film and started shooting, when I realised that Roger was playing one of the many characters he has played throughout his lifetime. 

Roger has been riding Harleys since the age of 18, and now here he was 54 years later, about to embark on a three-month solo journey on his Harley Davidson CVO Road King that he named ‘Blue Bird’ to travel 9900km to deliver a case of beer from Brookvale, Sydney to the Roebuck hotel in Broome. After 26 shots on the roll, there was a moment where I realised that underneath all that leather exterior, there was one of the kindest, most  sensitive and creative souls I have encountered whose story I hadn’t even scraped the surface of yet. I got the shot I was after and knew then that this portrait wouldn’t be hanging in the gallery because it needed space on its own. Little did we know that meant it would be printed 8 meters tall on the back brick wall of Bucketty’s venue for everyone to enjoy long after the exhibition closed. 

Roger made sure he made it back in time for the opening night, where we revealed this portrait under a huge spotlight. He cried upon seeing it and climbed on top of the silos wearing the exact same outfit taken in the photograph to honour the journey we had both been on to get this work up there. It surely was a beautiful moment and the powerful beginning of our friendship.