Connection and Motion

Photography By Carrie Schreck

Photojournalist Carrie Schreck shares her documentation of an underground moped meetup in Seattle, Washington. Carrie opens up about how the Seattle group stands out from other moped gangs, the adrenaline rush of shooting while being on the back on a bike, and the closeness this community brings.

Seattle, USA

You are sharing photos of the underground moped scene in Seattle, Washington. Why did you decide to document this? How did it happen ?

I've been photographing the moped scene in the United States and around the world for 13 years. It's a rowdy crowd and pretty tight-knit. So many cities have gangs and those groups will host out-of-town bikers with amazing rides, BBQs, parties, this one had a sort of street takeover - you never know what you're going to get with these bikes.

From your experience, what makes the Seattle moped scene unique and special from other cities?

I've been working on recording interviews of the history of moped culture starting with the first gang that formed in the late 90's in Kalamazoo (The Decepticons). I actually learned that Seattle's Mosquito Fleet was one of the first clubs to pop up after the Decepticons, so I guess what makes them unique from some of the other groups is how established they are. You could tell how close they were, there's a history there. They cooked us amazing food and showed off the best of the city, epic rides.

How did you approach this documentation?

Photographing riders has taught me everything I know about shooting news, events, and candids. Early on I felt really challenged trying to capture the speed and spirit of the bikes when I'd be hanging out. Nothing ever really seemed to do it justice. I tried to get the camera closer and closer to that feeling, I wanted the adrenaline to write itself into the image. I began riding on the back of bikes as a passenger and I love the challenge of snapping pictures, staying balanced, switching lenses while trying to be a good double. I started shooting a wider lens to capture as much movement and action as I could. I'd play with dragging the exposure to capture the speed. Even today that movement... the desire to capture as much as possible with all that real estate remains in any situation I'm in.

Tell the story behind one of the images

The photo of one girl lifting her friend after seeing her for the first time during the rally. The happiness, the joy of seeing someone you haven't seen in a long time, the stuff you share that comes back as you talk -- that connection and motion is what I try to capture. 'Try' is the operative word.

What are some other memorable experiences from the trip?

The Saturday ride was an excellent tour, I hadn't spent much time in Seattle and we rode through downtown and out into the boonies, at one point we rode past a horse farm. Rallies are really about showing off the town and we rode over 100 miles that day. The Sunday ride was meant to be a trip with the mopeds boarding a ferry and a full day spent on an island. I'm a pretty pathetic lightweight though and I missed the early meetup. I heard someone missed a tight turn and went off a hill (I'm told they're OK.)

What were some difficulties you came across while shooting?

Getting used to riding as a passenger again since the pandemic almost broke me. It takes a lot of trust for a rider to just give up control. I've ridden with Kyle to do photos in the past and I trust him completely but I hadn't had that experience since 2019. The first 10 miles or so I was frozen, just fucking terrified. I had to get over that to start shooting. I think a lot of my pictures are taken in that moment, adrenaline is something I like to use.

What's next for you?

Well like I said I've started to record some of the history of the scene; there have been cross-country endurance races, there was a reality show at one point... I want to try to capture some of the stories and do a limited podcast.