keep on...

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.

return of dragon master

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.

swee’pea

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.

pale rider

so a quick post, then off to bedski. been traveling on business, and off on the second half tomorrow to florida. unfortunately, my better half has to stay home and hold down the fort, but has kindly offered to take me the airport at some ungodly hour. thanky boy.

this chevy pulled in to the back of the broiler on this particular evening, a few weeks ago now. owner got out and walked up to the front of the lot, i suppose to check out the other cars. all i know for sure is that i got this one shot in before too many people came over to peek at it, so i moved on to those others along the back fence.

by the time i came back for more, the car had gone–maybe he just moved up to the front; maybe aliens had beamed it up; maybe the crack in the time continuum closed back up–i don't know fer shure, since i left after that without taking another lap to the front of the lot myself. oh well.

see you all again soon.

siblings

these two could be brother and sister, so different, yet so similar. i suppose the truck would be big bro, watching over his little sister. and she's so hot. party in the front, no junk in the trunk...ehh, no trunk. lol.

i know i talked to the owner of the hot rod at this show; gave him my card and he commented that he had the same last name. i think he was one of the vendors, so probably the truck belongs to the company or partner. too much of a coincidence otherwise.

of course, i wished the hood was down, but couldn't resist the hot rod, so what the hell.

i get off on...

ha, made you look.

...and screaming guitars, like the way it hits me everytime it hits me...

this one is often at the fuddrucker's show in el toro, though it is usually facing the other way when the sunset hits it. he likes to park at the end of the parking island, so is generally pretty good for getting a decent shot without a lot of other cars smashed up next to it. different spot this time, but i liked the light on it, and of course, those wonderful fins.

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busy time at work, so probably will not be posting as frequently as i like for the next couple of weeks. didn't even have time for a show at all this week... :(  but looking forward to checking out a new one on sunday, if it doesn't rain. :)

soaring over ca

i don't know why i love the back of these cars so. gotta be the curves. pleases my eyes. kinda looks like a manta ray, at least the lines of its wings.

i've been outta town for a few days, so i'm feeling a bit of withdrawals from my pictures. almost didn't post tonight, as my shoulder is killing me from too many hours of driving over the weekend. yippee for extra strength tylenol. so i'll make this one my quick fix for the evening. now i can go rest.

sunset kisses

 did you guys see the sunset last night? wow. and it just really popped this truck, in spite of the matte paint job.

almost missed this bunch of chevys at the very back of the lot at the broiler. i was about ready to pack it up, but was waiting on my better half, who was playing with a lensbaby on his camera and chatting up another truck owner at the front of the lot. i always keep half an eye out for anything new driving into the show. you know what i mean—when you hear them before you see them. usually happens right after i've packed my gear up, only to be forced to decide whether or not to pull it all back out.

so this handful of cars drove through...there were no empty spots up front...it was happily busy for a change. some of the best stuff can be found in the back lot because they show up later. only complaint is the lack of lighting at the back, especially if its getting dark and i'm on my own.

anyway, i got several shots of these cars with spectacular skies behind them. i'll have to post them eventually. getting late now, so you'll have to settle for just one.

a rose by any other name

according to my brief “research” on the internet, “the 1954 chevrolet corvette nomad was a concept car built by GM and introduced at the 1954 GM motorama in NYC. the nomad was decidedly a sporty wagon way ahead of its time.” probably should have just taken a close up shot of the descriptive flyers in the window for the history of this baby.

i'm left to wonder why anyone would want to make a corvette into a wagon. bet some dad didn't want to haul the family around in some big ass family wagon, and thought it would be a good idea. i guess it would have been cool enough, but i don't think it really caught on...i've never seen another one like it til this.

flame thrower

only a few more weeks until the season when there is literally at least one car show a day. car gluttony. car-razy. car happy = carappy? whatever.

i think it's been hinted to throttle back on how many shows i hit up. shall we just say my better half is very patient with me, and i should probably throw more time his way. but, hey, he does work a lot of overtime, so what else am i going to do? i really hate going to the gym, and at least this gets me out and about, hauling around a tripod.

speaking of upcoming shows, this flamed beauty, and it's hot rod companion (can't really see the flames on it from this side) were at the foothill ranch show last june. was a bit overcast, and not as broiling hot as it got later in the summer there. i can't be sure, but i think this chevy has also been over at fuddrucker's once in a while, and i think it might even belong to the pinstriper guy who comes out once a month there in the summer. i'm sure someone out there will let me know ifn i'm misguided...you always do.