what's up?

party time

harley davidson

niece is having her first birthday party behind me. so i guess it's time to go eat cake.

posting this quickly from last sunday's unidos show at walnut high school. i'll write more tomorrow.

hope it was a good friday for everyone.

Update

on 2016-03-27 00:21 by kathy

we bailed out of the azalea festival show, just after noon, just before the sun came out. better half wanted to get lunch and maybe check on his mom. he worries when we leave her alone, before the sun comes up, and she's still asleep.

i offered to drop him off, that i was going to stop briefly over at the unidos show in walnut. he compromised by giving his mom a phone call, and we stopped for lunch first, at the subway near the show, where we usually go after.

i think this was the fourth year i'd been to this show. not sure my better half went last year.

sun was out in full force, and it had really heated up. really sucks, being that this show is on the pavement in the high school parking lot. i was not prepared, no hat, no sunblock.

better half wandered through the cars at the front, i headed to the back lot, and worked my way back. i did end up skipping a few rows...just didn't see anything i wanted to shoot, and i was in a race with myself...how long i could stand the heat.

finally packed it in, when i started feeling my skin tingle with that feeling like bacon frying in a hot pan. i was only slightly pink, but it felt worse.

shot a few bicycles, lots of the old chevys and buicks, but only this one motorcycle at this show. i think the color and the light just caught my eye.

da boyz

quick post. relatives visiting here, and i'm tired. stayed up too late last night, followed by a long day's work.

i did manage to get around to finding the originals east los angeles club, eventually. not hard to miss, with their big banner hanging from the trees.

they're a friendly bunch, and i've gotten to know them a little the last couple of years. armando always says hello, and shakes my hand.

the tall dude with the pepsi, called me over to show me something in his phone. for no reason, and completely randomly, he had a picture of me he'd shot at last year's show. a picture of me taking a picture. at least i didn't look too pissed or squinty or whatever it is my face does when i'm focused on a shot. he even showed it to my better half, when he'd been over there.

i'm pretty sure he added another to his collection, as i shot his car here. shiny car. buffas, they have lots of buffas.

figured it would only be fair, that i'd shoot a picture of all of them. didn't turn out too terribly awful.

keep on knocking but you can't come in...

keeping it short, i've so many pictures to sift through.

arrived at the south gate show about six-thirty in the morning. later than last year, and not so dark out. overcast and cool. still, not so cold that i couldn't dump my light jacket in the car before too long. i'm just running hot lately, and the cold felt good to me.

fewer cars than last year waiting in the lot—only a little disappointing, still plenty to bide the time. a lady at the new registrations table in the middle of the parking lot, came over to ask if we were with a magazine, or who we shoot for. following the usual explanation, handed her a card.

still too early for the gates to be open to anyone, except food trucks and vendors, we cruised around the parking lot, shooting cars here and there, chatting with people we know, and keeping an eye on new arrivals to the lot.

when the gate opened to start letting groups in a few at a time, my better half and i went to the table by the gate, hoping to be let in, as we often are. didn't recognize any of the people organizing the show, and the young girl at the table, most definitely not. she seemed unsure of what to do.

explained we were just there to take pictures, to which she asked if we were with one of the magazines on their vendor list. nope. just wanted to take pictures. would have paid the entry fee, if necessary—we've been to this show several times, and know it to be worth the money.

she went over to ask the people letting cars in, and returned to tell us sorry, no.

so, shrugged and took our place on the same wall as last year. hoped they weren't going to make us wait until the offical open time, around nine or ten, i don't remember; would have just left after shooting what we could—there were other shows to choose from, and it was too early to sit there for several hours doing nothing.

fortunately, there was a food table nearby, so we bought a couple of bfast burritos, and munched on them, while shooting pics and watching the cars slowly ooze by toward the gate. watched a hadley tow guy help an old chevy that wouldn't start, followed by a newer mustang with a flat tire.

here's a smallish video clip i shot while we waited (click on that chevy back end). (click on this bigger is better link to see it in all it's glory.) i should take some time and figure out how to use the video editing program better, but i'm not really that interested in video anyway.

after most of the groups had entered the golf course, we tried asking again, if we could get inside, first from the lady we met when we got there, who sent us over to another guy. talked to the overstressed and tired guy, who'd been up before the sun, directing things, who apologized several times if he wasn't making sense, as he was very tired.

he mentioned they were interested in getting some official photographers and being able to use their work on the official facebook site or something, and somehow my better half agreed to audition, got us on their vendor list, with the promise of shooting not only the cars, but the spectators and band as well.

well, i shot cars. he spent time talking to people, talking them into posing with their cars, and shooting some pics of the first band. i'm not sure how much of our souls he sold to the guy at the gate, but i suppose my better half will post his pics on his web site, which has been neglected for a long time now.

i should take more pics of people. i'm too shy to ask if owners would like to be posers, errr, i mean, want to pose with their cars. so, if you want to throw down some signs next to your ride, just ask.

anyway, i was going to keep this short, and i'm rambling. got plenty more pictures, and a few more stories to tell from this show, so i'll spread the wealth on other posts.

saw the owner polishing this car, as i shot another car some distance away. when he was done, i headed over. still fairly early, and suprisingly, not any people wandering around in the shot, in the morning fog. they're behind me, you can see them in the reflection.

it was just a pretty car, and i knew it was going to be a pretty picture. i could just see it.

brave soul

toyota corolla

made it to the two shows on my calendar yesterday. first up in my sights: the azalea festival.

i'll get to that in the next post. first i wanted to post this completely unusual car, or should i say completely normal car. what the hell is it doing here?

i was on my first go around of the show, a couple of aisles from the entrance. i went counter-clockwise, so i'm saying, i'd already been around three-quarters of the show. that early, there weren't so many cars there.

i guess the owner of this perfectly regular car had seen me taking pictures, when i'd been down his row. he'd walked a couple rows over, just to ask me if i'd take a picture of his car. he described which one it was. i had to ask him a couple of times, not quite sure i was hearing what i was hearing.

finally told him to show me, i was done shooting whatever it was i was currently shooting, so i'll follow you to it. yup. a toyota corolla. the idea of that car being in this show, with all these other wonderful cars, just tickled my brain to no end.

he was completely serious. it's his car. he wanted a picture. here you go. i salute you, brave soul, for bringing that car in, and for asking me to take a picture of it.

rock what you drive...nice rims.

shadow king

i'll just post this picture up from last week, while i wait for this weekend's pics from south gate and walnut high school download. gonna be a while. feeling sleepy too...been up since five a.m. lightly toasted by the sun while at the high school, so my skin is all tingly too.

this picture seems a bit dark on my screen. i think i'll go back in and tweak it a bit after the download is done. nothing like kicking the pixels to make them behave. actually, a lot of my pictures seem a bit dark lately. too much sun, or maybe just my screen.

chevy baby

1957 chevrolet bel air

another week of being away. things got busy, my daughter was still in town. generally exhausted by week end.

i've been away, and unable to post more pics from last week, and i'm already looking forward to tomorrow's show in south gate. should we say, i'm gathering my nuts for a rainy day. they still say rain is coming before summer comes slamming back, with it's wall of heat.

pretty sure i've seen this one somewhere else, though i can't quite pinpoint it in my memory just now.

it was just sitting there, with some space around it at this point in the show, so i took a few shots.

even went back later to shoot the back end. something about it just isn't the right angle to make me happy, but i told the owner i'd post something. the shots are ok, i just know there is a better angle or something, and i know i didn't get it. maybe next time.

lights out

got too late to post last night. fortunately, the power just went out here, in the oc, so i can't do any work. they're trying to find out if the construction site nearby cut a line. awesome.

anyway, back to the blessing of the bombs...

i liked the show a lot. even made a wrong turn off the freeway, and ended up where we needed to be, got a great parking spot. totally was in the neighborhood where my former sister-in-law/comadre lives. only really see her at weddings and funerals now, so didn't stop to see if she was home. probably visiting her mother, since it was sunday. i digress...

we got there about nine-thirtyish. flyer said it started at ten, priest not arriving until after eleven. we took advantage of the open spaces and the cars that were there, which were exactly the kind i was hoping for.

never had been to this park, and my better half took time out to check out the abandoned city pool and the building nearby, where he enjoyed his breakfast/lunch. open space building, with cement picnic tables, and what appeared to be a burned out snack bar at the far end. chicken wire covering the ceiling area; not sure if it was meant to be highly ineffective at preventing birds from nesting, or to give absolutely no confidence in stopping any falling pieces of ceiling concrete or plaster.

the priest arrived with a videographer and photographer, and a few others in his entourage. he carried a bottle of water, aquafina or similar, with the label removed. he used that to fling water at cars, and also people. didn't hit me. that's fine, probably because of the cameras. maybe i'm not worthy. lol. i'll get over it. over it already.

watched the woman in this car being directed by another girl, on how much room she had, before she would hit the curb. i waited until they both got out of the car and off to wherever they were going.

don't shoot a lot of these, but the paint was exceptional, so here's the front end.

power still out. too much longer and the higher ups will bite the bullet and send us plebes home for the day.

bless the bombs

1954 chevy bel air

sorry, this will be brief. it's late, and i gotta an hour to drive before bed.

went to dino's bomb squad's blessing of the bombs show. never been. i'll go again. everything i like, in one place.

heard it's usually a bigger show, but there was plenty to appreciate.

i'll post this shot, since it was the last one i took for the day. yay for the clouds—probably scared some people away, but it didn't rain anyway.

awww, shoot

1953 chevrolet bel air

posting another tonight. i've been away from home too many days. catching up with things.

another from last weeks mini-show at the vfw. such a small show, i felt like i'd crashed a party. someone posted a flyer, so i just took them up on it, and showed up.

i liked the cars, that there weren't lots of people in front of the cars. i think i lot of them were inside, enjoying the freshly barbequed meal being sold at the door. i wasn't hungry, so i didn't buy one.

i'm pretty sure i've seen this chevy somewhere. the sun going down, is whacking the color with a blanket of yellow. throws it off a bit.

hell if i was going to work a third weekend in a row. though, with the workload waiting, i sometimes find it hard to not think about trying to get ahead of deadlines, without being interrupted. it's hard to stop thinking about the work. gotta remember there is a life outside the office.

i gotta get back to weekly car shows, spending time with my better half, and trying to drop a few pounds. i sit on my ass all day in traffic, at the office, in the evening. i need to make some changes. just don't know what.

so shine your cars, or not. i'm in the mood to shoot.

crusty

saw this car between the buildings at the super cruise this past february. it's sort of a POS, but wonderfully full of character. the texture in the morning light is fun. just had to do extreme angles, to keep the cars parked right up next to it out of the picture. hate when they're clumped so close together.

rain is supposed to stay away until drive time monday. great. there are like, four car shows tomorrow, that i'd be perfectly happy going to any one of them. either i pick one, and spend most of the time there, or flit from show to show...the weather is too perfect to not be able to stay out all day. not too hot, not too cold.

i'll end up at my mom's for the night, working my way south. my kid is in town, so i should see if she's there or out with her friends.

work can wait til monday. so much work. i gotta get my request in for vacation time, for time off to go to some more distant car shows too. i want to travel more, got the bug again. any recommendations?