The Owners

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the 2020 Winter Rod and Speed Show here in Oregon. I was fortunate enough to gain early access to shoot the cars before the crowds arrived. My favorite - clean shots of the rides without the distractions! I had one hour to shoot as much as possible with just me, the cars and the owners.

Having that short time to shoot and talk with some of the owners was such a gift on multiple levels. Meeting the owners, hearing their stories, seeing their labor of love, all left me with a deep appreciation of the work required to preserve some of these machines. Hearing the owners talk about setting speed records in these vehicles and then looking at the ride itself right there - holy cow! Some of their stories left me with goose bumps.

Thanks to Jim and Rich for organizing such a great event. Special thanks to all the owners for sharing your history with me and the rest of the visitors. You’ve added to the richness of our culture.

Minutiae

A while back I posted about vehicle seats. Its a part of every vehicle on the market but doesn’t get a lot of fanfare. The first time you sit in a old car with the seats blown out you stop taking them for granted. The first time you sit in a vehicle with luxury or performance seats, you realize there’s a whole other level out there to comfort and function. Some manufacturers are clearly putting thought into this part of their rides. The attention to detail is usually evident in high end models that are unattainable to most of the world. Recently, though, I climbed into a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer Premier to stage it for shooting. I noticed this little dash of color on the drivers seat. Nowhere else in the vehicle. It made me smile thinking someone worked to include that in the design. And the seat felt as good as it looked.

Coming Soon...

The Portland International Auto Show is right around the corner. This Toyota Supra was from the 2019 event. Can’t wait to see what 2020 brings!

Credit Where Credit is Due

These guys need a huge shout out - they make my job so easy. Derek and Jessie at MB of Portland, Lewis at Findlay CJDR, Marteen at Wentworth Wilsonville Chevrolet, Juan at Autotown Buick GMC and the entire detail department at Landmark Ford. These guys are some of the top detailers I know and have worked with. I know when I get a vehicle from them to shoot, it will be spotless. Thank you guys for the superior job you do.

Bling

Million different ways to personalize your ride. Didn’t expect to find this little bit of customization in a newer Civic!

Light in a Box

I’ve been enjoying my new account that uses a photo booth. Controlled environment, consistent lighting, and a killer detailer (Derek is one of the best) make for some fun shooting. Not better or worse than natural lighting, just very different.

Morning Light

With the sun coming up earlier in the mornings, it’s lighting up some angles that are usually dim. Always has been my favorite time of day.

So Close

The Portland International Auto Show is just around the corner. Can’t even wait!!

Mixing It Up

I enjoyed shooting a couple bikes that came thru recently. Trickier lighting, brutal reflections, but super fun.

Natural filters

Wildfires burning up and down the west coast have been making some seriously smokey skies. Air quality has been the pits. The irony is all the natural filters that Mother Nature has been providing for the shots from the lots.