this is from the mother's day show at canyon crest in riverside. not too many cars were there for obvious reasons.
this beauty drove, or should i say purrrrrowled into the show just before they called it a day. it ran very quiet, and after parking, soundlessly dropped down to the ground. damn fine hydraulics i suppose. obviously, i didn't just imagine it...here's the picture to prove it. i think it even won a trophy, but then, with so few cars, maybe everyone won.
door-to-door service to the underworld, or at least to the broiler.
usually, i'll pass by the hearse boys. they're usually newer models, and mostly carry the cliché skelly in a box. i find that not very interesting.
this one was there by itself, and oh, the fins and lights...had to take it.
i don't think there is a bad angle to be had of this caddie. you'll find it several times on this blog, if you look for it. one of my favs, and one of my first cars i shot when i started doing this mess.
my better half just got home and peeked over my shoulder while i was working on this. he especially liked the reflection of the clouds and evening sky on the hood. so, in his style, i cranked it a bit more than i had intended originally. but it does bring out the sunset colors that are so striking, and i popped the damn ghost flames that have always just eluded my lens in all the other shots.
took this at the last show of the year 2010, at ruby's in whittier. the halloween show. oh dear me, i went straight from work, dressed as a leopard. perhaps i can't pull that costume off anymore, and it should stay locked away in the box in the garage. anyway, i can see my distorted reflection, as always, in the bumpers of the cars i shot that day, so there is some record of the last time i intend to wear it.
ruby's show should be starting up on the first friday in may...always a good turnout and variety. can't wait.
here's another car from the fremont elementary school show. back on the playground and in the grass, i think i kinda like it being on a different surface for a change. i do wish there wasn't a car next to it, particularly one with the hood open. but i do like the reflection of the car you don't see in the fender, if you can just ignore that pesky photographer there as well.
that's the owner there, with the thick gold chain. seemed like a nice guy. his wife is sitting in the car, but she kept her head down the whole time. maybe she was reading a book. nice of her to go to the show with her man anyway.
and don't forget my favorite...a hood ornament. this one is called a flying lady.
usually, i hate when cars park nose in, but particularly with these i give an exception — exceptions for exceptional cars. i just love the back end of some of these cadillacs. all pointy angles. did this guy add the funky tail lights from a ’59? i'm not finding another ’61 like this online.
this was from original mike's on sunday. apparently the couple that run the show had a medical emergency, so there was no raffle/prizes. and being still so cold after the rain the day before, a lot of cars didn't stick around long. gotta dangle that carrot of a prize to keep them there.
was told that there are 360° of television screens inside, so you can watch everything from the bar or whatever. well, i don't drink, and i've usually eaten before this show, so i'll take your word for it.
finding an awesome car can be both great and full of suckage at the same time. it's great cuz you're just saying to yourself, "wow! i gotta get me some of that!." i also sucks big time because it usually draws a big crowd of people just milling around it, getting in the picture, asking for the hood to be opened, and the owner to be strutting about proudly.
exactly the problem with this glitter paint tangerine fluorescent caddie. skipped it a few times because of all the folks just standing there in front of it. meanwhile, the sun is going down, and now i know my chances of a clean shot are diminishing, because i'll be needing longer exposures.
i saw it clear of people from across the lot, so hurried back over. then my better half saw it too, and i had to wait for him to get his shots first. nevermind, i like the back end of these babies better anyway. by this time, they were opening the hood for someone to look inside too.
apart from the owner of the mustang next to it constantly polishing it and milling about next to where i was shooting, and me standing in the ditch to get this shot, i still kinda like it.
now this one is just a favor. owner watched me shooting some other car at pep boys, and asked some questions, looked at my prints, and asked if i'd take some shots of his car. told him not with the hood open...he closed it immediately, of course.
well, this one seems the most interesting of the couple that i did take. several people just mosied through the other shots. well, if you like it, mr. owner, send me an email and let me know if you wanna buy a print.
this is one of the regulars at the broiler. typically parks over with the other caddies in the drive-in spots. but here he was in what is becoming one of my more favorite spots to get a nice shot, with enough room between him and the car next to him.
i like that you get different colored lights coming from different sources, neon, passing cars, headlights — they look good on shiny surfaces like the paint on cars.
not quite sure what was going on weather-wise that day, but the sky looks pretty cool, so i'm guessing it had recently rained or was gearing up for rain.
this past friday, i hit three car shows in one evening. they aren't too far apart from each other, so really wasn't a problem. started at chubby's, to which i arrived a bit too early, but was still going to be a really good show. i was told that the week before, about 90 cars showed up. i left early that night, so didn't see them all. gonna start calling this one the chevy show or the latin gents show...that ends up being a lot of what i see there.
then i went to a newer show over at the pep boys. ended up being a lot of the cars that have been missing from the garden grove show, as well as others i hadn't seen before. only bitch about this one is that it's just a parking lot; no scenery to add to a picture, too many cars crammed in, and the owners parking them nose in. makes it difficult to really "see" a car that way. and i really don't like to get in the middle of a bunch of cars with my tripod...it makes the owners nervous.
after that, went briefly to the garden grove show, which has been very light on cars the last few times, in spite of the elvis impersonator show. there were a few that i've taken before, but again, parking nose in or putting a big sign in front of the tail fins that i'd really like to shoot. thanks for nuthin'.
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i've seen this one many times before. at the garden grove show. never like the shots because they usually put a big stupid sign about it out in front, or on the side where the light is hitting the car best, thus ruining the picture. do these signs really add any value, especially at a show they attend often, as far as judging goes? also they have a little stuffed pink panther sitting on the hood. i think everyone can guess why this one is called the pink panther, don't need to reiterate it so many ways. definitely a 'look at me' car.
sign and stuffed animal were also in attendance here, but fortunately on the side that you can't see them. and from this angle, you can't see the damn toy on the hood.
nice flames popping on the hood though, with the sun setting behind me. pretty happy about that.
sign says it's a '47, but looking at other images on the internet, it looks more like a '51 or '52 to me, but what do i know? nuthin. just like taking pictures of your shiny babies.
supposed to rain until the end of the week. i love it. but it sucks...no pictures to take.
anyway, here's a shot of reine's caddy from my first visit to the broiler last year. he's been supportive and encouraging with my work since that first day. so i just wanted to thank him and wish him merry xmas, since i doubt i'll see this caddy again before next year.
so check out so cal tribe member's cars: reine's 1960 cadillac coupe de ville; danny's 1959 chevy impala; and ron's 1963 chevy suburban. was this back before they started their club? i dunno. they usually are together whenever i see them.
this shot from the broiler, in july. the back end is just delicious. below is a shot from a long time ago...actually the first time i ever visited the broiler...but with the tire thinga-ma-bobber on the back, and i don't know why i never posted it before now:
while the wheel thingy is designed to blend into the lines of the car, and is all chromed out, as well as serving to hide an ugly spare tire, it just kills the curves of the trunk. i vote for leaving it off, it's more pleasing to my eyes. but then, it isn't my car, so do what you want. lol.
<begin rant>
i stopped by the broiler tonight. second time in three weeks. big disappointment in turnout. two weeks ago i didn't even bother to get out of the car; today, i figured since i drove all the way out there, i might as well take a few shots, since i was in no hurry. only a handful of cars, and one that i really wanted drove off just before i got back over to it. high fives to the diehards that were there. thanks for saving me from another fruitless drive.
one of the owners said it's too cold. well, what a bunch of wusses. put on a coat why don't you? at least it wasn't raining. sure i know tomorrow is turkey day, but that was no excuse for the other week. and it doesn't only happen at bob's now; just about any evening show, except the one in garden grove is pretty sparse. didn't seem to bother you all last winter.
i think i'm just torqued up because the holidays are coming and they are my least favorite time of year, with forced good will and smiles, and i hate going shopping.
so i'm mostly going to have to hit the weekend shows during the day or sift through my hundreds of pictures i've taken this past year. could be worse.
<end rant>
have a happy thanksgiving anyway. lol.