Worst Blog Ever

Lowrider Bicycles

2012-01-09T23:02:00.000-08:00

What are you doing this winter, this January? Many people in the northern hemisphere are likely bundled up right now battling the elements and struggling to maintain their body’s core temperature. But if you were members of the Mexcali bike club, living in Long Beach, California, the only thing you have to struggle with is where to ride your bike on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Braving the balmy 80 degree day I tagged along, camera in tow, with members of the Mexcali Lowrider bicycle club. What a tough day at the office, working on this new Lowrider culture book. It’s a tough life, but somebody has got to do it.

Photography Out Takes

2011-12-28T21:13:00.000-08:00

Most folks don’t see the amount of photos that end up on the “cutting room floor”; of course now that nearly all media is now digital there is no “cutting room floor”. What most people never get to see are the hundreds and hundreds of photos (out takes) taken that never see the light of day. Take for instance this Tech article. A pal of mine, RJ, is building this righteous gasser Chevelle. Between the hundreds of photos I took with the pin-up girl and the hundreds of photos of RJ working on it at his shop there must be nearly 500 or so photos of this particular vehicle. Of course some are better than others. I will refrain from showing all 500 (for obvious reasons), so dig these few out takes that never made it into print. Oh by the way this and three other stories, by yours truly are in the new Jan 2012 issue of Car Culture Deluxe.

Grumpy Old man on books.

2011-11-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

Maybe I’m an old fogey at the age of 39, but I don’t want to own a Kindle or any other type of electronic book. They are not real. I like the look, the feel, the smell, the touch of real books. I like the paper, the photos, the sound a page makes when you turn it, and I like the fact you don’t need batteries to read a book. I like the fact that when I buy a book, I actually own it, it’s tangible…It’s real. I can put a book on a shelf and pick it up years later to read it, and sometimes, on rare occasions, I can find something that I placed in between the pages, say like a $5 dollar bill I used as a book mark. Can you e-book people say the same thing? I have some books that I inherited from my great grandfather, grandmother and grandfather. These books have some of their hand written notes in the margins of these books. Can you e-book people say the same?

As a kid we used to watch Dana Carvey play the role of a grumpy old man on Saturday Night Live. His character bemoaned modern progress and technology with all the flare Carvey was known for on SNL. In the words of the Grumpy old man on e-books “Flibbidy-flobbidy-floobity!”

Hey Pachuco!

2011-11-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

My publishers, Cartech Books, have asked me to work on another book. The subject of the next book? Lowriders! So dig this amazingly beautiful ’37 Buick I shot last night at a guys shop. Noah aka “Gumby” builds classic rides for customers and has a few of his own to boot. Look for the completion of the Lowrider book in about a year’s time.

Also dig the Pachuca in her Pendleton and hat!

Tin Type Photography

2011-10-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

Printing on metal, it’s nothing new, tin types have been around since the mid 1800’s. But aluminum types? That is something new. I found a place that can turn any of my digital files into an aluminum print of any size. Can you dig it? Aluminum prints! Check out the B&W and color samples I have posted. They can be printed translucent, like the samples posted here, or as a regular photographic print. I prefer the translucent.

Book Signing at the Petersen Museum

2011-10-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

OK, some shameless self promotion going on here. Oct 29th at the Petersen Automotive museum, I will be part of a book signing. A week later, after the Petersen signing, I will be at the SEMA art show signing books as well.

California Dreamin'

2011-08-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, short sweet and to the point. I shot this Chevelle a few days after I got back from Bonneville. There are times when I hate Kalifornia....which is usually 75% of the time. The other 25%? Well, look at the photo, and these are the times that I love living here.

Bonneville Bound!!

2011-08-09T01:05:00.000-07:00

Ok Folks, no more blogs this month, I'm Bonneville bound! Some people dream of going to Hawaii on vacation, others dream of the coast and sipping fruity drinks.

I dream of going to one of the more desolate lifeless places on earth where the temp hovers around a 100-degrees! Why? To watch fast cars go fast. Sleeping in a tent, showering at truck stops, eating my meals from a can, I wouldn't miss it!

See you in September.

Rusty Pickups book, now in print!

2011-07-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

Available August 15^th my first published book! This coffee table art book contains photographs of trucks from the turn of the 20^th century to the mid 1970’s, trucks that were found laying in fields and barns. There is lots of great photography, captions and vintage truck ads with the photos. You can check out the link to purchase the book on Amazon

Magazine Profile On Yours Truly! ! ! Part I

2011-07-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

Howdy Folks, This entry will be a little self indulgent (but aren’t all blogs self indulgent anyway?) Old School Rodz magazine runs articles on various artists that work with different mediums. This months, #48 November 2011 issue, they are running a profile on my photography complete with an interview/Q&A session. I’m excited about this one, strangely enough. True I have had many, many, many covers grace magazines over the years, but honestly who pays attention to who shot the cover? Nobody ever reads the small print “Photograph by…” This time it is about me. Kinda cool eh.

When I sent photos in for the spread, naturally they couldn’t run all of them, but in this blog I can include a small amount that the magazine didn’t have space for. In completely random nonsensical order, here are the outtakes in the blog entry below.

Magazine Profile On Yours Truly! ! ! Part II (out takes)

2011-07-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

AMA vs. Photoshop !

2011-07-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

What is this world coming to?!?!? Since when does the AMA try and dictate to me as a photographer which tools and equipment I am allowed to use? My god, what is wrong with this country? Does the AMA and other bleeding hearts whose rallying cry “Think of the Children” know anything of the history of mankind?

The ancient Mayans used to put their children’s heads between two boards when they were toddlers to elongate their skulls, because they thought it looked beautiful. Certain tribes in Africa have been altering their bodies for millennia because they think it looks beautiful. Ancient Egyptians like Cleopatra wore make up and eyeliner to alter their appearance, because they thought it looked beautiful. Modern women use push up bras, nylon/silk stockings, corsets, wigs, hair dye, lip stick, boob jobs, liposuction, nose jobs and piercings the list goes on and on.

Before Photoshop existed, advertisers used makeup artists, air brush artists and lighting experts to make a women look glamorous. It’s nothing new since the first caveman drew pictures of his girlfriend on the cave wall with big boobies, mankind has always sought to enhance our looks.

We now have warning labels on everything! Cigarettes (remember when the AMA doctors used to endorse cigarettes as “good for the throat”) Music CD’s and even ladders! Now they want to put warning labels on photography.

How has the Gore family mentality taken hold of this country? Remember tipper Gore and her crusade against the music industry? Now we have warning labels on music. Al Gore and his crusade against the internal combustion engine (while he flies across the country in his private jet and owns a fleet of SUV’s) and now the hypocrisy of the AMA, an organization of doctors that used to endorse tobacco companies now wants to tell me what tools I am allowed to use or not use in my photography. I say to them the words that Jesus once said “physician, heal yourself!”

PS. Am I helping to destroy America's youth by using Photoshop to crop, and adjust light and color in these photos? Let me know.

Gasser a go-go

2011-07-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

The Blues Magoos are wailing away Tobacco Road as the hi-fi system drowns out the sounds of the shutter. For two seconds between tracks, the world is silent and the shutter can once again be heard snapping and popping like a bowl of Rice Krispies. The Hives explode from the speakers “Here We Go Again”, strategically placed strobe lights are exploding and filling the room with their luminous flux, bleaching the eye sockets of those who dare to stare. All the elements have combined for this moment in the garage, the music, the cool night air, the model, and the resurrected Chevrolet were all deep in the fuzztone groove. An authentic pair of 60’s go-go boots, a real A-line mini dress that somehow survived the last 40 plus years and of course the straight axle Chevelle it’s real Americana on America’s birthday. Happy 4^th of July to America! May we as a people trudge through the deep trough of shit we are currently wallowing in and have a future that is as prosperous as our past. One can always hope and dream.

El Mirage

2011-06-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

It’s a fever, it’s a disease, it’s an addiction…It’s a lifestyle! I’m talking about land speed racing, racing on the dry lakes of the southern California desert or on the salt beds of ancient Lake Bonneville. Yes, I guess I have to admit it is a lifestyle for me.

When summer time rolls around most folks dream of taking vacations in an Exotic Island location, a distant shoreline, or some overpriced theme park where a rabbit mouse siphons’ money from your wallet! I dream of heading for the hostile parched climate of the dirt or salt to watch purpose built cars go really fast in a straight line. I’m not alone in this affliction thousands around the world are hopeless victims as well, there is no cure other than looking forward to the next race. I have now passed this affliction onto my two sons. I’m surprised that they will willingly spend countless hours in the desert sun watching roadsters move along at 250 mph!

This June the weather was perfect at El Mirage! A great time to take photos!

Film

2011-06-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

Do you remember film? How about slide film? I remember just 10 years ago when I would go to the Bonneville Salt Flats to catch the races, and besides a case of my favorite cold drink, I would have a case of my favorite film. Usually it was Fuji Velvia. (Yes….I did keep the film in the Ice chest till I was ready to use it.) The brilliant colors of that chrome film are still unparalleled today. Here’s to the good old days.

Today, I have about five rolls of unprocessed film sitting in a cabinet just waiting. There’s no close places anymore to get medium format rolls processed! It used to be that a couple miles in any direction you could find a lab to process your film. Now the nearest place is twenty miles away! Twenty miles there and twenty miles back. Then you got to go pick up the film in a week so there is another forty miles tacked onto the trip. Add $4 dollar a gallon gas into the mix and a vehicle that only gets 15 miles a gallon. It gets expensive. On display are a couple of frames from a roll I took about 11 or 10 years ago on good ol’ fashioned Fuji Velvia film. It’s fun to reminisce isn’t it? Were the good ol days really that good? I have to admit I love my digital camera when I think of the instant gratification of photography.

Working on the Book!

2011-05-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm excited about this one. The proofs to the coffee table art book arrived from the publisher yesterday. I'm going through making the final corrections. More or less here is what the cover will look like. This will be my first book. Never mind the magazine biz (which I still dable in) this will be my first book! Of course I don't think it will be available for sale till the end of the summer.

1949 Mercury Revisited.

2011-05-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

It doesn't happen very often...well, to tell the truth it does not happen at all. But I received a request to post more pictures of the 1949 Mercury. Not just any request, but a request from a man in England who is having the said Mercury shipped over to him. He found this blog quite by accident and found the pictures of his Mercury on here. So, here you go Mr Steven, these pictures are for you. I hope that Mercury looks just as good cursing the London streets as it does the Los Angeles streets.

2011-05-09T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well now, it has been about a month since my last entry, so I figured it is high time for another. The weather is warming up in the northern hemisphere and that means race season is upon us. I’ve been thinking of Bonneville for several weeks now and appropriately enough Car Culture Deluxe magazine ran one of my stories about Bonneville in their latest issue. Strangely enough they didn’t use all my pictures, but instead chose to include a few snap shots from another photographer; thankfully they are only a just a few snap shots. Be that as it is, I think the story is ok.

1949 Mercury

2011-04-12T22:56:00.000-07:00

South Central LA, a section of the City of Angel's who’s reputation is anything but angelic. It may seem to some that this part of the city is about as far south of heaven that one can get. Still, it is home to many residents of all types. One such resident, this 1949 Mercury, daily prowls the south central streets and attracts all types of stares from passersby. As I write this blog, the Mercury will be gone within the week. Soon, it will be packed into a cargo container and on its way to the United Kingdom. I’m glad I got to shoot her before she disappears from these shores forever.

Once again sorry for the lame watermarks, but some bone smugglers have been stealing my work and posting it on their blogs!

Classic Chevy Truck

2011-04-03T16:15:00.001-07:00

It’s all about the quality of light. Whether it is natural or artificial, well placed light can make any vehicle attractive. I must admit, it does help if the car is attractive to begin with…it might be a tough sell to make a Datsun B210 look good in any type of light. Thankfully this is no Datsun! Take for example this ‘39 Chevy truck. The soft golden light of California’s setting sun worked its magic on this former farm hand. A classic look for sure, the outer darkness black suede paint combined with the brimstone red steel wheels and the angelic glowing halos of the wide whites. “They” may say this look had been beaten to death like a rival fan in the parking lot of Dodger stadium. Who cares what they say anyway? I call it beautiful, and the golden light with the black suede makes it an ideal piece of eye candy.

PS. Sorry about the watermarks on the photos, some dumb bastards have been stealing my photos and putting it on their blogs! So now I have to ruin my photos in order to ensure thieves don’t steal my work and repost it as their own.

No Trespassing means great photography!

2011-03-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

A rolling Reo Speed Wagon gathers no moss! And I’m not talking about that fecal laden rock ballad band from the ‘70’s either! It makes me sad to see this old Reo truck turning into a salad.

A devilish coven of towering trees are attempting to conceal the crime that is taking place beneath their canopies. A legion of the forest flora and fauna struggle upward like the arms of an undead army. Those strangling arms weave and wind their way around the immobile Speed Wagon and pull it back into the earth. I swear I can almost hear their whispers and groans as they conspire to destroy what is left of the old REO. It’s both beautiful and sad all at the same time.

Another thing that makes me sad is hearing that horrible band on the radio that stole their names sake from this line of trucks.

Mooneyes....MADE IN THE USA

2011-03-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

I went to Mooneyes the other day, and was surprised to learn that their performance parts are still made here in the USA, by hand, one at a time. Chico the owner of Mooneyes was gracious and let me roam around his shop with my Camera in hand photographing anything I wanted.

In these photos, Manuel "Manny" is making an aluminum fuel tank. I won't show the entire photo thread, but here are a couple from the shoot.

I got a kick out of watching flat pieces of aluminum being turned into gas tanks for race cars, maybe you will too.

Sinister Mustang.

2011-03-03T19:11:00.000-08:00

Those that know me know I almost always shoot vintage race cars, muscle cars, and custom cars. I photographed this Mustang for Galpin Ford yesterday. I don’t know too much about it other than it is a custom built wide body Mustang that is on its way to Saudi Arabia. This thing sounded like friggin’ Formula 1 race car and looks mean going down the road. Needles to say it is an impressive machine. It’s also a nice challenge to step up and shoot a car with nearly zero miles on it. Galpin Auto Center as a very impressive line-up of vehicles this is just one.

Latest Magazine Cover.

2011-02-23T23:11:00.000-08:00

It's been several months since I have had a magazine cover. I rather like this one, although I don't understand how the printing process makes her skin look pale and washed out, oh well.

Dig some of the many, many out takes from this shoot.

Posters

2011-02-18T11:26:00.001-08:00

Somehow it makes me feel dirty, like admitting that I own an authentic Tijuana velvet Elvis painting, but somehow not dirty enough! I’m referring to using this blog as a way to sell you the viewer a poster. So here goes my best Ron Popeil sales pitch. Ready?

NEW, hot off the press 11X17 Automotive Photography posters! Printed on glossy 10pt cardstock (except the blue ’34 Ford, it’s printed on 100lb glossy poster paper) for the low price of $13 dollars each, plus $1 dollar to cover shipping and handling. (By the way what is handling and why are we charged for it?) But wait there’s more! Buy four or more posters and they are $10 each!

But wait there’s even more! There is a safe and easy ordering shopping cart set up on my web site with even more posters, prints and art for sale. www.automotive-photography.net Hang them on the wall next to your velvet Elvis! Act now operators are standing by.

Pheeew…I feel dirty after that sales pitch…I think I need a shower.