what's up?

nice pipes

1935 ford pickup

this is a random post. at my mom's and this is the only picture i have lurking on here for a rainy day--i've been that busy.

you know a few posts ago, when i said the big project was done and things should slow down a bit? well, what kind of idiot goes to a weekly status meeting and says ya, it seems quieter? that's just a cry to the great beyond to slap down your ass with a shit-ton more work. so yes, i jinxed myself, and the great beyond shat upon my desk.

i mean i have a steady stream of work every day. every day. every day. but then you become suddenly inundated with overlapping deadlines, and juggling priorities, and no desire to put in extra hours cuz you're still trying to recover from the big project. the hamster wheel speeds up.

and then, the drive home, and that cursed (say it curse-sed) five freeway, that road to hell and back. fuck that drive.

so i've been a bit too tired to post fresh tasty pics this week. sorry. responsibility is a heavy responsibility, as my better half says.

i first saw this hot rod, about a year ago, parked by its lonesome, at a here unnamed center of commerce and debauchery. i was walking to lunch, and i've got a pretty good eye for spotting uncommon cars. i saw it from two blocks away, and wondered if it would still be sitting there, and alone, by the time i reached it. remarkably, it was. i only had my cell phone on me at the time, so use what you have.

have since seen it a few times on the streets behind the orange curtain. i've seen pics of it frequently hanging at a certain cars and coffee show. i went to that show once, near an apartment i used to live in, when i used to hit up a car show every day in the summer, two or three on weekends. ya, ninety-nine percent muscle cars, pns cars, and old white guy hot rods. so not what i like. and i certainly didn't remember seeing this one at the time, so maybe it hadn't been built yet.

blah blah. getting sleepy now; i think i only had four hours last night...its so hot...

anyway, getting to the point: this guy was a long way from home, when i saw him zoom by at mooneyes' open house. actually, it makes a lot of sense, since hot rods are what they're about, right?

so i finally got a few shots of the thing with my big kid camera. i actually like the other shot of it better, but this one shows that it actually has four chrome chimneys to play beer pong with, vs two, which is how it seems in the other shots.

nuff said. back to the regularly scheduled programming tomorrow. g'night.

z'fyr

1938 zephyr

quick post, cuz i'm just fried. couldn't sleep last night because it was so hot, and the fans too annoyingly loud to be of any affect. and the air blowing over my skin just tickled me and flicked my hair about often enough to keep me awake. sort of like a little kid pointing his tiny finger at you, and every so often jabbing you in the nose or ear or arm.

i'm sure i got at least a couple of hours of restless sleep, just not good sleep.

wasn't as tired as the guy whose car was sideways on the freeway in front of a semi this morning at five thirtyish. that it wasn't smashed was suprising. almost like the truck happened upon it in the pre-dawn, and was stopped to protect it from other motorists.

but sometimes, i feel like that could be me. just zoning out on autopilot going to work. i need to change my hours, but i just can't see how i can do it, and not hit traffic one way or the other and get back to whittier each day with any day left to do anything.

i'd move my computer to my mom's and stay there more often, if i wasn't so sure that my dad might accidently burn the house down in his increasing forgetfulness.

followed this zephyr into the reeking small baseball field at san fernando. it's like they know there's a show there every year, and the groundskeepers think it's a good idea to fertilize the day before. are they being funny, or do they have a schedule to stick to, to get the grass to grow in time for baseball season next year?

whatever, i stomped back there a couple of times, since as soon as the little group of cars parked, they started polishing and shining the chrome. gotta shoot in between buffs, or come back when they leave to have a look at other cars.

the owner said he had six or seven other zephyrs at home. must be nice to have your own team. i think i'd be too nervous to drive a car that low, that stretched, that nice.

well, off to bedski. g'night.

sfv

1938 plymouth

almost didn't get up for the oldies' show today. knew the heat there can be brutal. after a half an hour of inner arguments, i got my sorry ass out of bed and got ready to go.

out the door a little after five, and with a forty-five minute drive ahead of me, knew i'd lost the sunrise, at least the full dark to that sun peeking over the horizon.

got there early enough anyway, to catch some of the golden hour. almost didn't get in the gate. usually, no problem, no question, pay my way in, and get to work.

this year, i'd arrived just as the gates opened for clubs, and no one at the gate recognized me. they seemed confused as to how to handle a photographer that didn't work for a magazine, simply wanted to shoot for the love of the cars. i guess the main confusion was in my wording of, "can i come in now," implying that i wanted in for free. nope, fully prepared/expecting to pay, just let me in before the sun gets too high.

in the end, after the question getting passed through about three people, the guy one called, "grampa" let me in for ten, though i would've paid the thirteen advertised. so thanks to all of those people that figured it all out, and helped me get in.

probably the closest i've come to being turned away at a show. i would have just stayed out on the street for a little while, shooting the cars passing by, as they waited in line at the gate, since that was where i was parked, first on the curb. certainly would have left a hell of a lot sooner, because it really did get to warm to be in the sun for long periods of time.

at least there were shady areas, with cool breezes, for a change from the normal weather there. and with the fire in santa clarita, a few miles away, the breeze blew away that smell of burnt wood and ash within the first hour.

blah blah blah.

ok, this was the second year in a row, out of about five years that i'd been there, and it was slow to fill up. first couple of years, it was packed, with cars lined down the street and around the block. i dont' know why many of the shows lately are so lightly attended that early, unless you consider the partying the night before.

well, i just go with it, and the cars that are there get all my love, with room to move around.

this plymouth was being polished when i walked by the second time, and i momentarily waited for him to take a break from the job. i think he said it belonged to his uncle or cousin, who also owned another car that was later parked in front of it. told him i'd come back later when he was done.

i did, but i like this earlier shot better than the later ones. there was space around it to get a decent shot, and no people.

the kid was interested in seeing what i shot, but i explained that it was multiple exposures, so he wouldn't really be that impressed by one frame. told him i'd post it, so here you go.

i like the playing cards that were blowing randomly down the street. guessing from the newer, fancier cars around the corner with the mirrors and fuzzy material under their vehicles. one did have a pack of card strewn about on the blanket.

hot hot hot

1948 chevy stylemaster

engraved wiper thingyi think this was the last shot of the morning, before the sun officially became a pain in the ass at the imperials' show.

simple chevy, with just the slightest embellishment on the wiper blade arms.

do they consider this a panel truck, or just a wagon. i'm not sure.

it's sticky out there. sticky in here too. no air conditioning and fans blowing hot air around sucks. just want to walk around nekked, but i can't. don't think my mother-in-law would appreciate it as much as my better half undoubtedly would.

at least the big job at work is out the door, and best of luck with that, so i can get back to fiddling with my pictures.

hoping to go to san fernando tomorrow, but it's gotta be way way early, since it's going to be hot out there. i hope, i hope they will let me in early, its a bit of a drive. but i would turn around if they say no. i'll either get busy shooting, or i get busy driving. gonna be too hot to wait around. all depends on who is minding the gate.

busy day

chevy truck

spied this wonderously painted truck driving past mooneyes a couple weeks ago. watched it go through the intersection, and turn into the parking lot of the offices across from all the action at the burger joint. by the time they showed up, it was pretty hopeless to find parking anywhere else.

the lot was bordered by short hedges, but tall enough to conceal a few gems, if you just scanned for where all the spectators were congregating.

look at that pinstriping and airbrushing job. just in awe. or awwww.

crazy busy at work this week. should let up quite a bit next week. thinking of asking for a few days off, to fly out and see my brothers, or north to see my daughter and her new doberman puppy.

winner, winner, chicken dinna

1962 chevy impala

this guy asked about my pictures, and asked that i don't forget to take a shot of his and his friend's cars. not sure which car belonged to who, since i didn't write it down; but for sure it belongs to one of them. i'll add the other, a sixty three, in a little while.

after another hectic week at work, we made it out to the fair yesterday. great day, great weather. would have been perfect for a car show...like the white wall nationals. but a girl can't be everywhere at the same time, and my better half was sort of on call to go in to work, so we went to costa mesa.

second day the fair was open, and we wanted to go see my stuff hanging in the photography building. found the first, a picture of one of the dancers blessing the cars, from the dia de los muertos car show back in october. no dice, i mean no ribbon. still looked good hanging there.

then over to the where the transportation pics were...same area as last year...in the corner. there's an impala, there's a fleetline; nope and nope. and there's a nineteen fifty two chevy hood ornament. yes! a ribbon! and not honorable mention! third place. good enough. never have done better than a mention, so yay, right?

and then there was one more picture to find. and we both had a brain fart, and couldn't remember what we were looking for. lol. so, while my better half called his mom to tell her the news, i had to search my phone for the entry tag, since i just couldn't picture what it was in my head at all. finally found it, and took a few minutes to locate it, but there it was, a lighthouse, in the landscape section. and nope.

so, one bigger ribbon out of five pictures hanging on the wall is good. better half's mother was overjoyed, but they're both just that type of people. i called my mom. my dad answered gruffly; he was waiting for a call from an air conditioning repairman. heat makes you pretty grumpy. my mom got on the phone quickly, and she was happy about it, but had to get off the phone quickly.

my dad doesn't have the best of hearing, and i don't have the best communication skills. i think i'm out of his auditory range most of the time, so it's just easier to let my mom translate info to him. apparently it didn't translate all the way, as he sent an email at some point in the afternoon, asking if i'd sent a picture of the first place shot and ribbon, so he could get bragging rights with the relatives. no dad, just third place. don't be too disappointed.

1963 chevy impala

sunny

1936 chevy

as usual, working my way through a few promised pictures, not going in any particular order. going pretty slowly: the time spent in traffic, the workload, my constant state of not quite fatigue, and my better half preventing me from having time to work on my pictures. better half simply reminding me that its already late and i should get some sleep. maybe i have insomnia. i have a hard time falling asleep, unless i'm completely exhausted or completely relaxed. i guess i will be posting when i post for a while. all i need is time, and its on the short end for a while.

firme bombs plaqueby the time i got to this car, the sun had burned through the clouds, and was climbing pretty quickly. it is purely by chance that you are where you are as the sun rises and you see how the light is hitting things. just have to shoot what's in front of you in that moment.

i remember the way the sun was hitting this car and the one next to it, from the other side of the car. it was nice, but there was also a pop tent behind them, and i just couldn't get low enough to get it out of the shot, and time was a-wastin'

as i've said before, turn around, look the other way. there might be something interesting you won't notice if you don't look.

so this was a better angle for this car. the trees framed it better. and i like how they sort of filtered the sun, keeping it from flaring out or just being a white blob in the clouds, adding some definition.

thanks

chevy deluxe

just a quick thank you to the guy and his friends that let my better half hang out with them for a while, as i spent time taking more pictures. the sun came out, it got hot, and he was done. i hope you enjoyed his jokes.

and thanks to the imperials guy at the gate, who let us go early. i know the show didn't officially start until eleven, but it really is the best time for shooting pictures. always cross my fingers that we'll be able to get in, versus being out on the sidewalk shooting the cars driving by.

been a long day, another hard week ahead. gotta get to bed.

Update

on 2016-07-13 00:49 by kathy

edward [owner] writes:

A weekend with the wife turned into a purchase of this car; instead found this vehicle, a gentleman from San Francisco had just purchased it from an estate sale. The man had it running— keep in mind stereo-type project car—picture this, all primer beige with red stock rims, black front grill and rusty, missing outside moldings, etc. and interior 2 bench seats with torn headliner...not a nice sight but a nice canvas to start with.
The owner at the time had a 1964 Chevy Impala that needed interior work to be done to complete his own project, which was why he was selling the 1952 Chevy Styleline Deluxe.
My wife is a trooper, my better half—lol. She has been through it all with me she and loved the car. She gave me the Green Light to make the purchase but under one condition: that I started the vehicle and didn't stop until it was completed, because she didn't want it to go through the process, then stop in the middle and let it sit without completion... Oh, also I owed her a real weekend get away in San Francisco again. LOL
A 4–5 year build but well worth it. My wife and I enjoy the shows, the cruising, and the stories told...Thanks again to Kathy and her Husband. See you again out there—good times!

old times

1956 pontiac wagon

yes, i went to the imperials show this morning. yes, i took a lot of pictures. yes, i have filled my hard drive to the point that i cannot do anything at the moment. typical. takes about six months to fill the internal drive, and now its seven. imagine if i'd gotten out more, like i used to, i'd have had this problem a lot sooner.

so, i am doing some shuffling of files to various backup drives at the moment. will have to wait until later to really get a good look at what i shot today. maybe it will go faster and without a hitch, than i think it will; or i will overwrite files i shouldn't. it is the most dangerous part of taking so many images—their fates literally depending on a length of wire and an external box of whizzing, whirring, electronics.

not sure which is more reassuring: the old rolls of film and print hard copies, or the ability to backup without loss of quality, zillions of images, that may never be seen, save by my better half and/or his mom. then where to store all of these black boxes, much less worry about what happens to them when i am gone. my kids won't necessarily give a rat's ass about them, aside from family pics. well, i won't be around to care.

here is art's car from the bombs magazine show a couple of weeks ago. no one was hanging in their pop tent at the time, so took the shot, and kept moving on.

time to move some more files...

florence

motorcycle

made it out to mooneyes open house today, relatively early. sun didn't come out from the overcast for a couple of hours, but it did feel humid. way fewer people in the way at this show if you get there early.

its a popular show, but there really isn't anywhere for people with cars to park. they jam into the lot of the hamburger joint on the corner. there were other business lots that were taped off, that weren't last year. the lot of a flooring showroom on the other side of the intersection was taped off, but cars were parking in there—one of the other photographers i talked to figured they must know the owner. that, or they said they would make him an offer he couldn't refuse.

other cars parked along the side of the street, or in what other parking lots where businesses seemed to be closed. some parked on the street, but didn't pay attention to the no parking signs, so cops had to find the owners to move them. only option for anyone else was to keep cruising up and down the street until a spot opened up, or they got bored and left.

we started shooting at the burger joint, walked down past mooneyes, then back to the burger joint. same bunch of cars there, so we crossed the street to shoot a blue truck i'd seen passing by, and also found a few others parked in that lot with him.

then, crossed at the light with another photographer with a huge lens, who seemed interested in shooting video rather than pictures, at least that's what my better half said.

found this bike in the lot with the flooring store. tavertine. carpeting. tile. didn't need any of that today, but they appeared to be open for business. now if they had been selling some water, i'd have bought that.

took a couple of shots of this bike, then went to shoot a purple truck. while waiting for some people to move out of the shot, the owner of the bike came over to ask where he might see a picture. gave him a card. here it is. wish the goober on the left wasn't just standing there gawking. i think he followed me around for a little while. haven't looked at a lot of the other pictures closely, but i wouldn't be suprised to find him hovering around in them too.

found a shady spot nearby, that actually had a nice, cool breeze blowing through, where we took a break before heading down this side of the street and back to the car. better half insisted that i take a swig of his drink.

he likes diet snapple, which i do not like, and which was not cold, but it was wet. he'd rather i choke that down than have a heat stroke. he also said, "39jimbo wasn't there to give me a cold one." i argued that there was a case of water in the car, but he argued that i wouldn't make it back to the car, so...gagged down half a bottle of the stuff. warm rasberry. i'd give it a warm rasberry.

imperials show tomorrow. and dam, it's after ten, so i better get to bed.