Hot Rod Poster

While photographing this car, I stood on a lightpole base to get this angle and this became the the best shot of the day.

This one will become a poster!

Still Life Right in Front of You!

I bought this old Eastman Kodak camera at a antique store for my office to fill some shelf space. One day, I mentioned to my wife that I needed a new photo for a frame in the office, and I remembered seeing a stock photo in a frame at a furniture store similar to this one I took here. I think it worked pretty good.

I used a Canon Digital Rebel with a Sunpak 555 flash held approx. one foot away with strobo diffuser and a 42" sunbounce silverside. 180th at 6.5 if I remember correctly.

Photographer's Right

I was looking for photography laws on the internet and came across this little bit of information which would be good to have on hand when you are confronted by somebody when you are taking photographs.
http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf

Lightroom Cropping

In Lightroom I have started using the crop tool instead of PS crop and I like it alot better. here is some an example of the crop 8x10

There is no resolution loss when you use this tool.

Motorcycles

I have noticed that motorcycle engines are actualy a piece of art. What can I say enjoy the prints

ARFF Crash Truck

The Tucson Airport Authority took delivery of a 3000 gallon aircraft rescue fire fighting vehicle. This truck also carries 500 lbs of dry powder chemical. The fire fighting capabilities are great, while driving down the runway at 50 miles an hour it can disperse the foam and dry chemical.

For a truck this size and weight it is quit agile, 0-50 in 31 seconds. Having the opportunity to drive this truck is one of the most awesome feelings.

Another Hot Rod

I know I have been away for a while, but I do Have a few new photos to post over the next couple of days.

Again I found another hot rod in a parking lot just waiting to be photographed. This time around I left some of the original color in the shot, I have not decided which format I like!

Drag Racing Pinks All Out

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to the local drag strip and they were filming an episode of PINKS from the Speed channel. The awesome cars came from all over the country and the color they are painted really make for some fun shooting.

PINKS rapidly has become the most-watched weekly series on SPEED, drawing more than two million viewers a week. Using the setting of a classic 1950s drag race, PINKS will pit contestants in a best three-out-of-five format, with the loser handing over the title (pink slip) to his or her vehicle.

Restoration

This photo is of my wife's Grandmother and Great aunts. Photo restoration is very hard, especially if a portion of the photo is missing. Some research is done to determine the correct colors for that period. For this I used Adobe Photoshop's clone tool and healing brush.

When adding color paint brush is used with the opacity set at approximately 30%.

Fire in the Sky Photo

Last night I looked out the window and saw the formation of the clouds and I knew it would be a great sunset. When shooting a sunset I like to use a telephoto and wide angle lens so I get different perspectives of a scene. With the camera set at -1 and +1 exposure, I was able to find a shot that brought out the brilliant colors of the clouds.

Mid-day photo shoot

A friend stopped by and we decided to go out to the desert and shoot some cacti. 1 pm is not the time to shoot in the southwest. The first photo shows the lack of contrast and color, the second I used my Sunpak 555 as a fill light, be careful not to over expose with the flash.

ISO 100

Shutter 200

Av 9.1

Arizona Sunset

Well it is that time of year for fabulous sunsets and weather.

Out of service

Well do to technical difficulties I have been out of internet service for a while. I have a fun day planned for Sunday hope to have some shots up on this site soon.

Happy Halloween

Well it is that time again, so here is something with the Halloween spirit!

If you have a funny comment please leave it for all to enjoy.

Ford F-150 Truck Custom

I had another opportunity to photograph this custom truck for the Ford dealer ship. This time I used a Sunpak 555 off camera to help with the lighting and 42 silver reflector.

Custom Ford Truck F-150

I was asked today to shoot a custom truck at a Ford dealership today. This truck had a great House of colors blue metal flake paint along with Shelby wheels and Baer brakes.

( Shutter Speed ) 1/60Av

( Aperture Value ) 22

ISO Speed 100

For more information ........

http://www.tucsontotalperformance.com/

Rodeo Barrel Racer

The rodeo has always been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. Of all the events the barrel racing is one of my favorites because of the speed and how much heart the riders have which shows when they pass the timing lights.

In 1925, Kramer and the Arizona Polo Association created La Fiesta de los Vaqueros and the Tucson Mid-Winter Rodeo and Parade. The event would give visitors a taste of cowboy range work and glamorize Tucson’s Wild West notoriety.
From Kramer’s official welcome in the 1925 event program:
Not so many years ago the first pony express came to a sudden halt on our Main Street, carrying civilization southwestward. Not so many years ago the first railroad whistled in. Gone is the past. The hitching post has been removed. A new civilization has put steel and concrete and built a mighty city where only yesterday horses grazed within the memory of living man. The Pioneer Spirit lives. Heroic memories never die. The Old Frontier will be revived-at Tucson, February 21, 22 and 23, 1925—as a community revival. We are proud to offer this attraction to the people of American as a glorious reminder of yesterday.

Source: http://www.tucsonrodeo.com/aboutUs/2_History.htm

Arm in Arm Cacti

The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea Gigantea ) is the state symbol of Arizona, appearing on all car license plates, and provides a universally recognized image of the Southwest. It is the largest and one of the slowest growing of all cacti, reaching up to 15 meters high and living for several centuries. Plants can weigh up to 8 tons, partly because of the large amount of water the stems can hold - after rainfall the cactus can absorb hundreds of gallons in a short time. The saguaro may be only 6 inches high after 10 years, and the characteristic branched appearance is reached only after around 80 years. The cactus is widespread across southern Arizona, extreme southeast California and Sonora, north Mexico. Distribution is related to latitude and altitude - it is most commonly found between 1,000 & 3,000 feet, and because the saguaro can tolerate temperatures as low as -4 °C, it survives further north than any of the other species of large cactus. In the spring, the saguaro produce white flowers on the upper stems of mature plants so this is an especially good time to visit. Later, sweet edible red fruit appear, traditionally used by the local Indian tribes as food and also to make wine..

Source: http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/saguaro/national_park.html

Best Buy parking lot find

I found this rat rod in the Best Buy parking lot todaym with no cars parked near it blocking the view or sun light. While my wife was inside shopping I shot a few frames again with the idea of this type of print. When I came out of the store the car was gone I would have liked to talk to the owner.

Parking Lot

This last weekend I went to a car show and swap meet looking for cars to shoot and as always found some very nice cars and trucks in the parking lot like this one.

File name Orange Truck 01.jpgCamera Model Name Canon EOS DIGITAL REBELShooting Date/Time 10/6/2007 08:58:00 (Shutter Speed) 1/80Sec. (Aperture Value) F16

ISO Speed 200 Focal Length 28.0 mmImage size 3072 x 2048

Hot Rod

Hot rods are cars that have been customized for performance and/or appearance। Nobody knows for sure the origin of the term "hot rod।" One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed। Open roadsters were the cars of choice to modify because they were light. Hot Rod may also refer to the cam or pushrods inside the engine or other to the exposed frame rails of such an automobile. It was adopted in the 1930s or 1940s as the name of a car that had been "hopped up" by modifying the cam to achieve higher performance

http://en.wikipedia.org/

Copying a Master

There is so many people who mimic Ansel Adams including myself, but there is only one master of the Zone System…….

Ansel Adams was a visionary figure in nature photography and wilderness preservation. He is seen as an environmental folk hero and a symbol of the American West, especially of Yosemite National Park. Adams' dedication to wilderness preservation, his commitment to the Sierra Club, and of course, his signature black-and-white photographs inspire an appreciation for natural beauty and a strong conservation ethic.....

Source: Sierra Club

Fire Fight

I know I have been posting cars and portrait photos, I guess it is time to show some shots from my real job. When I go to training fires, I try to get some shots but have have a blast fighting them too.

You cannot imagine the heat that radiates off the fire. i'm surprised my camera equipment hasn't melted when I get close. You have to be quick to shoot these types of fires, the firefighters move in fast and extinguish them in a short amount of time.

1956 Chevrolet Nomad

Whenever I go to a car show I scan the parking lot for nice cars that is not in the show. Here is an example of one I found at a car show and swap meet in Tucson.

Canon EOS DIGITAL 1/400Sec F13 Compensation -1 200Lens 28-300mm

Focal Length 70.0 mm

Image size 3072 x 2048

Mustang

Here is the first photo I did in the two tone style. When I photoshopped this print it took approx. 2.5 hours, now it only takes 45 minutes.

I belong to the Southern Arizona Mustang Club and this was the first car show I attended with the club.

The outcome was crude but this one got the ball rolling, now at car shows I'm always looking for that special shot.

Beach Cruiser?

At one of the bi-monthly car shows at a local eatery is where this was taken. To cleanup the photo I used photoshop and removed as much of the background as possible to make it appear like it was at the beach, not in the Arizona desert.

The camera setting: Camera Model Name CYBERSHOT

Tv(Shutter Speed) 1/725Sec.

Av(Aperture Value) F3.4Metering Modes

CenterExposure Compensation -7/10 ISO Speed 100

The clone and eraser tool were used along with a B&W conversion.

Remember to use layers to change any photo, I didn't and never did have the original shot to keep as a negative for future us.

Mercury Lead Sled

With this shoot I did have the owner move it onto a wet spot so the reflection from the sun would highlight the side of the car. The color of the car was a two tone bugandy and was perfect.

Again the color print is awsome when enlarged.

Hot Rod

Here is a hot rod that was driving into a show, I snapped this while they were waiting at a stop sign. The black and white worked well at this angle.

I spend my time walking car shows and imagine what the final product will look like in the black & white version.

Light Reflector

Here is another shot where available light was reflected utilizing cardboard and aluminum foil. I explain to the client why I use the cardboard and demonstrate the creativity of reflectiveness. They respond with “Wow” and are willing to put up with the bright light.
I don’t have a studio inside or out. What I do is find nice landscaping in housing subdivision or a park the neighbors come out and watch which is a great time to hand-out business cards.
Camera Model Name
CYBERSHOT
Tv(Shutter Speed)
1/470Sec.
Av(Aperture Value)
F4.8
Metering Modes
Center
Exposure Compensation
0
ISO Speed
100
Focal Length
18.2 mm
Image size
2400 x 3000

Mustang Eleanor

I’ve been asked to show the original photo of the Eleanor mustang in the black and white. Photoshop solarization filter was used to create the look. The hardest part is eliminating the specular highlights which show up as black dots on the print. I print the black & white on metallic paper at Mpix online.

Halloween Costume

This shot was made with a point and shoot digital camera and a 36" x 36" cardboard covered in aluminum. I was asked by some party goers to take their photos. This worked out good; I did not have an assistant so all of them took turns holding the home-made reflector, and this kept them occupied until their turn.

Midday lighting was a problem, here are the settings:

ISO 100

SHUTTER 1/985

F/S 8.0

EXPOSURE METER…. SPOT

Camera ….Sony Cybershot

Too Hot

I found this photo in my archives, back in the day of film I shot this with 1600 asa film which gave me the grainy effect. This firefighting operation was for some airport firefighters, they are required to have a live fossil fuel fire each year. The problem with this type of operation is it is not allowed in any location, so they had to travel to Yuma Arizona from Tucson and back the same day. This made for a long trip.

One Last Look

This lovely bride was taking one final look into the mirror moments before the wedding ceremony. With this shot I pointed the flash over my left shoulder and bounced the light off the ceiling as you will notice in the mirror.
Tv 1/30 Sec
Av F3.5
ISO 200

One Flower

As you may have already figured out, Photoshop is my favorite tool besides the camera itself.
The photo is of a bloom that only opens at night on a cactus in my back yard, the Pollination of theses plants are done by bats at night which is why they bloom in the dark.
I will post some of the settings when possible.
Tv(Shutter Speed)
1/160Sec.
Av(Aperture Value)
F13
Exposure Compensation
-2/3
ISO Speed
100

Eleanor Mustang Black &White

A friend of mine purchased a stock GT mustang with the intentions of creating his own Eleanor!
With the help of Cervini body kits and the guys at Homes Tuttle Ford this has become a instant show winner.