Mongols Motorcycle Club, New Mexico

Black and white photo of a group of bikers gathered around a memorial site with a flag, flowers, and small items. Some individuals are pouring or holding drinks, and others are standing nearby. The background shows a partly cloudy sky and some trees.

Memorial gathering at San Carlos Cemetery in New Mexico

Someone reached out to me on social media and asked if we could talk on the phone. At first I didn’t know who they were. When we spoke, I learned they were a member of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, and they invited me to photograph a memorial at San Carlos Cemetery on the outskirts of Albuquerque.

This was my first time photographing a motorcycle club. I showed up to document quietly and respectfully, the same way I approach any New Mexico story. Under a big sky, bikes rolled in and lined the fence. Members gathered around the grave, stood shoulder to shoulder, and made space for remembrance. There were moments of ritual, long pauses, and the kind of embraces you only see when people have been through things together.

I wasn’t there to sensationalize anything. I was there to witness what happens when a community shows up for one of their own. These photographs are about presence, loyalty, grief, and the way New Mexico holds all kinds of people and all kinds of ceremonies in the same light.

Four men wearing leather vests with patches and sunglasses standing outdoors during daytime. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club
A black and white photograph of a group of motorcycle bikers gathering around a grave, some of whom are pouring alcohol onto the grave in a memorial service. The background shows a partly cloudy sky and a rural landscape. Mongols MC, New Mexico
A bearded man with tattoos, wearing a leather vest covered with patches, a t-shirt, and a headband, standing outdoors against a mountainous landscape with clouds. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Group of bikers wearing patches and vests, some with masks, gathered outdoors under a cloudy sky. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club. Albuquerque, New Mexico
A group of motorcycle club members gathered outdoors under a cloudy sky, standing behind a wooden cross at a memorial site. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Man wearing sunglasses, bandana, leather vest with patches and badges, standing outdoors with a cloudy sky in the background. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club. Albuquerque, New Mexico
A group of men dressed in black biker vests with patches reading 'Mongols' and 'New Mexico' gather outdoors under a cloudy sky. Some wear bandanas over their faces, standing around a gravesite or memorial. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club. Albuqu
Two men wearing leather vests with patches that read 'Mongols,' 'New Mexico,' and depict a motorcycle, showing an embrace outdoors on a sunny day, with other motorcyclists in the background. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club. Albuquerque, New Mexic
A group of motorcyclists wearing vests with patches, gathered outside the entrance to a stadium called 'Santa Ana Stadium' on a partly cloudy day. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Black and white photo of two men with tattoos, wearing vests and standing behind a metal barrier, with a group of people in the background outdoors under cloudy sky. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Group of motorcyclists gathered near the entrance of San Carlos Cemetery under a cloudy sky. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Two men with sunglasses and tattoos, one with a beard and patches on his vest and the other with a shaved head, standing outdoors with mountains in the background. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Three men wearing jackets with 'MONGOLS' patches on the back, standing outdoors among other people, some wearing masks, with trees and clouds in the sky in the background. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Black and white photo of a motorcyclist wearing a helmet and vest, standing next to a motorcycle, with another rider and motorcycle behind him, mountains in the background, under a partly cloudy sky. Mongols MC, Mongols Motorcycle Club. Albuquerque,