Welcome Home Endeavour

Welcome Home Endeavour, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I’ve always been a big space nerd. I never cared if my friends, family or strangers thought I was odd for getting so excited and wrapped up with anything to do with the space program. When I was 7 years old I flew to the moon many times in a spacecraft of my own design (a discarded refrigerator box which I had dragged from the side of a dumpster into my backyard). My team and I spent many late nights (till almost 6:30 pm on school nights) installing the windows (my mom helped me cut holes in it) and installing the control panels (drew them with crayons) and toggle switches (Popsicle sticks). I installed a navigation computer (also drawn with crayons) and all of the other flight controls required to fly a box for a major appliance to the moon.

I really wanted to be an Astronaut so I drank a lot of Tang and waited for NASA to discover they badly needed the services of a 7 year old boy strung out on high fructose corn syrup.

Well NASA never did call, but I never lost my keen interest in the space program either. So I was still paying attention to developments when in 1975, Rockwell International's Downey, CA plant began assembly of OV-102 - Columbia, the first flyable and reusable space shuttle just a few miles from my home. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the plant (left the refrigerator box at home) to see Columbia being built.

6 years later in March of 1981 I sat in my living room, literally on the edge of my seat, staring at our TV as Columbia, having successfully orbited the earth 36 times, re-entered the atmosphere and headed for a landing at Edwards Air Force Base in the high desert of California. Veteran Astronaut John Young was at the controls and sitting in the co-pilot seat was rookie Astronaut Bob Crippen. Bob was so taken with the view of our state from 135,000 feet he called out “What a way to come to California!” and urged John to take a moment to look. John, ever the professional pilot took a quick peek and said “the view hasn’t changed much”. Right about then I was startled when I heard what sounded like two distinct explosions. Columbia had just anounced its presence, slowing from supersonic to subsonic flight as the nose and tail set off a double sonic boom which rattled windows across Southern California.

Over the years NASA added more shuttles to the fleet and after tragically losing Challenger, obtained authorization from Congress to replace it with a new Space Shuttle which would be called Endeavour.

Designed and built in California, it is fitting that Endeavour returned home today. And I now 43 years past the age of 7, took my team (my mom) to Disneyland where we both witnessed Endeavour’s last flight and I dreamed for just a moment of summer evenings spent flying over the backyard.

So thanks Mom for never once crushing a little boy’s hopes and dreams and thanks Endeavour – Welcome home.

In the Still of the Night

In the Still of the Night, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

We all decided to on a whim to go to Disney California Adventure tonight after work to have dinner. My Mom wanted to try out her new camera and Kathy and I were celebrating another month of being married. As of today it's been 4.9166 years but it feels more like 1.4166. It was also my first night time visit to Cars Land and I wanted to check out what I assumed would be very beautiful neon lighting. It exceeded my expectations. I have to go back with a tripod. Sorry for  the short post but it's late and I need to go to sleep.

Excitement rides with you - Now with Turbo Thrusting Engine

Excitement rides with you - Now with Turbo Thrusting Engine, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

One look at those saucy lines and you know this new Chevy's ready to shove off for wherever you say. You'll see what we mean the first time you feel the quick-sprinting torque of Chevrolet's new Turbo Thrust V8 whisk you up a steep hill. Excitement rides with you every mile you roll in your new Chevrolet. At rest or on the roads, this sleek style-setter promises you more go, gaiety and glamor - and you'll find it keeps its promises beatifully. Come aboard and take the key to the happiest traveling on the highway!

Automobile advertisements in the 1950's are fun to read. I spotted this 1958 Chevy Impala at the Uptown Whittier Car Show quite late in the day. Kathy and I had taken a couple of walk throughs that day, returning home to escape the heat and to cool off. We decided to visit one more time so I put my fisheye lens on my camera and left my tripod at home.

I don't know how I missed seeing this beauty earlier but I did. Something must have distracted me. Wonder what or who it could have been.

A Day in the Sun

A Day in the Sun, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Asphalt parking lots are great at reflecting heat onto and into anyone foolish enough to be walking around in them in the middle of a bright and sunny Southern California day. I would imagine this 1957 Chevy Nomad's hood was hot enough to cook a side of buffalo on. No buffalo or even a bison were on the menu at the La Habra High School car show held today but about 40 cars showed up.

I did meet and have a great conversation with fellow car show attendee and photographer, Robert who has recently picked up his camera again. He shoots film with a classic Mamiya camera that he showed Kathy and I. Robert, it was great meeting you. I took a quick look on Ebay for lenses for your camera and I found several so check it out.

I first saw this Nomad at the Uptown Whittier car show where it just dazzled me with it's amazing paint job and beautiful lines. I have posted a few other pictures of it here before.

Funky Cold Medina

Funky Cold Medina, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Another early morning shot from the 2012 Uptown Whittier Car Show. Featured here is Ron Medina's incredible 1963 Chevy Surburban parked along side other amazing cars from the So Cal Tribe car club. Smart guys that they are, they arrived early and got some primo parking spots in the shade of the big trees you see here. That shade came in handy when the temperature exceeded 100 degrees that afternoon. I was moving at my usual methodical pace, while Kathy was doing her usual ass kicking, take no prisoners, get-the-hell-out-of my-way pace. You can see her and her tripod in the upper left of this image. She had already shot the four cars between her and I not to mention the cars across the street. I get too fixated on one car for too long, trying to figure out what shot would look best. I really need to work on that. To quote Ferris Bueller Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

Twilight Time

Twilight Time, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

We were rapidly running out of daylight when these great looking cars rumbled into Bob's Big Boy Broiler and parked all the way in the back of the parking lot next to the fence. Kathy and I looked at one another as they went by and we walked over to try and get some shots before the sun vanished beneath the horizon.

Just to the right of this view was a killer red and black truck that Kathy shot. Her image was amazing. So good in fact when she decided to submit seven photos to be considered for entry in the photography exhibit at the 2012 Orange County Fair, the truck was one of the images she chose to enter. Four of her images were selected for display and the truck won honorable mention. We were really stoked when we went to the fair and saw them on display. Kathy as always kept her cool, showing very little emotion but Manny, Dot and I were really happy and excited. I even made her pose for pictures with her images. Now they are all hanging in our living room and they look great!

Jesus Has My Back - El Patron

Jesus Has My Back - El Patron, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Kathy, Manny and I decided to go to the San Fernando High School car show on a hot Sunday afternoon. It was a big show and wow, was it worth the drive. We saw some of the most amazing cars. I don't think Kathy had ever seen any of them before, even though she goes to lots of car shows. The only problem that day was the heat. It was over 100 degrees for most of the time we were there so we didn't end up staying as long as we might have wanted to.

Anyway, before entering, we all had to pass through a mandatory security screening. We had to endure a bag search, pat down and wanding but no body cavity search thank goodness. I think they were looking for items such as weapons, drugs and alcohol and not camera equipment and tripods because we had no problems passing through.

Once inside the show, Kathy of course went her own way while Manny and I stuck together, alternating between making images and taking video clips. After wandering around for a while, we decided to walk to the far off corner of the show where in addition to some shade, we found this stunning 1959 Chevrolet Impala.

We stood in front of it and just stared. The body work and paint job was just perfect. It was so glossy and deep looking. If that wasn't enough, when we walked around the back of the car, I found Jesus. I mean when we saw the continental kit and spare tire cover mural on the back of the car, Jesus appeared to me. I mean Jesus appeared to me on the spare tire cover, or rather appeared to be on the spare tire cover. I wasn't the only person who saw Jesus. Manny saw him too. I remember distinctly saying unto Manny "Jesus, Manny, there's Jesus". Once we beheld that, I personally felt blessed and I knew in my heart I was going to make several images from the rear drivers side of the car. I would have taken some shots from the front side, but the hood was open which in my opinion ruins the lines of the car, so I decided to stay on the Jesus side, back side. Not the back side of Jesus, I mean the back side of the car where Jesus first appeared to us.

Oh and check out the engraved detail on the chrome wheel cover. Just spectacular!

I Dream of Fake Bokeh

I Dream of Fake Bokeh, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

My Sigma 50mm f1.4 is a good lens but it doesn't hold a candle to Kathy's Minolta/Sony 100mm f2.8 Macro lens in the sharpness and bokeh departments.

After seeing some of her great photos of these amber colored Pontiac hood ornaments, I've been on the lookout for them at every car show I go to. She usually finds them first and lets me know where I can locate them.

In this case, Kathy and I had been at the 2012 Uptown Whittier car show for a while with each of us going our own way to seek out whatever treasures the day might bring. Later when we met up again, she told me about this Pontiac hood ornament she had come across. We walked down the street so I could make a few images of it too.

I've noticed that the older the hood ornament, the more cracks it is likely to have. Here it was possible to orient the camera in such a way to capture the sunlight illuminating it's internal structure which had a lot of character.

Later when I went home and was reviewing my images in Lightroom, I could see that the bokeh in my shots left a lot to be desired. Luckily I own Nik Software's Bokeh 2 plug-in. It works great as long as you have a good selection isolating what you want to be in sharp focus from that which you want to be blurred. In this case I think it improved the existing bokeh nicely.

Silver Chevy Tail Dragger

Silver Chevy Tail Dragger, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Kathy and I decided to go to sleep early yesterday since the annual uptown Whittier car show was being held today. It's been really hot in Southern California lately and this car show draws thousands of visitors so we wanted to arrive well before the show officially opened to beat the heat and crowds. The great early morning light was a bonus. The show is walking distance from our house so we arrived around 6 am and there were already around 15 cars that had shown up even earlier to claim primo parking spots.

This silver Chevy convertible drove by us as we were walking down Greenleaf avenue. The cool factor on this one was cranked way up and I was immediately taken with its clean lines and amazing paint job. I think the owner scored the best parking place at the show. The building you see behind it is the historic Whittier Village Cinemas which has been a landmark in the city since 1931.

You can see how empty the street was that early. Later it was nearly impossible to move, not to mention setup a tripod to make an image.

Kathy and I ended up taking a early break, had some breakfast at the Rocky Cola Cafe and then made some more images. We ended up walking home and returning to the show a few times. As the day progressed, it was just too hot to stay out for long.

The Phantom of the Midway

The Phantom of the Midway, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I decided to take my neice Alexandra and her boyfriend Josh to San Diego for the weekend. We had a great time on the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum in San Diego harbor. I have been to the Midway a few times before, but this time we explored parts of the ship I had never seen including Pri-Fly and the Bridge.

I was sorry to hear the fireworks display in the bay went so badly this year. Nobody hurt but I understand all of the fireworks went off at once and the show was over in 12 seconds. Apparently about a thousand people had paid for viewing spots on the Midway's flight deck.

Pictured behind us in this fisheye / facebook style shot is an F4 Phantom II fighter / bomber which like all of the aircraft on the Midway has been wonderfully restored. A great day and a lot of fun.