Tom's '54 Bel Aire

Tom's '54 Bel Aire, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

"What a pleasant surprise to discover that you can run the new 1954 Chevy Belaire with the kind of money that fits a young man's budget." This absolutely clean 1954 Chevy Belair was parked at the Bob's Big Boy Broiler's Wednesday night car show in Downey. I was really struggling to get a good shot of it. First people kept walking through the shot and other cars arriving and leaving swept their headlights over it during the long exposures. I do like how it turned out though. The paint was highly reflective and I'm sure even more spectacular during daylight.

Swell Chevelle

Swell Chevelle, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I think this is a Chevelle but I'm not sure what year. Kathy and I went to the Broiler on Wednesday and I met several members of the Sultan's Car Club from Long Beach. This was one of the Sultan's cars. This was a tough shot because people kept walking through my long exposures. I had to wave several people away but not everyone heeded my wishes.

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.

Pair of Eights

Pair of Eights, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

So this is Bob's Big Boy Broiler back lot. There was a car show that was sponsored by a Corvette car club so I didn't really expect to see this beauty sitting here. Even though the sky was almost completely covered by clouds, this Olds 88's paint job was still stunningly beautiful, reflecting everything that surrrounded it. I spoke to the owner who was cool and I sent Kathy over to give him her card. She took a much better shot of this car and you can see it on her website here.

A Portrait of You

A Portrait of You, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

On the evening of March 6, 1865, Abraham and Mary Lincoln arrived at the Patent Office Building in Washington DC. They joined an estimated 5,000 guests who had gathered to attend the President's second inaugural ball. Construction of the building begain in 1836. It was used as a hospital during the American Civil War. It was spared from the wreckers ball in 1958 by then President Dwight Eisenhower. Today the building houses the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

The Liberator

The Liberator, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I've read about them in books and seen them many times on DVD's and TV but until this October I had never set eyes on a real B-24 bomber. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. Manufactured by the Consolidated Aircraft Company of San Diego, the B-24M Liberator bomber was 13th version of this aircraft to be built. About 20 minutes after I took this 10 exposure HDR image, the skies opened up and it rained hard. I took refuge under the huge delta wing of a Canadian Vulcan Bomber and put my camera back into my rolling backpack. My day at the museum was cut short, but I was able to return the next day to finish my tour.

Temple of Freedom

Temple of Freedom, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

When the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in 1922 it was seen as a fitting tribute to one of our greatest presidents. Today, memories of Marian Anderson and Martin Luther King have elevated this place into something higher. Whenever I visit, I can't help but reflect on what freedom in America means and on the great sacrifices that others have made to preserve that freedom.

Lead Sled

Lead Sled, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Formerly cloaked in absolute secrecy and for decades regarded to be the fastest jet powered aircraft the world has ever known, this SR-71 Blackbird now sits quietly in front of the Castle Air Museum in Atwater California. I've seen Blackbirds in mueseums before but never outside and never in a setting where I could freely use my full size tripod to create an HDR image. This is one of my favorite aircraft.

Time will never fade

Time will never fade, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

The Old Post Office Pavilion in Washington DC was built in 1899. It features a spectacular atrium that towers over a food court on the first level. This vertorama consists of 4 images stitched together.

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