some guy's thriftmaster

ok, so i didn't find more time to post before i had to get outta dodge and head to vegas. better half stuck at home, so here on my own. again. most every september. for work. vegas is pretty boring by yourself, especially when you don't really gamble, smoke, or drink.

don't think there will be rain this year, so i might get to more than one local car show this week. if they just planned this meeting later in the month, i could go to the big big car show people keep telling me i should go to. oh well. vegas sucks.

typing this up from a random, relatively new food court, with new and improved vendors--previous vendors here really were vomitous. the restaurant i wanted to have lunch at wasn't open yet, and since i was on the road at four in the morning, and can't get into my room yet, just killing time here.
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the legends show didn't suck. i arrived before the sun came up. before they unlocked the gate on the parking lot. drove on up past the park, enjoying all the cars parked along the street, who must have been there all night.

at least the old cars have big seats, and room to lay down. makes me miss the 1965 oldsmobile tornado my dad had, that was mine for a short time...trips over the mountains and through the woods, to grandmother's house, we went. frickin ten hour drives. but i could lay down in the back seat, or even up front, on the floor by my mom's feet, and look up at the clouds and shadows i could see through the windows. anyway...
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liked this thriftmaster. met a guy named guy, and his girlfriend, still polishing the dust off this car. really nice. seems to be a popular color for these things too, since i've seen others the same shade--is it that year's original color? early morning light is actually making it a bit darker than it should be, or that i remember. maybe i'll tweak it some more when i get back home.

they were nice enough to give me a few minutes to get a shot of it before too many people and cars got in the way. thanks, guy!

busy weekend

man, i'm tired. did the viejitos show on saturday morning, then out to san pedro before dawn on sunday morning. then been busy busy at work since monday. going to vegas next week on business, so i gotta squeeze some picture time in when i can before i go.

barely posted anything from the viejitos show yet, and i have so many good shots, but also have a crap ton of good shots from the legends show. so, i'm just gonna get some of the usual shots i promised to post to certain people first, and get them happy, then do the stuff i really liked/loved.

from sunday. saw this one really early in the day, and had set up to shoot it. nothing else really around, few people, faint light. got half my shots in, and then the owner came around this side of the car and started unloading stuff from the back seat. and left the door open. i waited a few minutes, but the sun was rising, the light was changing, and he still hadn't come back around to close the door. i'm not gonna touch a car, and close it, so gave up for the morning.

came back around later in the day to find it like this. too many people, splotchy, bright light. took a few shots from the front too. really made me regret not asking him to just close the door in the morning. oh well. it's ok. just not as lovely as it was early.

great show overall. was last year, and had expected no less this year. hundreds of cars, no way i could shoot every one of them. but damn near filled up my memory card, and i did burn through a battery. bummer that my better half couldn't go; he would have been there if he could, but had to take care of his mama...responsibility is a heavy responsibility, as he would say.

time to chat

found my way to the viejitos ela show this morning. really didn't want to get out of bed, but expected it to be hot later. and i was awake anyway.

at eight in the morning the lot was already pretty full of bombs. just what the doctor ordered. hurrying, but not hurrying, racing the sun that always wins.

had to take a couple of breaks back under the roof of the drive-in overhang. nice breeze there. waitress even gave me a cup of water. thanks so much.

i was about ready to head home when i was over by this car. liked the hood ornament. the hood was up, so generally would have skipped out on the car. then the owner came over and started talking about other car shows i should check out. big shows in vegas. i happen to be going there week after next on business, but no big shows going on while i'm out there. oh well. i'll see if i can get to the local club shows.

he closed the hood for me, and i shot a few while we continued talking.

really the only one who talked to me, aside from another guy taking pictures with his cell phone, or the guy who said he liked my felix chevrolet shirt. so, i'll post this one first.

san pedro early tomorrow. i gotta get some sleep...and another hard drive.

candylicious

i've seen this chevy around for several years. love the candy apple paint. not a big fan of whatever you call those big metallic swirly things under the handles and on the fenders and elsewhere.

muy bueno

i've seen the famous bueno family impala several times now. another car that i just can't get enough of. so many details. airbrushing, etched chrome and pinstripes all over. can never get up high enough to shoot the roof of these kinds of things.

there's stephanie waiting patiently. i don't know her well enough to know what she's thinking, so i won't presume to guess. we pass each other at shows, and don't say much more than hello. i'm shy. she doesn't seem shy. so it's just me.

other people we ran into at this show expressed happiness that she was there, and getting out, making the effort to be out with people. i imagine it can't be easy.

saw her around the show later in the day, without a camera in her hand. that was unusual.

wheelie

my better half actually talked to the owner of this car while he was taking pictures of it. i heard him say to check out my website, since i actually post way more frequently than he has time to. the owner said i hadn't taken a picture of it. well no, cuz my better half wasn't done with it.

so i did go over and take a few shots after all. 

better half says this guy claims this is one of two ’56 chevys in cali that have been restored to all original parts. he pointed out that there seemed to be an awful new looking radio in there, and wondered about some other parts here and there. i dunno, i didn't look inside.

i posted a couple of other views on flickr, and here, should he be interested in getting a print.

Update on 2014-08-21 02:45 by kathy

according to "big joe", the owner spent 6 years restoring it. "as for the radio it does have the original wonder bar radio in it which you will find many don't. the modern radio is in the glove box because the wonder bar only picks up am stations.." thanks for your comment big joe!

please do not touch

another car for another person who bothered to inquire. sure, she was watching me shoot the bueno car next to it, so she was curious, but she asked what i was doing, who it was for.

told her i'd post something. beautiful car. don't worry, i was gonna shoot it anyway, even if you hadn't said something. print for sale here.

 

sunshine, on his shoulder

the uptown show yesterday was pretty good. this year it was well run, and started on time. even had the staging start on time, as advertised, which i'm sure pleased everyone involved with last year's debacle. guessing maybe three hundred cars showed up.

i knew by five-thirty in the morning that it was going to be a hot day. sun was already coming up, sky clear. last couple of years the morning had been overcast and cool, and allowed me to enjoy the show for a couple extra hours before it got too hot. this year, it was rush and get what shots i could while the sun rose, the light changed, the cars were sitting and waiting in staging. i can't take the heat. fortunately, with this show, i live here. i know where to go to get out of the sun, eat, and can even go home and take a break. hey, gotta download the pictures off my memory cards, so i can go back out and fill them up again, right?

after shooting some of the lucky cars that were able to get in early, my better half and i walked up to the staging area. lots of cars, three lanes wide, just sitting ducks for my camera.

this guy sitting in the cadillac, was first to notice and ask where he could see the pictures, so i'll put a couple of his car up first.

i could make up a story about the text messages he appears to be sending, the "OMG! this chick is taking pictures of my car!," but i'm not going to do that. i'll keep my freaky demons in my head.

anyway, if he happens to want to buy a print (what a concept), he can find them here.

this one has a little too much lens flare, but i like it anyway:

spotlight

so i drove out to the broiler on wednesday, for a change. haven't really been able to get out to many shows on weekdays anymore, so i was hopeful.

i arrived just slightly early, and there really weren't too many cars there. not even the old regulars. saw a couple of people i knew though, so that was nice to catch up a little.

so i shot what cars that were there. then sat on the wall and read email and news on my phone. ran into someone who follows me on flickr, and that's always fun. i'd seen his pictures of cars from previous weeks, which is probably why i chose to be hopeful that there would be cars there to shoot.

anyway, each time i decided it was about time to pack it up, a car or two would drive in. mostly not what i like to shoot. they told me the low riders come in later, and that's what started showing up. not pretty or interesting ones, just plain, old cars. and most of them headed to the back of the lot. ya, and they don't look all that friendly, so buh bye.

i liked this chevy. showing its age, but not adorned with unnecessary details. no pinstripes, at least that i saw. liked the hood ornament too, with the pitting.

really should have stayed until sunset. need to eff with this camera in low light more. still prefer my old camera.

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looking forward to the uptown show in the morning. hoping it will be more coordinated this time. maybe even more of the lowriders will be coming back after the idiocy the organizers pulled a few years ago. i heard they expect about 400 cars. crossing my fingers. better half will be there off and on too, in between taking care of his mom's needs.

and meeting a guy who's buying one of my pictures from the fair. so if you see me just standing around the main intersection around 11:30, come check it out.

shopping cart

this impala was stunning. from the majestics show in lakewood, parked along the back of the parking lot. owner drove up and started polishing it to a high gloss. i waited for a bit, then walked away. then came back after he was done. beauty.

if i could have, i'd put it in that shopping cart and take it away.