Pretty Maids

I realize how fortunate I am to be able to experience these great events. I used to live just down the street from a location where an amazing car show was held each year so going to a great show like the Chicano Park day show feels like going home again.

Impala Inbound

We spotted this cool impala nearly as soon as we entered the Chicano park area. I didn't have my camera out of my bag yet and it slowly cruised past us down the street leading to the park. Thankfully, I saw it crusing by once again and this time I did have my camera ready and captured several images of it.

Illuminated Pontiac

Kathy and I were walking into the Chicano park car show early in the morning and came across this Pontiac car backing into a parking place. The headlights were on as was the iconic hood ornament. The driver shut off the engine, lights and ornament and exited his car. I asked if he could turn them back on for a minute and he said “sure”. I took a few shots with my wide-angle lens. I normally would have preferred to use my macro lens but he was waiting to turn off the lights so I was pressed for time. 

La Gente Disturbing the Gentrifiers in Chicano Park - Barrio Logan - San Diego

The 53rd annual Chicano Park Day Celebration and Car Show was held on Saturday April 22, 2023, in the traditionally Mexican American Barrio Logan neighborhood. This very popular event honors the movement started when the people of this neighborhood organized to stand up against the City of San Diego after the city made several unilateral moves without input from the residents. These included giving large sections of the neighborhood to the US Navy and cutting off the resident’s access to the beach and the San Diego Bay. Then the city changed the zoning of barrio logan to allow industrial businesses to move in. Noise and air pollution from junk yards and other industries mixed in with the residential homes made life in Barrio Logan intolerable. The Interstate 5 freeway and the on-ramps for the Coronado Bay Bridge were built and bisected the neighborhood. The last straw was the city reneging on their promise of building a park for the residents in Barrio Logan but then without warning beginning construction of California Highway Patrol station in its place instead. The people revolted, banded together and physically stopped the construction project. They occupied the land for 12 days while negotiating with the city. The city, seeing that they could no longer do as they wanted without significant opposition, acquiesced and the 32,000 square foot park was built on the site later that year. It features a large collection of outdoor murals and has been designated a national historic landmark.

Ironically, upwardly mobile young professionals have been moving into the neighborhood and are displacing long-time residents. In prior years they might not have felt safe here, but they now see this area as a desirable place to live. I think all the noise and crowds that attend this show must disturb these new residents. Hopefully they take the time to understand the importance of the day.

This wide-angle view depicts one of the murals painted on the concrete support for the bridge on-ramp. It reads “Varrio Si Yonkes No!” This does not mean Yankees go home or anything similar. It means neighborhood yes, junk yards no! Just beyond the park’s borders you can see a building containing new condos.

Sunrise at Chicano Park

Kathy and I arrived at Chicano Park around 5:30AM but found the area swarming with cars and people in the early morning light. We had to park about 6 blocks away. We should have arrived at least an hour earlier. We had talked about taking the train but at the last minute I found myself driving Kathy's car to the park. Oh well. I caught this Chevy station wagon rolling into the park just as the sun was rising. Normally it is not recommended to shoot directly into the sun, but I like breaking the rules. 

This is Not Your Mothers Station Wagon

Kathy and I came across this amazing 1957 Chevy station wagon at the Majestics Car Club show in Norwalk in late March 2023. To say it stood apart from the other cars at this show would be a significant understatement. The paint job on this car was nothing short of spectacular. We both chatted with the owner who told me he orignally wanted to go with a solid blue color but the painter convinced him he would regret that decision and be back to have the car painted in the look it now wears so well. He decided to go for it and wow I'm so glad he did. This paint treatmentcovers the entire car including the roof so I had to hold my tripod over my head to capture the beautiful design on it and trigger off 9 shots, trying to hold the camera steady. 

1950 Buick Eight

This beautiful buick eight which i think is a 1950 model year, was either very well cared for or expertly restored. This is yet another car I stumbled upon just after sunrise at the Pomona auto swapmeet. 

Fleetline Sunrise

The primer paint on this fleetline in no way stops it from showing off it's classic curves at morning's first light.  I shoot a lot of cars but I have to say I am a sucker for the 1947-48 fleetline. Given the choice between a 2022 corvette or a restored 48 fleetline, call me crazy but I'm going the fleetline way everytime. 

Not Fade Away

I spotted this beautiful 1940 Chevy Deluxe Special convertible sitting quietly by itself off to one side at the Pomona Auto Swap Meet. It seemed a little out of place being surrounded by cars typically considered to belong to the Hot Rod genre. Exactly the type of cars which I generally do not photograph. This Chevy was a different story. While all the cars surrounding her seemed to be ready to emit a throaty roar from their lake pipes, she would probably rather glide serenely and quietly, all grace and elegance over the well-worn pavement. Her stereo playing an oldie tune as she slowly faded from view.

Pomona Sunrise

Arriving at the Pomona auto swap meet before dawn has its benefits. We drove over to the Pomona fairgrounds along very empty freeways and arrived just after 5:00 am. As we got closer, we began seeing lots of classic cars making their way to the entry gates. After paying for parking, we found a place to park not far from the entry gate and got our camera bags and tripods out of the car. It was bracingly cold outside and quite a bit colder than at home. Having attended this swap meet in the winter previously, we were well prepared and brought our scotty vest jackets to keep warm. For those who are unaware, the Pomona Auto Swap meet is a very large event that has been held for the past 47 years in Pomona California. It typically is held 7 times a year from 5:00am to 2:00PM on selected Sundays. I’ve heard you can find nearly any type of part for any type of car there. After having walked up and down a few of the aisles, I believe it. It is also a place for people to show off their cars. Sections for doing so are provided as well as places to display a car you wish to sell.

We like arriving early so we beat the crowds and are always there before sunrise in case it turns out to be a spectacular one like it was on this January morning. Even before the sun began peeking over the horizon, the sky to the east started glowing a yellow orange color which was promising and there were some clouds for the orange light to illuminate. The western sky was still deep in the blue hour when the sun rose above the horizon and the most beautiful orange colored sky quite suddenly lit up. Kathy and I returned to the cars we liked most that morning and began shooting some images. I really liked this 1940’s Fleetline panel delivery vehicle. I shot this from several viewpoints and was generally pleased with the results.