Sunny Side Up

Sunny Side Up, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

This pristine 1957 flamed Chevy hard top graces the Enderle Plaza car show in Tustin, CA. I haven't posted since the beginning of June. I just don't seem to find the time these days. Work is very busy and family life has been taking center stage. It felt great to get out and shoot again.

Sunset over a Classic Chevy

Sunset over a Classic Chevy, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

A beautiful sunset is reflected in the paint of this amazing classic Chevy. Kathy read about a car show on Crossroads Parkway so we drove over to see what might show up. Turned out to be a big show. Lots of cool classic cars plus quite a few lowrider impala type cars too. The sun set pretty quickly after we arrived so we had to shoot fast.

'48 Gumby

'48 Gumby, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

the Bob's Big Boy Broiler this Saturday. Kathy and I walked around and didn't see much we wanted to shoot. I put my camera away and just then 3 or 4 really nice Bombs drove in. Works every time. Whenever I put my camera away great cars show up. Anyway, this is a really nice 1948 Chevy. I think Kathy said she had seen it before.

Make Mine a '59

Make Mine a '59, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Even in the dark parking lot at the Bob's Big Boy Broiler, this amazing 1959 Cadillac shines brightly. This was another tough one to photograph. Lots of people walking right through my shot. Either people are unaware that I am photographing the entire vehicle or they're getting pretty rude. As a result I had to combine the tone mapped image with several of the individual exposures, masking away images of the people who walked through my long exposures. Oh well, I like the end result so that's cool.

Ambience of Silence

Ambience of Silence, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

This is the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. On the day Kathy and I visited there were very few other guests walking the galleries. It was nearly silent and the sound of our footsteps reverberated across the vast open spaces. I could almost hear the hushed voices of visitors past, diminished but not forgotten.

'57 Twin Fin

'57 Twin Fin, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

It always seems that when the sky gets cloudy, classic car owners put their cars in the garage. Not a single rain drop is going to fall on their custom paint job. The bummer with that is that HDR makes cloudy skies look amazing. I got lucky with this shot. The clouds rolled in after the car show got started so I had a chance to catch this amazing '57 out of its element. You can see the owner reflected in the trunk. He kept a close eye on my big tripod and camera which was just about a foot away from his cars tail fin. Viva la wide angle lens baby!

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.

The Mean Green

The Mean Green, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Here's another shot of this amazing green Chevelle I saw at the Bob's Big Boy Broiler. This side view better shows how reflective this car is.

Angel's Flight

Angel's Flight, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

When I first saw this '65 Ford Fairlane I immediately noticed it's paint was reflecting the car next to it like a deep blue mirror. The clarity of the paint was evident even under the yellowish overhead light of the Bob's Big Boy Broiler in Downey. Cars like this just can't be captured with a single photo. Only high dynamic range photography can do them justice.

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.