Take Me With You

Take Me With You, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

"...nowhere together with you is better than anywhere apart"

Pontiac Hood Ornament

Pontiac Hood Ornament, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I really have a strong attraction to vintage Pontiac hood ornaments. I've posted other examples here before and I'm sure I'll post more. When I saw this one, I called Kathy who was also at this car show, and asked if I could borrow her 100mm macro lens which is very fast and sharp. It produces beautiful bokeh as well. I really like how colorful the out of focus areas are.

Uninvited Guest

Uninvited Guest, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

What the hell are the organizers of the Uptown Whittier Car Show thinking? They very neatly have cut the annual car show in half. Segregating low riders and "custom" classic cars to their own show to be held next May. Because of this, this year's show attendance was much reduced. I spoke to a couple of shopkeepers who commented that business which is usually very good on car show day, was quite slow. Not good. The main reason to have the show is to promote the business in town. My favorite part of the show? About a dozen of the banned low riders and classic cars like this 1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster, arrived early and located themselves in a parking lot which was officially outside of the show but very close to show center. Needless to say, I took most of my photos in this parking lot. Whittier car show organizers, get a clue and do it right next time.

10 shot HDR, 1ev bracket spacing, Merged and tonemapped in Photomatix Pro. Post processing in Photoshop.

Pink Flames - Drop and Chop

Pink Flames - Drop and Chop, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

This 1940's chopped Mercury was sitting at show center during the 2010 Uptown Whittier Car Show. The translucent flames on the hood and front fenders were only visible when the light hit them just right. The car itself was clean inside and out. What a great way to start my day photographing these classic cars. I like the dice on the valve stems. They match the fuzzy ones hanging from the rear view mirror.

1950's SUV

1950's SUV, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

This is a beautiful Chevy Bel-Aire station wagon. Not sure what year it is but maybe 1943 or so. Anybody know? This 10 shot HDR was taken at the Ruby's car show in WhittierCalifornia. I got there late and the sun had already started to set casting nice golden light around this very reflective car.

Anyone Out There?

Anyone Out There?, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

My personal blog, www.bigpixelpushing.com is now over a year old. I want to thank all of you who visit and enjoy my photography. Having a blog has been real commitment in both time and effort. When I first started Big Pixel Pushing, I typically posted a new image every few days.

I began to wonder if I could manage to post one image per day, everyday without fail. Weekends and holidays included. Sounds easy I know. But keep in mind, there are quite a few steps involved in posting what is hopefully an interesting and compelling image. First I have to take a lot of images or image sequences if I intend to make an HDR. Next I have to sift through all these images to find one I think would make a good post. I then have to process the image sequence. This consists of making an HDR merge, tone mapping, post processing, watermarking, posting and finally writing a description.

A few months ago I decided to try. So for almost 100 days in a row, I processed and posted a single image each day. Now I know that I can do it. It can be done. However, this diligence left very little time for anything else in my life and therefore is not sustainable.

I decided to take a break from photography and posting. I got a handful of questioning emails. A few were concerned (thanks), but more were pissed which was interesting and unexpected. While the site gets a good amount of traffic, (in August there were 48,080 page views and 18,953 unique visitors) it gets almost no comments.

I love blogs and read several everyday. I comment on blog postings when I think I have something relevant to say.

You would think with several hundred people visiting this site each day that someone would share an opinion, link, comment, critique, technique, event, or just say hi.

So this seems to be a very one sided arrangement. I post, you view. Ok by me but in the future I’ll be posting when the mood strikes and time allows.

Thanks for reading,

Greg
greg.jones.design@gmail.com

Learning to Fly

Learning to Fly, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I shot this in August of 2009 when I was just learning how to shoot HDR. I wasn't sure of my workflow then but I knew I loved the results.

Exothermic Reaction

Exothermic Reaction, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I didn't catch the make or model of this car but I don't think this is the original paint! Often car owners remove all manufacturer logos and model name plates. This makes it tough for uninformed people like me. I think this is very cool whatever it is.

Look at that Cadillac

Look at that Cadillac, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I was walking around the Ruby's car show and had 2 people tell me that there was a wicked red, slammed caddy off by itself and not crowded on either side by other cars. This is highly desirable when taking photos with a wide angle lens. By the time I found the car, the sun was going down and the sky was pretty spectacular. When I am faced with a scene like this, where the sky is super bright and I am essentially shooting right into the sun, I am so glad I shoot using the high dynamic range method of photography. Only HDR can pull off a shot like this!

Oscar's Nomad - Plate 2

Oscar's Nomad - Plate 2, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Another image of this amazing 1957 Chevy Nomad.