Chevy Master Deluxe Grape Soda

Chevy Master Deluxe Grape Soda, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Kathy took me to this car show at the Fuddruckers in Lakewood. It was right next to the Best Buy where we bought our very first DSLR, the Sony A700. We now own two A700's and a A850 as well along with a pretty nice collection of lenses and tripods. So it was sort of a little homecoming for that first camera which has been to London, Washington DC, Virginia, Arizona, Nevada and all over California. It's been repaired and put back in service after more than 100,000 shutter actuation's. Ah the memories.

Anyway, this was a really cool car. I was shocked the owner hadn't left the hood open like most owners of custom cars tend to do. I almost never make photographs of a car with the hood open. I think it just ruins the lines. I completely understand that car owners are proud of their engines but I'm not really interested in photographing them. Kathy recently posted a very similar shot of this car on her blog. I think her version turned out better. You can see it here: www.tweakedpixels.com/whats-up/2012/6/4/luxe.html

Low Down '57

Low Down '57, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I saw this killer '57 Chevy at the Ruby's car show in July of 2011. I made several sequences of it. This one was shot with the Lens Baby Composer using the Sweet 35 optic. This manual focus lens allows you to specify an area of sharp focus and everything moving away from that area becomes more and more blurred. It provides an interesting effect I like a lot. Given the reduced size of the focus sweet spot, I would guess this was shot at an aperture of about f2.8.

Separate but Equal?

Separate but Equal?, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

This slammed 1951 Mercury was a favorite of mine from the 2011 Uptown Whittier Car Show. The show organizers made what I think was a stupid decision to exclude lowrider cars from the show, saying that they would hold a separate lowrider show later in the year. Well you guessed it, the lowrider show never happened. The upcoming 2012 show is open to lowriders once more, and I for one am glad they aren't going to repeat their mistake again. I previously posted another shot of this car you can see it here: www.bigpixelpushing.com/journal/2011/9/11/1951-flamed-mer...

I Dream of Bokeh

I Dream of Bokeh, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Here's another image taken at the 2011 Uptown Whitier Car Show. I have posted images of these iconic Pontiac hood ornaments before. They always captivate me, especially if I can get a shot that is back lit by the sun which always shows off the internal structure of these amber colored jewels. I once again borrowed my wife Kathy's incredibly sharp and contrasty 100mm macro lens for this. In addition to being sharp it has the ability to create amazingly smooth bokeh (a Japanese term meaning "beautifully rendered out-of-focus areas") which contrasts so beautifully with the in-focus areas in a shot. To see more of what this lens can do check out Kathy's blog at www.tweakedpixels.com.

Big Woody

Big Woody, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

In September of 2011, my co-worker Michelle told me there was going to be a car show in South Pasadena. Kathy and I drove over and found it was a really big car show. I made a lot of images that day but this is the first one I have processed. I was taken with this 1939 Ford Deluxe Woody as soon as I saw it. It had killer wood work, completely restored. All that was missing was a surfboard sticking out the back.

Space Race

Space Race, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

In the 1960's and 70's the United States and the Soviet Union were trying their best to outdo one another with feats in outer space. This hall at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, features many artifacts from this time period.

Big Pixel Pusher

Big Pixel Pusher, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

After more than a year of research and contemplation, I have replaced my previous computer with this monster for which I specified all of the parts and assembled myself. Ever since I purchased my full frame camera, my old computer had struggled to handle my typical 10 frame HDR sequences. This new computer rips through them with no hesitation whatsoever.

Featuring a water cooled i7 3930k CPU overclocked from 3.2 to 4.8Ghz, high speed solid state drives and a special fan controller to cool the VCORE chipset, I have been impressed and awed by the raw power and stability it has demonstrated.

The case which holds a the components is huge. It's as tall as my desk and weighed nearly 50 lbs empty. It is designed to allow for expansion, efficient airflow and tidy wire management. I'll be posting more images of the actual build and components soon.