Dream Car

As usual, Kathy and I were very excited that the day of the annual Uptown Whittier Car Show had finally arrived. We were out very early and I quickly decided that the first car I wanted to photograph was this beautiful Chevrolet Bel Aire. The owners son sleeping in the passenger seat seemed to take all of the excitement in stride. Never stirring once even with all the noise my DSLR's shutter and mirror were making right next to the car door.

1947 Chevrolet Fleetline

There were so many great cars at the Point Fermin car show by the sea, Kathy and I didn’t know what to photograph first. We arrived a couple of hours before the show was officially opening but there were already more than 100 cars parked and hundreds more flowing into the large ocean front park that hosted the show.

I walked around trying to sort out which cars I definitely wanted to photograph from those that while amazing, were already well represented in my growing photographic archive. This proved nearly impossible to do because so many cars had custom features that were very interesting and unique.

I just couldn’t pass up this immaculate 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline. I love this model and make a point of photographing them whenever I have the opportunity. I spoke to the owner who explained to me that other than being lowered with air bags, the car was restored to be completely stock. That includes the color of the paint and the material used in the upholstery of the seats and headliner.

There’s just something about these long low slung cars that just capture my interest like few others do. I took several sets of shots from various angles so I’m sure I’ll post the others if they look ok after post processing them.

Darkness at the Edge of Town

I spotted this beautiful four door 1939 Chevy Master Deluxe at the Run Whatcha Brung 20th annual car show in Rialto, California. It wasn't entered in the show but instead was just hunkered down in a restaurant parking lot at the far end of the downtown shopping district, it’s low slung chassis managing to look dark and foreboding even while sitting in the bright sun.  I didn’t really intend to walk all the way to the edge of town but I'm glad I did. This turned out to be my favorite car from the show. I mused that the gangsters that owned her were just getting a bite to eat before continuing their daily mayhem. 

Since the car was a deep reflective black I decided to use Nik Software's SilverEfex Pro to bring on the pseudo silver halide goodness and  dispense with the saturation altogether. Once I saw the result, I was reminded of a phrase I saw written on the back window of another low slung machine “Praise the Lowered”

Rule Breaker

They say that rules are meant to be broken and I guess my rule that I never take photos of cars with their hoods up is actually more of a guideline. This beautiful 1939 Chevy Master Deluxe was way too cool to pass up without taking a photo, hood up or not. But there's actually more to the story. When I saw how interesting it looked with the hood up I was actually compelled to shoot it this way. That didn't stop me from asking the owners son to check if his dad would lower it for me (which he did) but while the hood was up, I shot a few HDR sequences. The car looked immaculate to me but the owner told me it was about to go in for a special wax job that was quite expensive. This was in preparation for a big low rider show held in Los Angeles.

Chilo's Oh So Fine '39

Chilo's Oh So Fine '39, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Kathy and I went to 3 car shows today. The first was the Viejitos show in Fullerton. It was my first day shooting with my brand new Sony Alpha 99 camera which I mainly used for macro and lensbaby shots. I also brought along my previous camera which I used for to photograph this stunning 1939 Chevy Master Deluxe. It's rare to find one of these in such immaculate condition but I guess I got lucky today. I shot a few images with the hood panels up and while I did, the owners son, Dominick came over and asked what I was taking the photos for. I explained that I just photographed them to post on my blog and I asked him if it would be possible to lower the hood at some point so I could get better images. He said he would ask his dad and about 30 minutes later I was standing by the car again and I met his dad Chilo. They were both very cool people and justifiably proud of their car. I must of taken shots from about 6 different viewpoints. It's pretty hard to take a bad picture of this car. Anyway, I promised I would send them some full resolution images and I'll be doing that as soon as I process each set. This is the first. I hope the next time I get to shoot this car without two other cars in the shot. Chilo and Dominick, I hope you like this shot. It was nice meeting you today.

Rust in Peace

Rust in Peace, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

“Well hello old friend.” I thought when I walked around a corner and saw this 1938 Chevrolet at the Greater Whittier Area Car Show held last weekend.
I had previously seen this truck sitting in a far corner of the 2012 Uptown Whittier car show and once again a couple of years earlier, parked forlornly, unnoticed in the shade of an old oak tree at the Whittier founder’s day celebration. As you can see, it’s not your typical glamour ride. But its classic design is all the more visually compelling to me when I survey its blighted and distressed curving surfaces, its faded and chipped paint still resisting the elements - defiantly hanging on, and its rust pitted grill proudly jutting forward – all of which seem to say “just a few more miles before we rest”.
For all I know this might have been the 75th time this truck visited the founders day celebration. I can imagine it quietly slipping into the same parking spot back in 1938, Its 6 cylinder engine now silent, its factory fresh two-tone paint has never known a scratch or a dent. I can almost hear its radio reporting that Howard Hughes has set another aviation record – this time for a flight around the world, and that changing weather patterns are responsible for floods and landslides in Los Angeles where 200 have already perished. But here in Whittier’s Central Park – The Quaker people are happy, celebrating with their neighbors. The musicians on the bandstand certainly aren’t playing the latest Fats Waller tune but more likely a Sousa march. The watermelon eating contest is nearly over and the town librarian has walked to the park’s edge and stands near a small oak tree, one of many planted around the perimeter, rehearsing for his reading of a John Greenleaf Whittier poem.
By 1942 the United States had entered World War II and The Chevy was displaying its type “B” gasoline rationing sticker on the windshield, indicating that the driver was a business owner and needed to travel more than some others and therefore was accorded a larger allocation of fuel. Tires and anything made of rubber are now hard to come by. Everyone needs to make things last. The owner needed this truck to keep working just a little longer.

The decades come and go, owners too I’ll bet. Maybe it will outlast us all.

Hey This Isn't Disneyland!

Hey This Isn't Disneyland!, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

It was my birthday so Kathy and I decided to go to Disneyland but she had already told me there were a couple of car shows she wanted to go to so I went along with her. I don't remember the other show, it might have been a wash out but this one hosted by the Latin Gents was really cool. Lots of nice cars and the weather was really good too. We did go to Disneyland later that day and I'm sure that was fun too. It always is.

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.