xmas spirit

i'd intended to go to a couple of shows today. made it only to this one at the santa ana elks club. was going to also hit up the john force show, but as i approached the freeway ramp, the radio was reporting a big truck spin out up the highway and a motorcycle cop had just got on the freeway and began the zigzag pattern...didn't feel like driving the surface streets out there, so i skipped it. maybe next year. i guess i'll peek at dave lindsay's pics when he posts them.

anyway, as soon as i walked into the lot, i met up with danny, from one of the clubs at last week's show. he's interested in shots of his club's cars, several of which were there. i'll see if i like any of them another day.

the guy that belongs with this truck also asked if i could take a picture of it. said it was the first time he'd had it out since his dad died. well, i would have even if he hadn't asked. it's a pretty clean ride.

interesting zebra stripey airbrushing pattern and big red bow on the front. might have liked it better if it wasn't parked next to a white iron fence, which reflects on the paint and just confuses the eye with the competing zebra pattern.

i think it was a member of one of the host clubs for the show. hope he sees this. i threw a card on the seat.

golden oldies

the sign in the back window of this beauty says classic oldies—i assume the car club, not just a statement of opinion. this one and the black and gold one behind were just amazingly perfect examples of rolling art. simply awesome. what more can i say?

envy

today, my former brother-in-law died...that's all i want to say about that.

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yet another car from the viejitos show; i've got a few more to share before i let it go. this car's not perfect, but i like it anyway—a bit of character. found it hiding at the back of the lot.

sunny side up

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.

hoochie mama

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.

spill the wine

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.

in the still of the night

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.

bloody mary

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.

give thanks

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.

fresh and fruity

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.