so this is not a merc, as i originally thought, but a ford (thanks for the correction gary!). i do have a hard time with id when there's nothing but the bumper and wheels to go by. i'll get the next fer sure merc up tomorrow or the next day.
as i said previously, i keep seeing flame-painted low slung cars. seems to be all the rage, or cliché, but at least there are lots of variations in how they can be presented.
i've seen more than a few flamey mercurys (mercuries?) lately. why is that? i suppose because they're awesome that way.
it was hot and extremely windy when i took this shot a few weeks ago in riverside. it was the glitter painted flames that stopped me first, and that it had a hood ornament – bonus. almost gave up trying to get a shot of it, there were too many people around.
i am at the point where, i figure, screw the people milling about if they're not in focus, just get the car. otherwise, the best cars just can't be captured. i hate the ones that i let get away in the past because people wouldn't move. fortunately, the majority of the time, if you whip out a tripod, people will move, same way i try to stay out of someone else's shots. i have some patience, and i can wait.
anyway, i think i'll hit you all up with a short series of mercs. why the hell not. i keep seeing them, so why shouldn't you?
had enough of the showlows cars? ok, this is the last one of the bunch i have. did i miss any ronnie? such a nice collection. a nice bunch of guys.
wish there were more sunsets like the one there was this night. such pretty colors and i don't use that word too often. and i liked how it reflected on the cars, especially the lighter colored ones.
just realized i've posted over 250 cars up here...whew! time flies when you're having fun. :)
i'm feeling fiesty tonight...quick post and then to bedski...
this is a mid-life crisis in action. i'm thinking it belonged to the doctor guy in scrubs with too many gold chains around his neck. but that's just me making up a story. fun to imagine.
this cars says, "i gots too much money and i'm insecure and/or compensating" or "i gots too much money and i'm full of myself." or i could be nice and think, "i've worked hard and can afford it, so why not treat myself?" nahh, too few of those guys driving this type of car.
anyway, it wasn't really in the show, just outside of the designated area. to the effect of "look at me, look at me," it did make me stop and shoot it. but only because i've never seen one before and it got me thinking wtf?
i think its a new-fangled corvette, though there is absolutely no insignia on it, except for the checkered flags on the center of the wheels. maybe its just a fiberglass body on an old vw bug chassis, a kit car...lol.
hey doc, if it is yours, i don't mean nuthin about you in particular, just what goes through a girl's head when you see this kind of thing. i'm not going to judge the guy by his car... good luck to you.
this one is the second post for the day. posting tomorrow's picture early, since it's my own personal double whammy...mother's day and my birthday. no big, but i know i'll be out and about, and most likely won't post by the evening.
i've never seen one of these. and no, it "ain't pink," it's more of a salmon color, but the hot sun really warmed it up. i don't know why this was off by itself on a side street, near the bus stops. seems a shame; it really was a beautiful car. great for me, as i could shoot from any angle, though out here at the back, i was in the path of the cars cruising by.
kudos to the dude in the muscle car brilliant enough to really rev his engine while stopped in front of that police station behind the bus stop...the show people made him leave. better them than mr. CHiPs, i suppose.
yay for ruby's in whittier. first night of the season was as busy as i'd ever heard it was. saw wonderful cars driving away...though i don't think they were turning them away. designated spaces were full, so there were several parked in the middle of the aisle and on the ends of the islands. i think a handfull parked in the next row over; 24 hour fitness probably doesn't appreciate that.
i had to go home first to get out of my work clothes and get my camera gear. threw it all in the trunk and started driving. i was probably about 5 blocks from the show when i realized my tripod was still at home, and had to turn around and go all the way back. it usually stays in the trunk, but i've used it so much the past year, the legs had become too loose—actually starting to slowly slip down as i used it. i'd taken it into the house so my better half could adjust it. he'd tightened it up the week before, then had to do an unexpected business trip to san fran. one of the legs was so tight, i couldn't do the low down shots.
he'd had to use some special wrench and it was too tight for me to fix. had to wait for him to get home and do it. blah blah blah, anyway, i'd forgotten to get it from the corner of the room where he'd left it.
like i said, i was not disappointed in the turn out. just a little bummed about there being so many people, and of course getting there late, more open hoods.
i've seen this truck several times in various places. never very satisfied with the shot or location. here it was again. earlier i'd walked by it, as it was too crowded with people and the car next to it. but when i went by this time, the car next to it had gone, so i had more room to play with.
sun was starting to set, cars were getting that glow. really the picture i got from the camera was pretty good on it's own, but i did tweak it slightly to play up the details. i like it anyway.
so i briefly thought this was an impala when i looked quickly at the small thumbnail images. when i opened the file, there it is right on the front side, the insignia "galaxie 500xl." errr. and a showlows thingy in the back. my bad, ronnie.
anyone planning on going to the ruby's show on friday? first one of the season? maybe i'll make a brief stop at chubby's too. not sure about the garden grove show...has been disappointing the last few times, but maybe since pep boys cancelled, everyone will be back.
i'm hoping to find the time...don't think i'll make it to riverside that night.
i've done this one before. almost the same angle, and same parking spot. but the owner is a friendly sort of guy, and came right over to mention that his baby was freshly cleaned and polished, and that nasty chair in the former post was not parked up front (though he forgot about that one at the back).
that's him in the reflection of the fender with me, and the owner of said nasty chair as well (wearing the hat). lol. nasty chair owner always likes to tell me how i should shoot a car — i'm not quite clear on whether he was a photographer of some sort in a past life.
he (mr. nasty chair) wanted me to shoot from the other side, which i did, but i liked the background stuff (a light pole impaling the car and traffic lights) less than from this side. of course, his car was on that side, and is reflected in the door of this car. kept saying he painted it the color of his girlfriend's fingernail polish. great, but here it's just an obnoxious hot pink reflection.
the owner of this car told the other guy to pipe down and let me do it my way, which is what i always do anyway.
taking a break from work and from the showlows cars...i'll get back to you guys tomorrow, probably.
busy weekend. spent many hours in riverside. i had a few hours to kill on saturday, and it just so happened they were having one of those 3-day car shows in downtown riverside. the type of show that i normally would skip as being to crowded and busy. but it was late afternoon on the second day, after the awards for the day supposedly were given, and i figured most of the mess would be gone.
that may be so, but there were still lots and lots of cars to see, and many that i would have like to have shot busy cruising and never stopping. several blocks were closed to traffic, except for cars in the show, which were allowed to cruise along several blocks in a circuitous route.
and damn was it windy there. had to hold onto the tripod to minimize the shakes, and it did nothing for my hair, but really it was more annoying than anything. my hair blew across the camera as i was trying to frame up the shot. it flew all around my head as i walked down the street. it took on a life of its own, until i just really didn't care what it was doing, which is what it does best anyway. i probably looked a fright. i probably should just cut it short again and be done with it. i digress...
while there were many people, they mostly stayed out of my way once i set up my tripod. i never did see anyone else with one, so i'm sure they didn't know what to think of me. couple of owners inquired if i was a professional, but only the owner of this hot rod bothered to really ask about what i was doing, looked at some of my pictures, and took a card. this one was off the street in a parking lot of a business, thus no one really getting in the way. not the best location, judging by the background, but the other angle just was going to be some garage doors and building frontage, so...imagine those are time capsules on the right side.
i took lots of shots, so i will post a few more soon.
between work (12 hours yesterday) and computer problems (internet connection and a backup drive that misbehaves and locks up my system), i am surprised i can post at all.
and i finally got out to a few car shows after not going for a few weeks. yippee. checked out foothill ranch briefly. not much going on for the first show. took a few shots, ignored the cars with their hoods up, watched a couple good ones get away.
tonight i stopped over at peris off alondra. first time i've been since it started up earlier this month. fairly good turnout, too many hoods up. did see a few of the guys that i met last year, and a couple of them that like to give me a hassle, but in a good way. you know who you are...thanks guys. lol.
then over to the broiler - haven't been there in several weeks. what the hell is with all the cop cars in the lot? had to have been at least one in the street and 3 or 4 in the lot - one in the back, a couple up front in the show spaces. something happen while i was gone? anyway, they seemed to have scared off the good cars. still a few there, but not much going on. didn't even take one picture there.
i've had a couple of inquiries by owners about pictures i might have of their cars. patience grasshoppa. to those that have asked, i'm slowly getting around to them. ordinarily, i pick a picture at my whim, whatever my mood happens to be, or if a picture strikes me somehow on any particular night i'm flipping through my files. so many to choose from, it gets difficult sometimes.
anyway, these chevys belong to the showlows car club, which includes this truck. they were along the back fence. hey ronnie, what do you think? i also have one of the mercury monterey and the impala – are they in your club too?
not sure what i liked more that evening—the cars or the sunset sky full of clouds.