Light Show

About a month ago, one of my nephews mentioned that he was going to attend the Pomona Auto Swap Meet to be held on a Sunday in early April. I told him I intended to go as well so we made a plan to meet up. Generally speaking, he travels to Pomona from central California to look for car parts while I go to take photos of the classic cars. I let him know I intended to arrive at 5:00AM and that he would find me near the drag strip grandstands where the lowrider and Chevy bombs usually park. 

The day before the event, Kathy and I got our cameras and gear together, I cleaned my camera sensors and made sure the camera batteries I intended to use were fully charged. I was also going to be using a new 10” external monitor for the first time so I made sure the batteries for that were charged and also ensured I put any required cables in my rolling camera bag.

The day of the event, I got up at 3:00AM to take a shower before we left. Kathy was going to get up at 4:00AM and was already on the move when I walked downstairs. She wasn’t feeling well however and was vacillating on whether she should go or not. She ultimately decided to stay home and go back to bed. Once I was sure she would be OK, I left about 4:15AM. It was still very dark as I walked to my car, loaded up my camera gear and jacket. I didn’t see the sun until well after I arrived in Pomona about 36 miles away. While it didn’t rain during the event like it did last month, it was a foggy drive and when I arrived, there was enough moisture in the air to create the light beams from the headlights of the Chevy Fleetline pictured below. This is the same car I admired and photographed last month. I chatted with the owner who once again was kind enough to turn on his headlights for my photos. 

I had been taking photos for about 30 minutes when my nephew and his wife walked up to me. They were primarily dressed in black and seemed to materialize suddenly out of the darkness that surrounded me. As always, it was great to see them and we chatted for about 45 minutes before they departed to walk around the swap meet and look for stuff to buy. I got back to shooting more photos and had a great time.  

Wild Horses - The Mustang

This particular P-51 Mustang has been in the Chino California Planes of Fame Museum's collection for several decades. I remember seeing it in the mid 1990's. They seem to take very good care of it as it still flys quite regularly. My close up view of the aircraft reveals her glossy and smooth appearance.

One of the truly wonderful things about being newly retired is that I now have the long dreamed of freedom to visit these museums during the work week and avoid them during the weekends. This means I am typically visiting during slow times and I don't run the risk of getting in the way of other visitors and vice versa. I just setup my tripod and quietly take my shots. As usual I draw the attention of the museum docents who are curious about what I do with the photos I take. Not many visitors seem to show up with tripods and professional cameras. When I show them examples of the aviation photos on my blog they show a little sign of recognition but don't say much other than "Looks like you "Photoshopped" that photo". The truth is while I once used Photoshop extensively, I rarely open the application these days. I ingest and catalog the photos using Adobe Lightroom and use Luminar Neo to merge my exposures into one HDR image that I then occasionally lightly post process them back in Lightroom.

Staggering into Annual Inspection

One of the unique things about the Yanks Air Museum is that several of their historic aircraft are still flying on a regular basis. This of course means that they must be regularly inspected and certified as safe to fly. During my recent tour I came across a few aircraft that were currently undergoing their annual inspections. This takes the form of a mandatory, comprehensive maintenance check performed every 12 months. It's designed to ensure the aircraft remains safe and deemed airworthy for continued operation. 

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This Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing was one such aircraft. Seeing it with its engine cowl removed and all of its cylinders on display was a rare opportunity to sort of pull the curtain back and get a peek behind the scenes so to speak. To my uneducated eye, all tools needed for the inspection were all spread out in front of it and since the inspector had wandered off, I took the opportunity to take a few images. 

The Passion and the Fury

During a recent visit to the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California, I met the museum’s general manager. Unlike most visitors, I often raise some concern among facility managers due to my unusual equipment and attire. I arrive with a tripod-mounted camera, an external monitor, sunshade, and sometimes a rolling dolly. I wear a camera vest with two additional cameras and occasionally also use a camera dolly along with a rolling camera case with extra lenses and batteries. This makes me stand out quite a bit.

Museum managers often approach me to discuss my plans for using the photos I intend to take, as many museums want to control or be aware of photo or video sales on their property.

I explained my photography process and preference for HDR photography to the manager. I explained that I aim to capture highly detailed photos while controlling the depth of field. Taking nine images with a tripod allows me to achieve this. I showed her some overexposed shots on my monitor and she was able to discern significant detail in the FJ-1 Fury aircraft.

Though polite and welcoming, she made it clear that the museum wouldn’t want me to sell the photos I take there. I agreed. I showed her some aircraft photos I’ve previously taken, including those from the San Diego Air Museum, the USS Midway, and Gillespie Field. She showed interest in possibly using some of my photos to promote the museum. I emailed her a few images from the Yanks Museum, but I haven’t yet received a response. I suspect my email may have inadvertently gone to her junk folder.

I feel it’s my passion for photography that compels me to carry around so much camera gear. Today, it led me to the FJ-1 Fury aircraft at the Yanks Air Museum.

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The 1946 FJ-1 Fury was the US Navy’s first operational jet aircraft. Only 33 were ever built, and only 2 survive today. Its black paint makes it ideal for HDR photography. A single exposure would likely make the black paint appear featureless. I’ve included a photo showing how much detail I captured in the black paint using HDR

A6 Intruder - Classic Design, Might Need Some Work

This is not the first time I have seen this Navy A6 Intruder aircraft. About 15 years ago, I was wandering around the Yanks Air Museum's "boneyard" in Chino California and came across two A6's . I photographed them then and posted them to my blog and my flickr photo stream.  This past March, I visited again and was somewhat surprised to find these same two aircraft still sitting there waiting their turn to be restored. My uninformed guess is that they will still be there 15 years from now. Aircraft restoration is a long process once it gets started and these aircraft show no signs that any restoration is in their near future…

Inside the Discovery Cube

This past March, my niece, her daughter, and her boyfriend visited me just before embarking on a trip to Disneyland. Since they were celebrating her daughter’s birthday, we decided to explore the Discovery Cube Science Museum in Santa Ana, California. I had purchased tickets in advance to avoid any lines. The museum offered a plethora of captivating and interactive exhibits, and I couldn’t resist bringing two of my cameras along. I believe I was one of the few visitors that day who carried genuine dedicated digital cameras, as most people opted for their cell phone cameras.

During our visit, we came across an exhibit dedicated to rockets that explained the principles of rocket propulsion in relation to payload and fuel. This exhibit was housed within a striking giant cube, which stands as the museum’s most recognizable architectural feature. As we entered the cube, I couldn’t help but gaze up at the towering structure above me. Inspired by the opportunity, I decided to capture a series of HDR sequences that would later be stitched together to create a grand panoramic view.

At the heart of the cube, I noticed what appeared to be a genuine rocket engine.

 

In Her Element - Kathy and the '57 Chevy

I frequently get asked about my image-generating process. I’ve detailed it before, but for newcomers, I not only unapologetically post-process my images but also use a tripod during capture. I take between 9 to 11 exposures to capture the range of light I desire, especially when ambient lighting is low and long exposure times are anticipated. Holding my camera perfectly still for a 30-second exposure would be impossible.

In this image, I’ve captured Kathy in her element: a cool overcast morning, a classic car (or truck), her camera mounted on a tripod, and her camera bag. She’s wearing her hat with the words “Close your fucking hood” pinstriped across the brim. Kathy knows what she likes and, while quiet and reserved, isn’t shy about expressing her opinions with a fiery delivery.

I approached the truck just as the owner was parking it and asked if he’d leave the lights on for a minute while I took a few photos. He happily obliged, initially leaving the parking lights on and then turning on the headlights. Seeing this, Kathy joined me and took a few shots as well. I moved my tripod back to avoid appearing in her photos, knowing from experience that she might ask me to “move my fat ass out of the shot” or make other endearing comments. After 17 years, we understand one another. While I greet car owners, Kathy captures the best images and writes compelling stories. I enjoyed chatting with the owner about the truck and was glad he braved the intermittent rain. Kathy gave him a business card so he could see the photos we took of this beauty under stormy skies.

'48 Pomona Blues

Toward the end of our visit to the Pomona Auto Swap Meet last March, I strolled along the drag strip grandstands and stumbled upon a striking two-tone blue 1948 Chevy Fleetline. Usually, I skip through the cars in this section because their hoods are raised, and for-sale signs are prominently displayed on the windshields. However, this car was different. It wasn’t for sale, but its paint shone brilliantly, reflecting the light even amidst the intermittent rain showers and threatening skies overhead. After taking several photos with my camera, I snapped another one with my phone and sent it to Kathy, letting her know about the car and its location so she wouldn’t miss it. I’m not sure if she’s ever seen this particular car before, but I’m certainly glad I added it to my digital collection.

 

Black Fleetline Under Stormy Skies

Kathy and I decided to go to the Pomona Auto Swap Meet 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. The 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.