back in black

made it out to pomona this morning. after the hike in from the parking lot, i probably only shot for a couple of hours. first time out in a few months, and i was getting exasperated by the people walking through my shots, and just the fact of the pomona swap meet—so many cars, on the move and parked together, ebb and flow of people. it gets overwhelming and boring at some point.

it was a good two hours to bang out some crap pictures, and remember what i used to do. kick start how to 'see' again, mostly anonymously. no one really bothered me.

better half had gone with me, to make sure i was ok, i think. he brought his camera bag with him, but mostly just shot the sunrise, before calling it a day. it was a really nice sunrise, i'll give him that.

got somewhat frustrated after the sun came up, when i wanted to shoot some details, but my second camera is having issues and giving me card errors. finally brought out the a6000, but the lens isn't what i wanted to use, so promptly sacked that one. guess i'll have to send it in for repair, since it's relatively new, and it doesn't seem to be a card issue.

this was the last car i shot, before calling my better half to see where he had wandered off to. he had been hungry earlier, so i assumed he'd gone to eat, and wander the aisles of parts. turns out, he hadn't eaten, and decided the pavement on the aisles was too rough for one of his cameras bouncing around in the bag, with it's delicate sensor.

so i said, i'd had enough, and we left to find breakfast/lunch on the way home.

my favorite end of this cadillac, with the great fins, and dual bullet lights. there was a woman sitting just off to the right end of the car, and her legs kept getting in the shot. so screw her, cropped it to the essential bit of the car. more interesting this way, anyhow.

get out from behind

still feel like i've been smacked by a baseball bat in the face, but don't look as much as if i did today. seriously thinking of going to legg lake and seeing what's up. >>update: went to legg lake, scoped out all different lots, both sides of freeway--no good times being had. too tired to drive over to lincoln park, so my weekend is done before it begun. shoulda gone out yesterday. 😞<<

wondering if my arms will work, and let me pull my bag and carry the tripod from one end to the other, and have the energy to make it back to the car. seriously. wtf is wrong with me?

i'm supposed to take a portrait of an exec at work this week, and i'm outta practice on taking any type of picture.

but the sun is soooo bright in my eyes, and it's hard to focus with sun glasses on. at least the weather is perfect.

lately, i've gone uptown about once a day or so, to get lunch or dinner, but mostly to scope out any old cars that may be parked there. if i can't get to a show, i go look for any that may come to me. there are the usual few, belonging to people who work uptown, and then there are always classic cars and harleys that drive through daily. shoot em with my phone, and post on instagram...better than nothing.

saw a poster yesterday for the annual dia de los muertos show uptown. last year was more car show than art show. hoping for the same this year. at least it's down the street and i can go home if i don't feel good.

i've shot this car before. friendly father and son usually go along with it, but didn't see them this day, at the uptown show. it's an unusual car, and i can't recall seeing another one like it, so i always take a shot of it when i see it. such a nice back end.

poindexter

feeling a little misty, sentimental, a little cadillac kinda mood. maybe it's just me being tired. was looking for something in my archives, while waiting for my hair to dry, and this car from two-thousand and thirteen caught my eye.

out in rialto, at the annual run whatcha brung show, shooting down low. my better half's old wide-angle lens, that i basically took over until i bought the one i used now. i almost think it's better than the new one...the fade off into blurred detail is a bit farther.

love the pointy back end and the bullet lights. looks so yum

i was nominated for some new award at work. they announced the winners today...i wasn't one of them. and you know what, i'm ok with it. really didn't think what i was nominated for compared to those who did win, and i was actually really mostly relieved that i didn't have to stand up in front of the crowd, and/or have to pose for pictures. hate that part.

they didn't get big hardware or a chunk of crystal, that i would have added to my collection of other glass sitting on an led base, all blinged out, but hey, i still got some brownie points just for the nomination. i'm saving up to get enough for another camera body someday.

sort of like getting the honorable mention on my picture at the fair.

fair day

was my turn to run all over hell and back today.

decided to run down to the oc fair really quick, to see my pictures on the wall. had to go down to my office just to turn on my computer so i can do an unexpected/unplanned work from home day tomorrow, and the fair was on the way.

got there just before they opened the parking lot, so got a good, close parking spot near the entrance. then, since i already had my ticket, got to head straight to the entry gate, where i ended up being first in line, which meant i got to stand under the tent cover, out of the sun until official open time at eleven. you don't know how much i needed that.

they let us in at eleven on the dot. i stopped for a drink before heading to the visual arts building, where i had to sit outside until i finished it, since i wasn't going to trash an eight dollar drink.

found my pictures in the usual place, the far corner of the building. two cars, one ferris wheel...ferris wheel got an honorable mention, wouldn't you know. hope my better half can go see them sometime.

spent an hour looking at all the other art in the building and enjoying the air conditioning. so chill. the weather outside was actually pretty good, being relatively close to the ocean, a breeze blowing constantly, and some cloud cover as i headed back to my car.

another ten miles down the freeway, five minutes in the office, and the return trip to whittier, with three stops at various stores, with a brief shopping list at each. hot in whittier, and managed to miss whatever they were doing uptown and streets were open again.

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damn stunning paint job on this impala at the imperials show. usual internal whining about needing to drag a ladder with me sometime. i do love the back ends on these cars, sleek curves up to the arcs of the fins.

a scare

went to the harbor knights hit-a-thon car show rather late today. i vacillated all morning, and the clouds outside seemed about ready to burst for a good while. finally flipped a coin, thus deciding it.

of course most halfway there, it starts to sprinkle. i momentarily pull into the in-n-out lot, ready to throw in the towel and have lunch. but then i decided, i'd just head over and see if anything/anyone was still there.

sprinkles let up the closer to the beach i got.

got to the high school, saw banners at the entrances, but could not see a show from the street. almost thought it was over, but then this impala drives up. i had gotten out of my car, about the same time, heard an announcer somewhere mumble something, then the music started.

so he figured out the gate was unlocked, and drove in, and i followed. show was hidden behind the buildings, on the basketball courts. super secret. glad i got out of my car.

this was a beautiful car...

being that it's now after midnight, i'll have to continue later.

let's just say, after the show, had a family emergency, and that's all i'm going to say about that.

rain delay

raining most of this week, so i've been staying at my parents' house, since it's closer to work. the drive is infinitely easier than the drive down the five from whittier any day.

hence, far from my computer, i can't work on new pictures, and must choose from a couple of slightly stale pictures squirreled away just for a rainy day.

this back end will do. fin-like bits and lots of chrome all up in your face. ya, that's the ticket.

hoping the rain really does stay away for the weekend; thinking i'll go shoot some cars at pomona.

tweakedpixels

what's up?