this belongs to the president of the viejitos club. he seemed like a nice guy, welcomed me right away, but that's what you'd expect from the host of the party. he asked if i'd taken a shot of his car, "the brown convertible up at the front." at the time, no, i'd just arrived, but i did go back up to the entrance and take a couple of shots.
i can't recall that i've seen another convertible like this one. i haven't decided if i would have rather shot it with the top down, or just as i found it.
another incredible car from yesterday's show. this one from the sons of soul car club, is black, with brown paint, covered with rainbow flake paint over the wheels and on the roof, pinstriping on the inside and out by kelly n sons, an airbrushed painting on the backseat. the painting on the window names it "hoochie mama." i found it visually stunning and practically perfect in every way.
today a went to only two shows, skipped the third by choice. wanted to see stuff i don't usually see. this one is from the viejitos cruisin on a sunday afternoon show over in fullerton. i've seen a few of their cars here and there, but was interested to see what a show hosted by them would pull in.
i was not disappointed. a virtual chevy buffet, some of los angeles and orange county's finest showed. and the people were very nice too. i was greeted by the president of the club when i got there. as i walked about and shot the bunch that were there initially, other clubs showed up and filled the lot, until they were parking two cars wide up the aisle. it was really not a huge lot, and i had to park down the street.
several people came over to talk to me, and ask to be sure to get their cars. guess i'll be busy over the next few days posting some. and there were so many more extraordinary cars that came out, i'll be busy for a month on just this one show if i wanted.
anyway, the owner of this car, who happens to be the guy taking a picture of his friends, found me at the front of the lot, and specifically asked if i had taken any of his car. at that point, no, i had passed it by, because the hood was up. he went directly back and closed the hood, just for me. it had a nice big chromed engine, but no interest for me.
i took several shots, but this one was my better half's pick of the bunch. hope you like it.
so i made a quick stop at the show over in garden grove for the first time since last year, probably. a lot of people had split off and started other shows because of some dispute with the organizer and the shops over at this show.
considering it was a holiday weekend and i had arrived later than usual, there were a fair number of cars compared to the last few times i can remember being there. no where near what it was when i had started going to this show. and quite a bit dark, without a lot of street light, depending on what part of the street i was at.
i intended to only be there a short time, so did a quick walk thru before bothering to pull my camera out. i was stopped on the way back by a couple of people whom i've met before, who said they'd seen me go by; sorry if i didn't see you on the way in—i was seeing without seeing—looking at the cars, lighting and locations, not the people. i didn't really mean to be rude, just trying to maximize my time and figure if there was anything i wanted to shoot. but i did see you on the way back up the street, so sorry about that first trip.
i only shot a couple of cars. this one and a mercury monterey. and people were walking up to the monterey while i was shooting, and stood there arguing over what year it was and talking car geek talk. they finally went around to the back of the car, but made me wonder if they were obtuse or purposely standing there.
anyway, this one might be with the latin gents, who had their cars parked nearby. many with hoods up, so, so sorry, no shots of them tonight. no one seemed to be really looking at this one, so i took this shot. thinking the other side would have been more interesting with the nearby shop's neon signs, but that side of the car was pretty dark, so this is the one.
hoping to hit three shows tomorrow, but my shoulder is hurting, so i don't know if i will be able to lift my bag. we'll see.
ok, so maybe too many warm, red cars lately, but i had this one ready to go, so deal with it. i'll post something from the other side of the color wheel tomorrow. maybe subconsciously i'm wishing for the warmer days, now that winter is moving in again? nah. i like it cooler, able to bundle up and keep warm. in the summer, once you're down to that last layer of clothing, you can't get any cooler even when you take it all off.
i like the car, but the color...red is a bitch to shoot sometimes. too saturated, loses a sense of detail. might also be because of the time of day and the position of the sun on this one. bright, tomato red, with pinstripe detailing.
front end was up against that truck practically, and not that interesting. i like the chrome contrast on the back, and even the tail lights on these, but haven't decided if the spare wheel attachment adds or subtracts from the look, but at least it's all matchy matchy.
ya, i know it's not vintage. but it was at the ruby's car show. thanksgiving in a couple of days, so i just thought it would be fitting to show the fire department some love too.
not quite sure what station this puppy comes from, but it happened to be out on the edge of the show, with no fire boys around, so i took a shot. don't know why i don't shoot them when i see them, except i'm shy, and well, i just don't.
the boys in the big red trucks are usually the first to show up when you have an emergency, so give'em a big thank you next time you see them.
and if you asked my better half about his favorite story of fire boys and me, he'd tell you the one about a lady apparently having a heart attack at an in-n-out burger. all those guys there to help looked they could have jumped off one of those calendars; well, except for that last guy that came in...meh. anyway, he'd say that i would've thrown myself on the floor and whine about a pain in my chest too...must be confusing me with his cousin–she's the one who actually used to go out with those guys.
the owner of this t bucket was one of a couple of people that came over to talk to me at this show in pasadena this past summer. the usual question: are you a professional photographer? my usual response: just a hobby. really am not in the mood to sell sell sell. she did ask if i sell my pictures; of course, if you're interested.
i suppose she's given up hope of seeing it by now. i think at the time, i'd already posted another t bucket or two, and hesitated posting yet another so soon. orange you glad it's here now?
she also pointed out her husband's car, which was parked on the other side of the other car there on the right. turned out to be some kind of muscle car i can't recall right now. hood was up, so i passed it by, so don't hold your breath on that one. :)
don't know why my price scares people away, i don't think it's that outrageous, unless you compare it to others, who must be selling cheap or just giving them away. i actually have had people ask me to give them a print for nothing. do they consider the cost of good paper or how expensive ink is? and i don't print on my desktop, typically; i send mine out for a more professional output.
everyone's a photographer nowadays. look around. people with incredibly expensive cameras, with no clue how to really use them. figuring paying more money will automatically generate a better picture. just a status symbol. might as well be flashing rolexes or pimp daddy jewelry around—either way, i am unimpressed. whatever.
i do what i do. if you can get the same shot from someone else, by all means, go ahead, and be happy with it. kinda thinking about closing this here digital garage. costs me more to keep it going than i've ever made back on prints.
but not quite yet. i'm still getting my yayas out of posting them, whether anyone looks or not. more of a visual journal for me than anything. and, heck, gives my better half a glimpse into inner thoughts i mostly don't verbalize out loud. keeps me sane as much as anything. i think i'm just going through a period of dark and twistiness...the holidays are coming...and he knows how much i'd rather go hide in my closet until they're over.
darn rain. love it, but not when i plan to go to a show. weather guys can't call the weather right either. stupid idiots.
anyway, i tried to stop at hooters on friday night...no rain, as was previously predicted...apparently no real show. not the first time either. think i'll stop trying this friday night show anymore. there were two cars over by the tommy's burger, very nice, but i didn't feel like setting up without asking if the owners minded—and i assume they were having a burger and wondering where the hell the other cars were, just like me.
would have stopped again at hooters for their monthly show today, but by the time it would've/should've started, the rain had finally arrived. and it poured. so, pfft.
so now, i'm going to just play with my cars all evening, since my better half needs to get some work done, and i apparently distract him, so i'll leave him alone in the other room.
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here's a rat rod i saw a couple of weeks ago at the broiler. sun really is setting early by the time i get there now. doesn't bother me; just the people that get in the way, walk through the shot, and aren't polite enough to move out of the way. at least these people were on the other side of the truck in this shot; they'd already messed up a previous shot, and were heading back this way, so at least i got one ok pic. they couldn't hear me yelling "numbnuts" and worse under my breath, which is probably a good thing.
i only went to a few shows at ruby's over the season, for whatever reason. several times i went and saw this cadillac parked out on cadillac row, always with several others of similar year—not sure if it was a club, or just guys that knew each other. and each time there was another photographer guy that had obviously been asked or hired to shoot pics of the cars. each time, i'd stay out of his way, and just keep walking, and other times got the chin nod. guess i get to be a familiar sight after a few shows.
so, i was surprised to find the cars here on the last night of the year, the photog no where in sight. this was toward the end of the evening, so people had moved more towards the front of the show. i can't quite remember if the owner was nearby this time around...it was a busy night; owners of these types of cars are usually hovering in the vicinity to be sure nothing happens to their babies.
well, i suppose i'll never see the shots the other guy took, but here's mine.
geez i'm tired. wanted to post something though. this good enough?
i was taking a picture of another car when i heard this one pull up behind me. easy enough to just do a 180 and i'm set to take another picture, thank you very much.