mercury rising

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?

m

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. :)

only one that asked

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.

florida is way too warm for me

so i'm sitting here in the airport in orlando waiting waiting waiting to go home. spent a few days in business meetings at our office in south florida, then a visit to a vendor.

built in one day to hit an amusement park, so i went to universal islands of adventure. i highly recommend the harry potter ride that goes through the hogwarts castle, it is really cool. there are a few roller coasters that are pretty good if you're into those as well.

anyways, i didn't bring my camera for a change, and only saw a couple of cars that i made me wish that i had it with me. i suppose where there are more old folks, there are more possibilities of seeing old cars.

this flamey car has been out on my flicker page since last year, but seeing it again made me think of what it's like standing in lines at the park all day yesterday.

i think the first show at foothill starts monday, so i plan to check it out, if, of course, i don't have to work late.

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.

anniversary post

greetings. anyone miss me this past week? all i can say as to why i haven't been able to post, in no particular order: overtime, rain, family.

take this ford, for instance. i managed to get the hell out of the office last tuesday, on an evening when it was actually not raining. sky was clear, wasn't too cold, yet there just weren't all that many cars out at the show. true, clouds were rumored to be heading this way, but not yet. gets kinda disappointing when i find the time, and not much is there.

i hadn't seen this particular car since 2009. it did make it on my blog early on last year. i was especially happy to have found it again, as i had only taken a couple of shots of it from way down low.

anyway, i'd only taken a couple images of this one and also a sweet chevy nomad, in all of 10 minutes, when i get a call from work, saying please come back and tweak some files. so i pack it up and work 2 or 3 more hours...they're all starting to blur together.

otherwise, family was in town, and had to get all the time i could with them. ended up squeezing in a lunch hour, and a late dinner the night before they left. oh well.

i've realized it was exactly one year ago today that i began this blog. i'd like to thank everyone for putting up with me at the car shows, whatever mood i'm in, and letting me take pictures of your cars. at least most of you. thanks for visiting my blog, no matter how much i ramble, digress, or blather on about nothing. the pictures are the main thing, and they make me happy. i can only hope you're liking them too, or i'm really just talking to myself here.

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.

took a shine to it

this car caught my attention. off at the end of the lot, the sun just starting to go down, light hitting it just so. the pinstripes and chrome just begged to be looked at, just had to get past a handful of hydraulicly-endowed cadillacs.

i like that the fuzzy dice match the color of the roof and interior. i'd lose that antenna ball if it were mine, but i ain't so nevermind.

blimey, it's limey

i did mention there was a car show at whittier high school a couple of weekends ago, as a fundraiser for the baseball team. i didn't get there as earlier as i'd planned, so the sun was already pretty harshly in the sky.

there were a decent number of cars there, mostly chevys. main club representing was the bomb squad. not sure if this one is one of theirs, as the majority of those were around the corner from this one. it was such a brilliant green, enhanced by the sun, i had to have it. wish the owner would have closed the trunk. eh, the owner was behind the next car over, and seemed oblivious to hey, someone is taking a picture of my car. screw him, i cropped him out of the picture, so there.

there were a number of cadillacs all hyped up on hydraulics, all jumped up and posing. i only took a couple of shots of those, cuz they aren't really my thing. they just make me wonder why they do that, but to each his own.

there was a spectacular old chevy truck parked out on the street, i suppose because he didn't want to pay to participate for a trophy...there seemed to be plenty available, maybe everyone got one at the end of the day.

chief

oh this one is cool. i've seen it several times now at the broiler. just usually not over here by itself. usually over by richard's non-existent car. maybe they're buds.

i really liked how the light was falling on this and making it sort of glow, but then again, the paint is pretty fluorescent green as it is anyway.

it says star chief on the side, and has cute little feathers painted over it. nice touch.