Liam Kennedy
Liam Kennedy is a photojournalist and documentary photographer based in New York City. He began his career as a photographer when he joined the United States Navy in 2012 and discovered his passion for photojournalism after documenting the aftermath of natural disasters, including Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and Hurricane Irma in the Virgin Islands.
Kennedy has pursued a career in photojournalism since leaving the service in 2020 and has documented the tornado that ravaged Mayfield, Kentucky; Black Lives Matter protests; the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi; and the war in Ukraine. In 2026, he published his first monograph, SHAKEDOWN (Fall Line Press), which explores the intersection of modern biker culture and the American road trip over a period of 10 years and 65,000 miles.
Kennedy is a 2026 Stabile Fellow in Investigative Journalism at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and an alumnus of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, where he studied photojournalism and political science. Alongside his studies, he contributes to outlets such as The New York Times, National Geographic, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, USA Today, Mother Jones, ABC World News Tonight, and Radio Free Europe. His work has been recognized by the International Photography Awards for his inclusion in Ukraine: A War Crime, published by FotoEvidence Press, as well as by Syracuse University, the Tennessee Press Association, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
A group of bikers ride through the plains of Wyoming during the 82nd Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota on Aug. 5, 2022. This annual rally began in 1938 as an event for stunts, hill climbs and races.
Bikers stretch and refuel their gas tanks on the side of highway 60 in Missouri on their way to Mexico April 27, 2019.
Ethan Sarvis, left, helps pull Willy Jones to a gas station in Missouri after he ran out of gas on April 27, 2019.
Tom Westfall’s casket is loaded onto a flatbed trailer beside his panhead chopper. Tom was 22 when a driver tragically t-boned him in his car while he was on his way home.
Willy Jones removes a master link from a chain at a gas station.
Bikes line up under the welcome to Colorado sign at the border of Kansas and Colorado.
A participant in The Race of Gentlemen, kick-starts his race bike on the beach of Wildwood, NJ.
A flag girl jumps and waves the start flag to kick off a race of two vintage motorcyclists down the beach of Wildwood, NJ
Participants at The Race of Gentlemen in Wildwood, NJ gather to help Mike Silvio, a racer whose kicker cover busted on his race bike, within an hour Silvio was back to racing.
Josh Kohn, a participant in the annual Race of Gentlemen, does donuts with his flathead race bike in the sand of Wildwood, New Jersey on Oct. 5, 2019
Josh Kohn, a participant in the annual The Race of Gentlemen, does donuts with his flathead race bike in the sand of Wildwood, New Jersey on Oct. 5, 2019
A participant in the annual Race of Gentlemen, takes a nap next to his race bike in between qualifying runs.
Members of the motorcycle club “The Tramps,” stop and look out at the Mackinac Bridge that connects Michigan to the Upper Peninsula. Every other year, The Tramps participate in a run named “Tramp Trip” where they ride as a club and shakedown their new motorcycles, often over the course of a thousand miles in a weekend.
John Meeks, right and Mississippi Lou “surf” their motorcycles during a campout in Northern Alabama July 2020.
The sun rises through the mist at an off the grid camp spot in Northern Wisconsin.
Daymon Woodruff, executive vice president of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, rides a mini bike through a stack of beer cans for his birthday in Sturgis, South Dakota on Aug. 11, 2020.
Andrew Irby opens his mouth while riding his shovelhead chopper and eating a sandwich.
Warren Stoddard, forward, and Dan Johnston sleep in a dirt canyon in Terlingua, Texas while on their way to San Felipe, Mexico.
Warren Stoddard, left, and Dan Johnston have a conversation over breakfast outside of a gas station in Terlingua, Texas. Many mornings on the road are spent covering the route for the day and eating a diet that consists of coffee, bananas, beef jerky or whatever mystery meat sandwiches are available from deli counters.
Warren Stoddard, right, fixes his 1968 Harley Davidson FLH in the roof of a Red Roof Inn after breaking down on his way to Mexico in Tucson, Ariz., on April 29 2021.
Bikers show off their tattoos during a party in a Red Roof Inn motel room in Tucson, Ariz.
A group of bikers ride along the pacific ocean through Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico on their way to San Diego, Calif.
Andy “Dirty” Burnell crosses the Mackinac Bridge on his way to Strongs, Mich.
Dirty Dick Nick Rettig poses for a portrait displaying his various face tattoos. Rettig is a “one-percenter” a term that came about after the 1947 Hollister riots when the American Motorcycling Association said 99% of motorcyclist are law abiding citizens while the one percent are outlaws.
Dirty Dick Nick Rettig poses for a portrait displaying his “cut” or vest signifying his club colors. Rettig is a “one-percenter” a term that came about after the 1947 Hollister riots when the American Motorcycling Association said 99% of motorcyclist are law abiding citizens while the one percent are outlaws.
Kashion Burt and Ben Winston nap in the grass besides a shovelhead chopper in the North Georgia mountains during the annual Georgia Grundle Run motorcycle campout in Ranger, GA on Sept. 19, 2021.
Warren Stoddard bathes himself with a gardening hose during the annual DOJO party in Birmingham, Alabama.
A man displays his cartoon tattoo tramp stamp in Costa Mesa, Calif.
A child flips gives the bird while standing next to a homemade sign at Sturgis, SD.
Mara Ohara, left and Adri Law dance during a concert at Sturgis Buffalo Chip in Sturgis, SD.
Beers, cocaine, money and helmets litter the table of a hotel room in Orange County, California during a motorcycle event.
Ship, an amputee, sits in a sidecar modified by Justin Dee to take him on his first motorcycle ride since he lost his leg in an accident.
Myles Harris rides a chopper he built down the backroads of Northern Georgia.
Bryan poses for a portrait while on a motorcycle trip in the upper peninsula of Michigan.