Odds and Ends

A very good friend of mine in the automotive journalism field once told me, "it's good for the soul to take a detour once in a while." Well, Maximum Power is taking a little detour this week. Now that it's officially November and daylight savings time has either begun or ended, (I can never keep track of which is when - all I know is the days seem damn short), I've decided to post a few odds and ends, picture wise, for this weeks blog. These are pictures that were taken, but never used in a blog, or posted on Facebook, or put up on the website for different reasons. Some just didn't turn out the way they were envisioned; the colors were off, the composition was out of balance, or in some cases, people just had to make it a photo-bomb. Naturally, there are stories that go along with these as well. In the end, it still makes for a good chuckle.

Remember last week I wrote about how old junk or other non-automotive oddities are substituting for car parts on rat rods? This week we have more evidence of that micro-movement. While this particular ride is not finished yet, I'm digging some of the features. I love the patina and the stance of this rod. For some reason, I am grooving the fuel pump set up. I have yet to pinpoint why. The buffet of horns on top of the motor are interesting and I'm unsure if they serve an additional purpose of just helping to channel air. The wiring is still a little sketchy in some places, but that will get sorted out.

Speaking of components in odd places, check out the brake master cylinder location on this beauty. I have to admit, I like this, as awkward of a place that it is. Granted, I would be nervous about getting any brake fluid on that mile deep green paint! I know it's personal preference, but I've never really liked how numerous street rods have the master cylinder relocated and placed along the frame. One aspect that drew me to this particular rod, was its mix of old and new. This shot also demonstrates my absolute HATE for overhead fluorescent lighting inside large buildings when it comes to photographing vehicles. It screws with colors and is a bitch to fix.

One thing I've learned over the years is that photographing vehicles at a car show is tougher than it looks. One thing that clouds the issue is all the other people in attendance and their perspective - in other words, why are they there? Just about everyone likes looking at the cool vehicles and will snap a few pics with their cell phone. They could care less if other people are in the picture or what the surroundings look like. As long as they get somewhat of a decent shot of the car - they're good. For someone who is more than a hobbyist and attempting to make a living at it; be it at a magazine, newspaper, or through their own work, "getting that quality shot" takes a lot more time and effort. And face it, not every car owner is going to meet you at a later time in a better location just so you can photograph their ride.

Sometimes it's people (or their shadows) that get in the way (above right). Is it me or is their some gravitational force that pulls spectators toward the hot rod you're photographing up close and you're not using an ordinary cell phone? A former car dealership manager I used to work for told me time and again; "Activity breeds activity." One minute there's zero people around a hot rod I want to photograph. The next minute, everyone wants to get in on the action...
Other times it's not people - it other vehicles. How the vehicles are parked; that's just the luck of the draw. Sometimes you win, other times, no matter what angle you're at, it just doesn't work like with the '64 Bel Air (above left).

In other situations, it's me. Even with a picture numerous people dig, I won't like it for some reason. Case in point this stunning creamy yellow 30's street rod. I like the color, the engine, lack of shadow, minimal reflections, even the orange hot rod behind it I can live with. So what's wrong? To me, it's the headlight. It's just... there. It draws all your attention to itself. It's as if the fender lifted the light for a photo-bomb. And it's a little out of focus. I know that's how the car was made and it's beautiful. But I feel I could've done better with the angle.

One question I do get asked every once in a while, is why I don't take "action" shots of hot rods, muscle cars, or street machines. The simple truth is, I'm not very good at it. I've tried it, but all my pictures have sucked. I still attempt it from time to time, but it's nowhere near one of my strong points. For the life of me, I have no idea what came together to get this shot of this beautiful Willy's while on the road. While this shot is hardly professional - it's about the best I've got. I can file this under "extremely lucky"...

My automotive writing and photography have been a learning curve over the years. I've come to the conclusion that I am totally comfortable with being an "amateur". I'm not technical enough to be a professional, nor creative enough to be an artist. My tools are very simple. Even with all the mistakes I've made over the years, the fact that people have read my ramblings and have purchased my work, leaves me with an immense feeling of gratitude. "Extremely lucky" doesn't even begin to describe it.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave