september skies

i was looking back through my collection, and found this one from last september. its only been about a year that i've really been taking these type of shots, and i can see improvement in the how i do them now, but back then i was shooting just about any car i saw at a show, mostly from low points of view. i still do shoot low, but don't always shoot so many cars.

i pulled this one because its the time of year i am looking forward to: the weather changes to fall; supposedly it will get cooler; stormy weather, or just generally more cloudy; the sun sets earlier until they f**k with the clock...so many more possibilities to add interest to an image without even trying.

california summer sun is pretty boring in comparison. harsh shadows, clear skies, hot hot hot.

i love this shot, catching the setting sun on the clouds, and the color spectrum shift, the further the clouds are from the sun.

this time of year also means time is running out on many of the shows, as they wind down in october, to avoid the cold and the rain.

i don't think i've seen this particular truck again at this show, but maybe it's just because i'd walk past it now.

gonna be a busy week; hoping to post some stuff, but not making any promises either.

double-double

i had a good time at this show in garden grove. was stopped several times by people asking about photography and talking about the cars. i am getting a little better at chatting, though i am always going to be better at listening, and some of the stories they tell really are interesting. at least i was at this show early enough, that i wasn't watching the light change too much while i listened.

check it out. love the back fins and lights on these older cadillacs. and i saw two of these on the same day, in different cities. weather was perfect for hitting the car shows on this evening...had really cooled off by and there was a cool breeze.

this one was up at the end of the street, not next to any other cars, so i had free reign to take shots from all sides. i couldn't figure out who the owner was; there was an old guy with a polishing cloth, but there was also a younger woman with a kid nearby. i finally decided by listening to their discussion that this was her inheritance, but gramps still got to play with it. they were trying to tell the kid about taking care of it and it would be his some day. at least that's what i overheard while minding my own business. some of the things i hear...sometimes i just pick up and move to another car.

after this show, i headed up to the ruby's show in whittier. i cut up the surface streets through garden grove, caught the freeway, exited and cut through santa fe springs, where i spotted the second one of these 59 caddies at a random gas station. and later found it at the ruby's, in what's become the cadillac aisle, in the back corner.

desoto de nada

this was at the enderle center classic car show last week. i'd never seen one, and this one was just a fine example.

from the side, it looked like a lot of other cars of its time, so the thing that really attracted me was the front. i guess its pretty nondescript, but i liked it. i like the lettering, the way the headlights stick out, even has a hood ornament, so i'm a happy camper.

bubblegum

this was practically parked front and center at the whittier uptown show, at one of the main intersections. was hard not to notice it. of course the girly girls liked this one, just because it was pepto pink, but since i'm no girly girl, i liked it just because it was cool.

with those teeth up front, it does look like it could take a good bite out of you, if you don't move out the way.

i need to figure out what kind of car this is, for my own info. you'd think by now, i'd recognize them, since i have a few in my collection...

there was a similar one, but a different year, in blue, just a bit down the street, just as stunning, but without flames. they could have been a set. i'll have to post that one sometime.

plain & simple

there are some cars i just haven't taken a picture of before. reasons, as i've mentioned before, usually include the hood being up, bad lighting, poor location, too crowded, can't get a good angle, etc. this is one of those never see it in a good position/lighting situations. i rarely see it, but i don't think i've done more than shoot macro shots of the pinstriping on the front and back.

i remember there were a lot of people on this evening. this wasn't the original spot this one was parked at either. i was about done for the evening when it was mentioned to me that a friend's friend would like me to shoot his car. well, i didn't know who it was, but he eventually found me and asked.

so now it was here, in one of the drive-in spots. probably still would like to take it again in some other location, under different lighting conditions, but hopefully, if he's been patient enough to keep checking, he'll see it now.

royal burger boy

this stunning car was at bob's big boy in downey a few weeks ago. caught it as the sun was beginning to set. just a gorgeous ride. not a blem anywhere.

i also like that i got a decent shot of the giant hamburger boy in the frame as well. he's actually kinda creepy/scary if you think like a little kid, kind of like the marshmallow guy in ghostbusters.

lady dragon

stopped at the enderle center show in tustin today. thought it would be the typical weekly bunch of cars. apparently it was an annual (?) classic car show. roads shut down, had to park down the road a bit, fireboys with their trucks there. but really, about the same number of cars that show on the regular show days, only with some that i've never seen before, and a much bigger to-do for a raffle and trophy tent. couple restaurants open and free haircuts from a salon in the center. fun to be had by all.

was there just before it officially started, so had to stand for the singing of the star spangled banner while a hook and ladder firetruck raised an enoromous flag. they should have turned the truck the other way, so the wind would have blown it out, instead of back over the ladder. whatever. that was followed by pledge of allegiance, and several speeches by show officials.

anyway, this was an extraordinary car. i believe i heard the owner saying it had originated from a childhood dream. he'd had it custom built/crafted to his specifications. can't remember what he said was under the hood, but i think it was the drive train from some other standard classic model car.

what caught my eye, was the hood ornament, of course. other details included the lady dragon scultped on the gas cap, as well as dragon-themed dashboard elements, and on the center medallion of the steering wheel.

the owner handed me a business card, which says he's an artist. so i am not surprised by the craftsmanship or the imagination that went into this unique car.

cute tomato

went to the show at ruby's last night. waited until it cooled off, and the sun was starting to set. lots of people there.

saw this 1938 chevy early on. its really a deep deep maroon color that is spectacular in the sunlight. i'd seen it at the whittier uptown show, but then it had been crammed between two other cars and always had the split hood up. so i never got a shot of it that day. here it was, with the hoods up again...arrrggggh. passed it by several times.

after going off for some golden spoon yogurt, came back for one more pass through the cars. sun had set. they were beginning the raffle and trophy announcements. the crowds had moved over to the announcement area.

finally the hood was closed, not too many people around, which was good. at this point, the exposures on the camera were going to be long, and i didn't need people milling around arbitrarily; can't be helped. there are still some people ghosts in the background, but they aren't interfering with the car, which is the main focus anyway.

the owner was nearby. he came over and turned on the lights–which also illuminated the hood ornament, but i guess i wasn't at a good angle to capture that well. i liked the ornament, and tried to get a hand-held shot of it with my macro lens, but the exposure was too long, and all out of focus. hopefully i'll see this one again when its not so dark.

hot and pink

posting another picture tonight, because i already know i won't be able to tomorrow.

anyone notice that it's getting to be a little on the hot side this week? i gotta get something to wear besides blue jeans; they just hold the heat in and i'm just gonna have a heat stroke.

stopped by three shows this evening: one in anaheim (too early, hardly anything there yet), peris, and bob's big boy in downey (only stayed fifteen minutes). lots to choose from at the peris show, stayed about an hour.

this ford hot rod stood out from all the other hot rods there. probably because it was hot pink and had pinstriped flames. even had an airbrushed portrait of a hot rod and the tasmanian devil on the back.

anyway, it was neato. i've got a shower waiting for me now...gotta go.

bring on the fleet

on this day at fuddrucker's in el toro, there were a lot of cars, but not so many that i bothered to take a picture of; either i already have shots of them, the hoods were up, or they were newer models that i have no interest in.

this 1948 chevy fleetline was parked on the edge of the show. it is in fairly good shape, and the owner was nice enough to close it up and stand aside for me. told him i'd try to post it soon; i think it's been a couple of weeks. trying to get to all the pictures that owners have specifically asked about...finding several from months ago, and now i feel bad for not getting to them sooner.

anyway, this show seems to be quite busy this summer, with the mild weather, and still long evenings of light, i always seem to be leaving the parking lot, only to see something really interesting drive up. i resist the urge to turn around and get everything out again...i'd never get home if i didn't let them get away sometimes.