Light Show

About a month ago, one of my nephews mentioned that he was going to attend the Pomona Auto Swap Meet to be held on a Sunday in early April. I told him I intended to go as well so we made a plan to meet up. Generally speaking, he travels to Pomona from central California to look for car parts while I go to take photos of the classic cars. I let him know I intended to arrive at 5:00AM and that he would find me near the drag strip grandstands where the lowrider and Chevy bombs usually park. 

The day before the event, Kathy and I got our cameras and gear together, I cleaned my camera sensors and made sure the camera batteries I intended to use were fully charged. I was also going to be using a new 10” external monitor for the first time so I made sure the batteries for that were charged and also ensured I put any required cables in my rolling camera bag.

The day of the event, I got up at 3:00AM to take a shower before we left. Kathy was going to get up at 4:00AM and was already on the move when I walked downstairs. She wasn’t feeling well however and was vacillating on whether she should go or not. She ultimately decided to stay home and go back to bed. Once I was sure she would be OK, I left about 4:15AM. It was still very dark as I walked to my car, loaded up my camera gear and jacket. I didn’t see the sun until well after I arrived in Pomona about 36 miles away. While it didn’t rain during the event like it did last month, it was a foggy drive and when I arrived, there was enough moisture in the air to create the light beams from the headlights of the Chevy Fleetline pictured below. This is the same car I admired and photographed last month. I chatted with the owner who once again was kind enough to turn on his headlights for my photos. 

I had been taking photos for about 30 minutes when my nephew and his wife walked up to me. They were primarily dressed in black and seemed to materialize suddenly out of the darkness that surrounded me. As always, it was great to see them and we chatted for about 45 minutes before they departed to walk around the swap meet and look for stuff to buy. I got back to shooting more photos and had a great time.  

Staggering into Annual Inspection

One of the unique things about the Yanks Air Museum is that several of their historic aircraft are still flying on a regular basis. This of course means that they must be regularly inspected and certified as safe to fly. During my recent tour I came across a few aircraft that were currently undergoing their annual inspections. This takes the form of a mandatory, comprehensive maintenance check performed every 12 months. It's designed to ensure the aircraft remains safe and deemed airworthy for continued operation. 

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This Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing was one such aircraft. Seeing it with its engine cowl removed and all of its cylinders on display was a rare opportunity to sort of pull the curtain back and get a peek behind the scenes so to speak. To my uneducated eye, all tools needed for the inspection were all spread out in front of it and since the inspector had wandered off, I took the opportunity to take a few images. 

The Passion and the Fury

During a recent visit to the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California, I met the museum’s general manager. Unlike most visitors, I often raise some concern among facility managers due to my unusual equipment and attire. I arrive with a tripod-mounted camera, an external monitor, sunshade, and sometimes a rolling dolly. I wear a camera vest with two additional cameras and occasionally also use a camera dolly along with a rolling camera case with extra lenses and batteries. This makes me stand out quite a bit.

Museum managers often approach me to discuss my plans for using the photos I intend to take, as many museums want to control or be aware of photo or video sales on their property.

I explained my photography process and preference for HDR photography to the manager. I explained that I aim to capture highly detailed photos while controlling the depth of field. Taking nine images with a tripod allows me to achieve this. I showed her some overexposed shots on my monitor and she was able to discern significant detail in the FJ-1 Fury aircraft.

Though polite and welcoming, she made it clear that the museum wouldn’t want me to sell the photos I take there. I agreed. I showed her some aircraft photos I’ve previously taken, including those from the San Diego Air Museum, the USS Midway, and Gillespie Field. She showed interest in possibly using some of my photos to promote the museum. I emailed her a few images from the Yanks Museum, but I haven’t yet received a response. I suspect my email may have inadvertently gone to her junk folder.

I feel it’s my passion for photography that compels me to carry around so much camera gear. Today, it led me to the FJ-1 Fury aircraft at the Yanks Air Museum.

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The 1946 FJ-1 Fury was the US Navy’s first operational jet aircraft. Only 33 were ever built, and only 2 survive today. Its black paint makes it ideal for HDR photography. A single exposure would likely make the black paint appear featureless. I’ve included a photo showing how much detail I captured in the black paint using HDR

A6 Intruder - Classic Design, Might Need Some Work

This is not the first time I have seen this Navy A6 Intruder aircraft. About 15 years ago, I was wandering around the Yanks Air Museum's "boneyard" in Chino California and came across two A6's . I photographed them then and posted them to my blog and my flickr photo stream.  This past March, I visited again and was somewhat surprised to find these same two aircraft still sitting there waiting their turn to be restored. My uninformed guess is that they will still be there 15 years from now. Aircraft restoration is a long process once it gets started and these aircraft show no signs that any restoration is in their near future…

Inside the Discovery Cube

This past March, my niece, her daughter, and her boyfriend visited me just before embarking on a trip to Disneyland. Since they were celebrating her daughter’s birthday, we decided to explore the Discovery Cube Science Museum in Santa Ana, California. I had purchased tickets in advance to avoid any lines. The museum offered a plethora of captivating and interactive exhibits, and I couldn’t resist bringing two of my cameras along. I believe I was one of the few visitors that day who carried genuine dedicated digital cameras, as most people opted for their cell phone cameras.

During our visit, we came across an exhibit dedicated to rockets that explained the principles of rocket propulsion in relation to payload and fuel. This exhibit was housed within a striking giant cube, which stands as the museum’s most recognizable architectural feature. As we entered the cube, I couldn’t help but gaze up at the towering structure above me. Inspired by the opportunity, I decided to capture a series of HDR sequences that would later be stitched together to create a grand panoramic view.

At the heart of the cube, I noticed what appeared to be a genuine rocket engine.

 

In Her Element - Kathy and the '57 Chevy

I frequently get asked about my image-generating process. I’ve detailed it before, but for newcomers, I not only unapologetically post-process my images but also use a tripod during capture. I take between 9 to 11 exposures to capture the range of light I desire, especially when ambient lighting is low and long exposure times are anticipated. Holding my camera perfectly still for a 30-second exposure would be impossible.

In this image, I’ve captured Kathy in her element: a cool overcast morning, a classic car (or truck), her camera mounted on a tripod, and her camera bag. She’s wearing her hat with the words “Close your fucking hood” pinstriped across the brim. Kathy knows what she likes and, while quiet and reserved, isn’t shy about expressing her opinions with a fiery delivery.

I approached the truck just as the owner was parking it and asked if he’d leave the lights on for a minute while I took a few photos. He happily obliged, initially leaving the parking lights on and then turning on the headlights. Seeing this, Kathy joined me and took a few shots as well. I moved my tripod back to avoid appearing in her photos, knowing from experience that she might ask me to “move my fat ass out of the shot” or make other endearing comments. After 17 years, we understand one another. While I greet car owners, Kathy captures the best images and writes compelling stories. I enjoyed chatting with the owner about the truck and was glad he braved the intermittent rain. Kathy gave him a business card so he could see the photos we took of this beauty under stormy skies.

'48 Pomona Blues

Toward the end of our visit to the Pomona Auto Swap Meet last March, I strolled along the drag strip grandstands and stumbled upon a striking two-tone blue 1948 Chevy Fleetline. Usually, I skip through the cars in this section because their hoods are raised, and for-sale signs are prominently displayed on the windshields. However, this car was different. It wasn’t for sale, but its paint shone brilliantly, reflecting the light even amidst the intermittent rain showers and threatening skies overhead. After taking several photos with my camera, I snapped another one with my phone and sent it to Kathy, letting her know about the car and its location so she wouldn’t miss it. I’m not sure if she’s ever seen this particular car before, but I’m certainly glad I added it to my digital collection.

 

San Diego Air and Space Museum

San Diego has had something for more than 70 years that I have often wished Los Angeles had. A dedicated and comprehensive Air and Space Museum. San Diego has been the site of significant aviation milestones and events. In addition to being considered the home of naval aviation, it also was home to Ryan aircraft which was probably best known for helping to design and build the Spirit of St. Louis for Charles Lindberg's solo trans-Atlantic flight. 

Los Angeles also has a long history of participation in aviation and space flight. Lockheed's Skunk Works developed the first jet fighter, the first stealth aircraft, and the fastest manned aircraft. The North American company developed the Apollo command and service modules that took the first men to the moon as well as the space shuttle. McDonnell Douglas both designed and built passenger airliners in Los Angeles County for decades. 

Despite this impressive history, Los Angeles has never had a comprehensive air and space museum. There was once a small museum, but the exhibits were merged into a much larger science center. It seems the desire for a dedicated museum does not currently exist. The California Science Center is building a museum extension to house its collection of aircraft and spacecraft including the Space Shuttle Endeavour. It will probably be many years until this extension will open to the public.

For this reason and others, I love visiting the San Diego Museum. The entrance features two aircraft. The Convair F2Y Sea Dart and the A12 Mach 3+ spy plane. There are many additional aircraft and spacecraft exhibits inside. I have added several photos of these below. 

 

 

Above the Flight Deck

Kathy and I were recently in San Diego and once again visited the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum. As always, she was patient with me and willingly waited for me while I walked around the Museum's enormous flight deck taking photos. It was a beautiful day featuring the scattered clouds and moderate temperatures common to the San Diego coastline. I have previously photographed the aircraft on Midway’s flight deck, so I was deliberately trying to identify a new way to capture them. I thought a new viewpoint might work. As usual, I was using my tripod and taking ten exposures for each (soon to be HDR) image. The use of a tripod to create HDR images was once an absolute requirement because it allowed you to capture those exposures without moving the camera at all. This ensured the post processing software could successfully merge these images into a single HDR image without generating unwanted visual artifacts. What I found was that the software has evolved over the years and has become much more powerful and capable, enabling me to try something new. I set a five second shutter timer on my tripod mounted camera and held it over my head, tenuously raising nearly $8000 of camera equipment about fourteen feet above the flight deck. Not being able to look through the viewfinder, I was trying to align my camera lens in the general direction of what I wanted to capture and to hold the tripod steady, which was exceedingly difficult. I failed several times but succeeded more times than not. I got a few stares from other museum visitors and volunteers, but I ignored that and pressed on, hoping to capture something good.

The photos below are the results.

Low Slung Fun

At the same Montebello car show, we also saw this stunning beauty. Can anyone identify a modern car that is this stylish and beautiful? Sure the owner has modified this car extensively but if a single person can realize this vision why can't the big car companies? Probably because most people these days are only interested in boring, boxy SUV's. The world is a less interesting place because of this.