PAGNOL X CINEMATOGRAPHER MIKE FLORES

Next up for our Pagnol creative riders series, cinematographer Mike Flores. 

Besides being a top notch cinematographer, Mike is also the builder of this awesome BMW K100 featured on Bike Exif and seen all over social media, a bike that caught our eyes before Mike decided to get his Pagnol gear. We connected later and the rest is history.

Here is an interview with him and see his full gallery we shot at the Los Angeles police headquarters....after hours, HERE with his M2 jacket, M3 pants and M4 gloves.

What did you do before cinematography?

Before I was a cinematographer, I worked for an off-road racing team as a prep mechanic. It was not glamorous, but it gave me a strong appreciation for the feeling of accomplishment one gets from working with their hands. I missed that feeling, which led me into wanting to build my own bike.

Why build your own bike? why this BMW?

I wanted to build my own bike for many reasons, but I think the first and foremost was my wanting to have something that no one else did, built to my taste. I loved the boxiness and 'architecture' of the K100 engine and tank, and knew that I could build it into something that looked and performed well. I also knew that I could prove a lot of people wrong by turning what a lot of people consider an ugly bike into something aggressive and cool looking. 

Well dam! mission accomplished! you are definitely doing great justice to that brick engine!

Did you started riding before or after your cinematography career? 

After. 

I had a dirt bike when I was younger and would ride it in the desert with my family (a '93 RM 80 as I recall). I stopped riding sometime in high school, and only rode sporadically in the dirt until I was 30. I had always wanted a high performance street bike, but thought people that rode on the street were crazy (to battle it out with cars). But when I was exposed to vintage bikes and cafe racers I knew that I needed to put my reservations aside and go for it - to live life on my own terms, dangerous or not. So I was pretty well established in my career by the time I started riding road bikes.

How do you think riding a motorcycle and creativity are related? 

I think that riding and creativity are very much related, at least for me personally. I've found that some of my best work has come from moments when I wasn't overthinking what I was doing... just sort of flowing with what I was shooting and looking for special moments of light -- and the same thing has happened when I've had a really great ride, connecting turn after turn smoothly for miles. I think it's from turning off the section of my brain that makes me fearful, and just relying on my instincts.

You are a freelance creative, do you see a relationship in that and being a motorcycle rider?

Absolutely! As a freelancer and as a moto rider, you're alone out there finding for yourself. Literal survival depends on making smart decisions and being good at what you're doing. 

And there is the FREE on freelancer and the freedom one finds while riding and managing your own gigs!

What draw you to Pagnol?

I consider myself a minimalist, as well as someone that's attracted to really great design. I also wanted gear that would actually protect me if I went down. Pagnol ticks all these boxes for me.

Thank you Mike, it's been a pleasure working on this feature with you!

Paulo Rosas

Pagnol