People who know Michael often describe both the person and the artist with one word: passion. For over 20 years, Lichter has channeled his fervor for living, riding, and the biker lifestyle into his photographs. Michael's journey with photography began in 1968, but it was in 1976 that he fell in love with motorcycles after a ride on a friend’s Knucklehead chopper. He purchased a used 1971 Shovelhead in 1977 and is still riding it today.
In the late 1970s, Michael merged his twin loves of photography and motorcycling, capturing images of fellow bikers and submitting his first photos to Easyriders Magazine in 1979. He became known for shooting photos while riding his trusty Shovelhead. To date, Michael’s photographs have been featured in over 800 magazine articles and graced around 60 magazine covers.
One of Michael’s most cherished subjects has been the Sturgis Rally, which he has been documenting since 1979. His photos offer a vivid chronicle of the rally's evolution and the broader biker culture over the past three decades. Through Michael’s lens, many have witnessed the transformation of the biker lifestyle.
Reflecting on his journey during his induction interview in 2005, Michael said, “After more than 20 years of participating in and photographing the rally, I have seen it change just as I have seen myself change. I was younger and wilder, just as the rally was. We were both naïve and a little less worldly. The town outgrew its geographical boundaries years ago, so that it is no longer a town; it is a phenomenon. It is a feeling inside. It is still a destination, but it has come to represent the journey. It stands for all that motorcycling is, for all that motorcycling can be.”
