busy weekend

man, i'm tired. did the viejitos show on saturday morning, then out to san pedro before dawn on sunday morning. then been busy busy at work since monday. going to vegas next week on business, so i gotta squeeze some picture time in when i can before i go.

barely posted anything from the viejitos show yet, and i have so many good shots, but also have a crap ton of good shots from the legends show. so, i'm just gonna get some of the usual shots i promised to post to certain people first, and get them happy, then do the stuff i really liked/loved.

from sunday. saw this one really early in the day, and had set up to shoot it. nothing else really around, few people, faint light. got half my shots in, and then the owner came around this side of the car and started unloading stuff from the back seat. and left the door open. i waited a few minutes, but the sun was rising, the light was changing, and he still hadn't come back around to close the door. i'm not gonna touch a car, and close it, so gave up for the morning.

came back around later in the day to find it like this. too many people, splotchy, bright light. took a few shots from the front too. really made me regret not asking him to just close the door in the morning. oh well. it's ok. just not as lovely as it was early.

great show overall. was last year, and had expected no less this year. hundreds of cars, no way i could shoot every one of them. but damn near filled up my memory card, and i did burn through a battery. bummer that my better half couldn't go; he would have been there if he could, but had to take care of his mama...responsibility is a heavy responsibility, as he would say.

time to chat

found my way to the viejitos ela show this morning. really didn't want to get out of bed, but expected it to be hot later. and i was awake anyway.

at eight in the morning the lot was already pretty full of bombs. just what the doctor ordered. hurrying, but not hurrying, racing the sun that always wins.

had to take a couple of breaks back under the roof of the drive-in overhang. nice breeze there. waitress even gave me a cup of water. thanks so much.

i was about ready to head home when i was over by this car. liked the hood ornament. the hood was up, so generally would have skipped out on the car. then the owner came over and started talking about other car shows i should check out. big shows in vegas. i happen to be going there week after next on business, but no big shows going on while i'm out there. oh well. i'll see if i can get to the local club shows.

he closed the hood for me, and i shot a few while we continued talking.

really the only one who talked to me, aside from another guy taking pictures with his cell phone, or the guy who said he liked my felix chevrolet shirt. so, i'll post this one first.

san pedro early tomorrow. i gotta get some sleep...and another hard drive.

candylicious

i've seen this chevy around for several years. love the candy apple paint. not a big fan of whatever you call those big metallic swirly things under the handles and on the fenders and elsewhere.

muy bueno

i've seen the famous bueno family impala several times now. another car that i just can't get enough of. so many details. airbrushing, etched chrome and pinstripes all over. can never get up high enough to shoot the roof of these kinds of things.

there's stephanie waiting patiently. i don't know her well enough to know what she's thinking, so i won't presume to guess. we pass each other at shows, and don't say much more than hello. i'm shy. she doesn't seem shy. so it's just me.

other people we ran into at this show expressed happiness that she was there, and getting out, making the effort to be out with people. i imagine it can't be easy.

saw her around the show later in the day, without a camera in her hand. that was unusual.

wheelie

my better half actually talked to the owner of this car while he was taking pictures of it. i heard him say to check out my website, since i actually post way more frequently than he has time to. the owner said i hadn't taken a picture of it. well no, cuz my better half wasn't done with it.

so i did go over and take a few shots after all. 

better half says this guy claims this is one of two ’56 chevys in cali that have been restored to all original parts. he pointed out that there seemed to be an awful new looking radio in there, and wondered about some other parts here and there. i dunno, i didn't look inside.

i posted a couple of other views on flickr, and here, should he be interested in getting a print.

Update on 2014-08-21 02:45 by kathy

according to "big joe", the owner spent 6 years restoring it. "as for the radio it does have the original wonder bar radio in it which you will find many don't. the modern radio is in the glove box because the wonder bar only picks up am stations.." thanks for your comment big joe!

please do not touch

another car for another person who bothered to inquire. sure, she was watching me shoot the bueno car next to it, so she was curious, but she asked what i was doing, who it was for.

told her i'd post something. beautiful car. don't worry, i was gonna shoot it anyway, even if you hadn't said something. print for sale here.

 

spotlight

so i drove out to the broiler on wednesday, for a change. haven't really been able to get out to many shows on weekdays anymore, so i was hopeful.

i arrived just slightly early, and there really weren't too many cars there. not even the old regulars. saw a couple of people i knew though, so that was nice to catch up a little.

so i shot what cars that were there. then sat on the wall and read email and news on my phone. ran into someone who follows me on flickr, and that's always fun. i'd seen his pictures of cars from previous weeks, which is probably why i chose to be hopeful that there would be cars there to shoot.

anyway, each time i decided it was about time to pack it up, a car or two would drive in. mostly not what i like to shoot. they told me the low riders come in later, and that's what started showing up. not pretty or interesting ones, just plain, old cars. and most of them headed to the back of the lot. ya, and they don't look all that friendly, so buh bye.

i liked this chevy. showing its age, but not adorned with unnecessary details. no pinstripes, at least that i saw. liked the hood ornament too, with the pitting.

really should have stayed until sunset. need to eff with this camera in low light more. still prefer my old camera.

---

looking forward to the uptown show in the morning. hoping it will be more coordinated this time. maybe even more of the lowriders will be coming back after the idiocy the organizers pulled a few years ago. i heard they expect about 400 cars. crossing my fingers. better half will be there off and on too, in between taking care of his mom's needs.

and meeting a guy who's buying one of my pictures from the fair. so if you see me just standing around the main intersection around 11:30, come check it out.

shopping cart

this impala was stunning. from the majestics show in lakewood, parked along the back of the parking lot. owner drove up and started polishing it to a high gloss. i waited for a bit, then walked away. then came back after he was done. beauty.

if i could have, i'd put it in that shopping cart and take it away.

imps

haven't posted a nice impala for a while. this one is pretty tasty. even got my better half doing his thang with the car next to it.

i have several shots of it, but for whatever reason, i like this one best, show a sense of the length of the car. another shot is pushed in closer, and makes the car look stubby, like a carnival mirror, and that can't be good.

peelings

overdue posting this chevy from march at the azalea festival. owner was really friendly and chatty.

i liked it a lot, with it's small imperfections. especially liked the peely paint patches over the fenders. sort of like my shoulders used to get when i attempted to get a tan—never really happens, just a bright red burn, and a slow peel.

---

so my website host has been a little flakey the last couple of days that i've tried to post. and doing the same tonight. slower than a snail, and lost the post before i saved it. second time i've typed this up, and definitely not as clever as the first iteration.

---

feeling better, though still not one-hundred percent normal; but then, when am i? 

i did drive out to ruby's yesterday, but then remembered i needed to pick up a belated birthday present. decided i better go buy it before the store closed; i wander around a car show the same way most women wander around the mall—lose all track of time—though i don't end up with a car load of shopping bags at the end of the night.

bought a crap ton of chocolates over at the see's candy store, then decided it was best if i didn't leave it to melt in the car while i did the show. got it home and to the happy recipient, our favorite diabetic. happy birthday, indeed.

i could have gone back, but then there would have only been about an hour left, and people start bugging out early when they think they won't win any prizes, so i stayed put for the evening.