In Her Element - Kathy and the '57 Chevy

I get asked quite often how I generate the images I post. I've explained the process in detail before but for those of you who are new here, I not only unapologetically extensively post-process my images but also during image capture I typically use a tripod to steady my camera while taking between 9 to 11 exposures to capture the range of light I want to work with. This is especially important when the ambient lighting is low and long exposure times are expected. As you can imagine it would be impossible for me to hold my camera perfectly still for the full duration of a 30 second exposure. 

In this image I have not only captured the red 1957 Chevy truck, I have also managed to capture Kathy in her preferred element: Cool overcast morning, a classic car (or truck) in front of her, camera mounted on her tripod at the ready, and her camera bag. She is pictured wearing her hat with "Close your fucking hood" pinstriped across the brim. She knows what she likes and while she tends to be quiet and reserved, she isn't shy about expressing her opinions with a searing delivery. 

I wandered over to this truck just as the owner was parking it and immediately asked him if he would leave the lights on so I could take a few photos. He gladly obliged, initially leaving the parking lights on and afterward turining on the headlights. Seeing this, Kathy wandered over and also took a few shots. I backed my tripod up a bit so I wouldn't appear the images she was taking because I know from long experience she doesn't like that and will likely ask me to "move my fat ass out of the shot" or fire some other endearing comment my way. After 17 years we understand each other. I often do the "meet and greet" with the car owners while she makes the best images and writes the more compelling stories. I enjoyed conversing with the owner about the truck and was glad he braved the rain which fell intermittently. Kathy gave him a business card so he could see the photos we took of this beauty that early morning under stormy skies. 

'48 Pomona Blues

Toward the end of our time at the Pomona Auto Swapmeet this past March, I walked along the drag strip grandstands and came across this two tone, blue 1948 Chevy Fleetline sitting in the area generally reserved for cars for sale. I don't typically peruse the cars in this section since they usually have their hoods raised and for sale signs plastered on the windshield but while this car wasn't for sale the paint was amazingly reflective and the chrome was spotless and perfect looking even with the intermittent rain showers and threatening skies overhead. After taking four or 5 sets of images I took another photo with my phone and sent it to Kathy letting her know about it and where it was so she wouldn't miss it. Not sure if she ever has seen this particular car before but I'm sure glad I got to add it to my digital collection. 

 

Black Fleetline Under Stormy Skies

Kathy and I decided to go to the Pomona Auto Swapmeet at the Fairplex in Pomona, California once we learned that it wasn't supposed to rain until later that morning. Kathy's older brother and his wife happened to be in town, so we asked if they wanted to join us and they agreed. We picked them up around 4:00am and headed for Pomona. The drive to the event was uneventful with the exception of encountering a police car weaving back and forth across the freeway lanes ahead of us for a short time. Once we arrived, we saw that the line of cars waiting to enter was fairly short. I think many exhibitors and visitors decided not to show up due to the impending storm. When we arrived at the show area there were only a handful of cars for us to photograph but more arrived as time went by. One of those cars that arrived was this 1947 Chevy Fleetline who's owner was kind enough to leave the lights on for me while I took my shots. It began sprinkling as I took these photos and it wasn't until I moved to the rear of the car that I realized that the sky had become quite dark. We continued shooting lots of cars until it became obvious that we should go get some breakfast.

San Diego Air and Space Museum

San Diego has had something for more than 70 years that I have often wished Los Angeles had. A dedicated and comprehensive Air and Space Museum. San Diego has been the site of significant aviation milestones and events. In addition to being considered the home of naval aviation, it also was home to Ryan aircraft which was probably best known for helping to design and build the Spirit of St. Louis for Charles Lindberg's solo trans-Atlantic flight. 

Los Angeles also has a long history of participation in aviation and space flight. Lockheed's Skunk Works developed the first jet fighter, the first stealth aircraft, and the fastest manned aircraft. The North American company developed the Apollo command and service modules that took the first men to the moon as well as the space shuttle. McDonnell Douglas both designed and built passenger airliners in Los Angeles County for decades. 

Despite this impressive history, Los Angeles has never had a comprehensive air and space museum. There was once a small museum, but the exhibits were merged into a much larger science center. It seems the desire for a dedicated museum does not currently exist. The California Science Center is building a museum extension to house its collection of aircraft and spacecraft including the Space Shuttle Endeavour. It will probably be many years until this extension will open to the public.

For this reason and others, I love visiting the San Diego Museum. The entrance features two aircraft. The Convair F2Y Sea Dart and the A12 Mach 3+ spy plane. There are many additional aircraft and spacecraft exhibits inside. I have added several photos of these below. 

 

 

Above the Flight Deck

Kathy and I were recently in San Diego and once again visited the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum. As always, she was patient with me and willingly waited for me while I walked around the Museum's enormous flight deck taking photos. It was a beautiful day featuring the scattered clouds and moderate temperatures common to the San Diego coastline. I have previously photographed the aircraft on Midway’s flight deck, so I was deliberately trying to identify a new way to capture them. I thought a new viewpoint might work. As usual, I was using my tripod and taking ten exposures for each (soon to be HDR) image. The use of a tripod to create HDR images was once an absolute requirement because it allowed you to capture those exposures without moving the camera at all. This ensured the post processing software could successfully merge these images into a single HDR image without generating unwanted visual artifacts. What I found was that the software has evolved over the years and has become much more powerful and capable, enabling me to try something new. I set a five second shutter timer on my tripod mounted camera and held it over my head, tenuously raising nearly $8000 of camera equipment about fourteen feet above the flight deck. Not being able to look through the viewfinder, I was trying to align my camera lens in the general direction of what I wanted to capture and to hold the tripod steady, which was exceedingly difficult. I failed several times but succeeded more times than not. I got a few stares from other museum visitors and volunteers, but I ignored that and pressed on, hoping to capture something good.

The photos below are the results.

Low Slung Fun

At the same Montebello car show, we also saw this stunning beauty. Can anyone identify a modern car that is this stylish and beautiful? Sure the owner has modified this car extensively but if a single person can realize this vision why can't the big car companies? Probably because most people these days are only interested in boring, boxy SUV's. The world is a less interesting place because of this.

A Face Full of Grill

Kathy and I decided on a whim to attend a car show in Montebello being held at a park. There were lots of cars in the adjacent parking lot and several more lined up curbside across the street. This is where we found this black 1938 Buick. I was immediately drawn to it due to its beautiful paint job and extensive amount of chrome gleaming in the sun. It was a hot day and Kathy was already feeling the effects of it. Not long after we photographed the cars adjacent to this one, we called it a day and walked across the street, bought a couple of water bottles and headed back to my car for the ride home in the cold air conditioning it can produce. 

Floating Between Two Worlds

 I only know it’s morning and not evening because my apple watch says it is. Outside the sky remains as dark and impenetrable as India ink splattered on bright white handmade paper. I gather my things and proceed outside, walking quietly along a familiar darkened path past the houses of still sleeping neighbors. Occasionally there is a lighted window. Insomniac or someone getting ready for work? The ground is wet, proof of an unexpected storm having passed stealthily over our little piece of paradise during the night. Anyone peeking at me through their shades must be wondering “What the hell is that guy doing walking around in the dark wearing a bathrobe?” and they would be right to wonder, but nothing nefarious is afoot. As I have each day since my retirement two days ago, I’m heading to our community pool/spa area. As I turn a corner in the path, beckoning me forward is the illuminated superheated column of steam rising from the Jacuzzi into the cold morning air.

Arriving at the gated and fenced in pool/spa area, I use the little FOB on my keyring to open the locked gate and enter, closing it softly behind me. Only the quiet metallic click of the lock reengaging announces my arrival. As I set my things down on a handy poolside chair and remove the bathrobe, I’m quickly reminded that it’s in the mid 40’s this early California morning and hurriedly walk over to the water jet timer, rotating it to the maximum duration and then walk down the steps of the Jacuzzi, submerging myself neck deep into the very hot water. The water jets roar to life and I float around on my back, letting my eyes adjust to the light. Stars begin to imprint themselves on my retinas and I notice the occasional solitary jet aircraft bisecting the sky far above. 

My mind begins to wander back across the 45 year span of my working life, now all behind me. I feel a little like an Apollo astronaut heading for the moon and looking out the window at the earth getting smaller every minute. Watching much of what I have known, much of what is familiar recede and move away from me while at the same time my destination, the unknown future, looms ahead growing ever larger. I have prepared well for this journey but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t the least bit unsettled. 

The steam from the heated water threatens to obscure my vision and the stars vanish for a minute, but I carry on floating between two worlds, one familiar and one largely unknown. 

The mercury sodium lights that surround the nearby cold water pool now appear to have luminescent halos around them which are momentarily backlit by the headlights of a passing car that suddenly sweeps across the pool area and fades from view. Someone returning home after an all-nighter or a worker coming home having completed a graveyard shift, ready to draw the blackout shades and sleep all day? Unknown. A few more window lights in the neighboring houses begin to flare to life. The early risers are up and moving now. Probably getting ready for work. I silently wish them all a good day and think “I’ll guard the Jacuzzi while you’re gone.”

An inappropriate smile appears unbidden on my face. The timer ends and the water jets stop, all is silent again except for the sudden glug, glug, glug of the final water bubbles breaching the surface like those exhaled from the tortured lungs of a drowning person having giving up the fight and sinking into the murky depths.

Instead of sinking, I emerge from the water and dry off, pulling the bathrobe back on and walk along that familiar path home under that cold obsidian star filled sky, a new day is starting and I have an extensive list of things accomplish. Retirement? I recommend it.

My name is Greg Jones and I approve this message.

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Rest

The Rookery

One of the sights Kathy and I wanted to see in Chicago during our 2023 visit was the Rookery building which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Construction was completed in 1888. In 1905 Frank Lloyd Wright was contracted to redesign the stunning two story lobby. The public can access only the street level floor but we found that the Frank Lloyd Right Trust (who has an office in the building) offers tours. We quickly decided to get two tickets which would allow us to see more of the building. It also helped that the hotel we were staying in was next door, which make for a short walk.