For those looking only for the photo gallery, you can reach it directly here: 2012 World of Wheels Show

It’s that time again, the first post of the new show season and as usual I’m going to start with the World of Wheels show at the David Lawrence Center in downtown Pittsburgh, PA.

This is the third year that I’ve shot the show, and as always it was brimming over with a large variety of cars and exhibits to enjoy. Last year, I only had a short amount of time to shoot due to the weather and the AFC Championship, but this year the weather was fantastic and the Steelers weren’t, so I was able to make it to both levels. Needless to say, the extra work was worth it.

With any show, there’s always a mix of old and new, and World of Wheels is no different. As you go through the photos, you’ll see more than a fair share of return vehicles on display. That’s OK I think; I like seeing the repeats and many times they’ve been updated in some form or another, so it can be fun to follow that progress. On the flipside, shows this early also have a higher chance of fresh metal showing up for their first outing, so it’s exciting and fun to see what projects were under wraps through the winter and are just now coming into the light. It’s also fun that people love to talk about said new projects. After all, they’ve put in a lot of time and sweat, so it’s only natural to be excited to share that with the world.

With that said, I’ve included below some of the new rides I came across from the first batch of photos uploaded tonight. With big shows like WOW and the Cleveland Autorama, it’s easier to upload photos in smaller batches as I process them than to wait and post them all at once. This way I can get photos up earlier to share than I could if I waited to post them all at once. That’s better for the viewers and fans of the show, and also for me as it takes some of the pressure off of getting images out in the public eye. In any case, definitely hop on over to the gallery to see this first batch, while in the meantime I’ll also post a few faves below just to whet your appetite in case you don’t have the time to view the gallery now. Thanks as always for looking, enjoy!

First up, this incredible Corvette-themed trike. Unlike a ‘Vette, no fiberglass was used – it’s all hand formed aluminum instead. Powered by a ’69 Camaro 6 cylinder engine, I think it’s an amazing scratch-built vehicle, and it’s owner/builder should be proud.

Adding to the fresh metal, how about this beautiful vintage Vega funny car? If you keep your eye out for it you may see it run at a track near you this year.

And for something really unique, check out this custom bike made entirely of Knex. Yeah, it’s not a legit ride, but the amount of time and design that went into it is pretty impressive. Plus, I’ve never seen anything like it before at any show ever. In fact, the whole display was a real standout.

Nice mini-mural on the tail of this very clean Mustang.

Speaking of Mustangs, how about this pink beauty? I was told by the owner that this was an original limited edition color given to Playboy Bunnies. Dealers only got six cars – 2 vinyl tops, 2 std. hardtops, and 2 convertibles, and that was it. This one has has been in the family since its purchase.

And finally, a nice 5.0, just because.

Posted up the second half of the 2011 Cars In The Park show at Boardman Park in Boardman, OH. The main gallery is here, but I’ve posted some of my faves from this batch below for a quick look.

This next one is a bit nostalgic for me. Years ago, we used to have a ’77 Ford LTD II that basically had the exact same front end as this Ranchero and was like driving an easy chair with wheels. Fun car, but got beat to hell in Chicago winters and died an inglorious death from rust and age.

For the 80′s, Grand Nationals were totally bonerific, and they still hold their own today too, I think.

And finally, a Fiero GT! I remember wanting one of these so bad when I was in high school because it looked somewhat Ferrari-ish, but instead I got stuck with a POS ’73 Toyota Celica that was painted with house paint (the paint was in the trunk when we bought it), and started up in the middle of winter on the first try with only about a quart of oil in it and after having sat for nearly half a year in the same parking space before being sold. It was rough, but that car had character. Would love to have a restored one.

Posting up the first batch of photos from this past weekend’s 2011 Cars In The Park show at Boardman Park, in Boardman, OH.

For those that want to skip straight to the gallery: 2011 Cars In The Park Gallery

First show in August I’ve had a chance to shoot, and it was quite a good one. This is the second year that I’ve shot the show and both times I’ve really enjoyed the variety of vehicles and ease of access to them that this show provides. Last year, I shot it casually with a little Canon Canonet rangefinder film camera because I wanted to experiment a bit with a vintage camera and film. That was great fun, but this year I shot it like I do most shows with my D3, mainly because I didn’t have any film handy and also because I didn’t feel like ponying up for processing this time. Cheapskate? Nah, just had some other priorities that needed funding first (framing prints for a show).

If you’ve read my post for this show from last year, then there’s really not that much to add to it. What I like most about it is that there is a wide variety of vehicles to look at – everything from a 1909 REO to a 2010 Z-06, and they also have a habit of arranging the displays in groups of similar vehicles, i.e. Mustangs in one area, Corvettes in another. This makes for ease in shooting and also can give some clever group shots of similar vehicles that I can’t get at many other shows. Plus, on a non-photographic level, Boardman Park also has a fantastic playground for kids, so you can take the family too and they can go play while you take in the show at a more leisurely pace. The atmosphere is pretty friendly too, and most attendees seemed easygoing and truly enjoying themselves. Wrap all of that up, and add in the fact that there are a ton of restaurants, stores, and entertaiment spots nearby, and you have a winner.

Some highlights from this first batch of photos:

And finally, this handbuilt one-off roadster that caught my eye because of the somewhat longish hood and overall style. Gotta show respect to anyone who can design and build their own car.

Posted the remaining photos from the 2011 Back To The 50′s Weekend just now. You can go straight to the gallery here: 2011 Back To The 50′s Weekend Gallery

Here are my picks from this batch. I luvz me some smokey burnouts, so that’s what you get this time ’round, plus a surprise bonus at the end. Enjoy!

And for today’s bonus – remember these?

For those wanting to go directly to the gallery: 2011 Back To The 50′s Gallery

Posted up the first batch of photos from last week’s Back To The 50′s Weekend tonight. For those not familiar with the show, it’s one of the largest in the region typically spanning four days over the weekend leading into the 4th of July, and is held at one of the local parks here in town, Cascade Park. This year I heard unofficially that they had in the neighborhood of 900 cars, so it’s a show worth attending if you live in the region.

One of the nice things about the show is that it’s very consistent – the layout stays the same more or less from year to year, the participants contain a fair number of regulars, and there’s always a large contingent of quality vehicles to look at and enjoy. I have mentioned before that I like it when shows have a lot of turnover in vehicles because it keeps things fresh and interesting, but in the case of the BTT50′s show I’m not so bothered by the consistency because there’s enough cars attending that you get fresh metal each year, yet also have the regulars which give the show a happy family kind of atmosphere. There’s always something to enjoy on display, so it’s a good balance I’d say.

Regarding shooting the show, this is the 4th year I’ve done so, though last year I kind of only skimmed through it because it was so hot and the light so poor the day I attended. With so many cars on display, my typical approach is to shoot it pretty casually as I make a lap around the display circuit. Now, I suppose I could try to shoot every vehicle and give complete coverage of the event, but in truth it’d be too exhausting and I also only can attend for a day as I have limited time, so I tend to snap what catches my eye and go with that. I do this with other shows too to some extent, but here more so I’d say. I also make it a point to catch the burnout runs as they tend to put on a decent show and it makes for some great photos. I think it’s a club that does it because the cars are consistent from year to year, but not 100% sure on that.

With that, I guess it’s best to show some pics, ne? As usual, these are my highlight picks out of the batch that got uploaded. There’s often no rhyme or reason as to why I choose the ones I do, but mainly it’s cars that are a bit unique in some way or have some element to them that just appeals to me. I usually try to only post ten or so here due to space concerns, so definitely take the time to look through the gallery and find your own favorites.

This Merc only has 28,000 original miles on it, and with the original paint and interior too!

It’s a purple Nova, what more can I say?

Showin’ the love.

This is interesting. I didn’t catch it at first until it was pointed out to me. It’s a Chevy Panel Truck converted into a pickup, all steel, and with an HHR grill. It works, and quite well.

And finally, I like red.

More to come shortly!

Been a while, huh? Yeah, sorry about that. Since my last post things have been pretty quiet around here, but that changes tonight. Tonight, I ran across a local cruise night on the way to dinner. I had heard about it before in the past, but never got a chance to photograph it, and after a while it just slipped away while I got tied up in other things. Luckily, I had a camera with me, my new Canon G12, and this ended up being a perfect test for it under some real-world shooting conditions.

The G12, so you know, is the replacement I picked up about a week back for the Ricoh GR-D III I had that got put up on eBay. You can read why it got sold here in detail, but the gist is that the focus wasn’t very reliable for my needs, so away it went (though I liked it a lot in a number of ways anyway). The G12 so far has been super – very reliable focus, great colors and contrast, quick and easy to handle, and overall a very transparent camera to shoot with. Image quality is top-notch for a compact camera, and if I never said what camera I used for these you’d probably never guess it wasn’t my D3 from looking at the photos. It’s a little bulky size-wise (a LOT compared to the GR-D), but it’s manageable and still smaller than any DSLR I own. I bought it to use as my “go everywhere” camera, and it paid for itself tonight when I came across this get together.

Regarding the show, unfortunately not much to say. I had the family in tow and I only had time for a quick pass-through to take the snaps that I did. Everyone looked like they were having a good time chatting and hanging out, so what more can you ask for on a comfortable, sunny Wednesday night? I did recognize a few cars there from other shows in the area, but never got a chance to speak with any of the owners. Still, some interesting rides nonetheless, and some I had never seen before, so it’s a win.

Here’s a few of the cars that caught my attention the most. The full gallery is here. In the future I’ll be going back I’m sure to check up on things, but for now enjoy these snaps from what otherwise could have been another boring weeknight. Cheers!

Haven’t seen a Prowler in quite some time. I still can’t believe they had the balls to put it into production, but they’re very cool and always grab your attention, even after all these years. The 90′s was a cool decade for cars in many ways I still think.

Love this sweet Olds, especially the interior.

And how about a Ford with a Chevy engine? Works for me.

Full gallery: 2011 Choppers Rod & Custom Show

Here’s my picks from the last batch:

Here are my picks from the latest upload:

Stay tuned for the next batch!

Pretty cool graphic, huh? Wish I could take the credit, but no, it’s a scan of the cover of the program from the 2011 Choppers Rod and Custom Show held in North Olmsted, Ohio. I wanted to show it to you though, because this is a show I highly recommend going to if you get the chance.

Before I go any further though, for those who’re looking to go straight to the gallery, here’s the link: 2011 Choppers Rod and Custom Show gallery

Now that that’s taken care of, let’s get down to business. This is the second year I’ve shot and attended this show, and so far, I’d say it’s probably my favorite. The reason for this is that it’s a very intimate show with a lot of character and some truly excellent cars on display. It also has variety in it’s favor, and by that I mean that there aren’t a lot of repeats on display from last year. That’s great because compared to some of the larger shows like the Autorama and World of Wheels, you have more fresh metal to look at and enjoy. As a photographer, I really like and enjoy shooting new material, so having good turnover every year is a plus. One of the factors contributing to this is that the show has a theme every year. This year’s theme featured vehicles from 1956. Of course, there are other vehicles present, but since the theme changes every year it guarantees at least a certain amount of new rides on display. I like this idea and it helps greatly to make the show interesting.

As for the cars themselves, hmm, where to begin? It’s always difficult to write about the vehicles in attendance at a show because there are simply too many, even at smaller shows, and so you’d be reading a book instead of this blog. For individual cars it’s better to highlight just a few and let the pics talk for themselves, so as always I’ll have my picks at the end for your enjoyment with some brief captions. Generally speaking though, the cars at this show display a high level of workmanship and finish, with a kind of down-to-Earth feel to them that I don’t always pick up on at the larger shows. Maybe it’s the fact that the show itself is smaller and more personal than most. Or possibly that because it’s essentially a club show, that basic connection shows through in the display and atmosphere of the show. Whatever it may be, the cars in attendance have great presence and that makes for a worthwhile and enjoyable time spent viewing them.

At Choppers, the general make-up of entries is primarily hotrods, older classics, and drag cars – quite a few drag cars in fact, which I particularly enjoy. There are also some bikes, scooters, and specialty vehicles. One thing you don’t have is a lot of modern vehicles, but there are a few, and they’re primarily dragsters. You also don’t see a lot of muscle cars like I tend to find at the bigger shows and at smaller shows in western PA. If you like older vehicles and more classically styled grass roots hotrods, then this may be show you need to go to.

OK, so enough writing, lets see some pics. These are my picks out of the first batch of photos that I’ve posted. How and why I pick particular vehicles to show is a closely guarded secret (LOL, actually I just wing it and go with what catches my attention), so enjoy my mad curator skillz and let’s jump right in.

First up is this great 1948 Willys Jeep. I just love the color combo and the finish is simply stunning in person. Must be great to ride around in and see the looks people give.

Next, this 1932 Ford Coupe stands out quite a bit to me because of the overall classiness of its simple design, and also because admittedly I’m a sucker for race cars and cars that tend to feature functional style over pure looks. Either way, it’s a beaut.

The sign on this barn find reads, “BARN FIND! 40 Ford Deluxe Coupe, ’65 327 CID w/ 350 Turbo 10 bolt Chevy r/axle, 12 volt system, Stored in a barn in Medina since the late 60′s/I’m not for sale!, What you see is what we found.” That pretty much says it all.

This 1929 Chrysler 66 is a real wolf in sheep’s clothing if you ask me. Notice anything unusual about it perhaps? No? Nothing? That seems to be the point. Take the time to give it a true once over however, and it’s hard to ignore the “Viper” logo on the valve covers and the five exhaust runners per side. Of course, that’s assuming you have enough time to look before all you see is its tail lights. Very sweet.

Lastly, a car that I came across at the recent 2011 Cleveland Autorama, this 1951 Henry J is a real treat. Love the color and its clean smooth lines. Missed a shot of the interior at the Autorama, so made up for that here. So very nice!

And that’s it for now. More photos to come in the next few days, and I will post here as always whenever there’s an update. Thanks for looking!

Today’s highlights:

A very sweet Ford hot rod:

A fantastic ’57 Chevy Bel-Air ratty dragster:

A beautifully restored ’65 Jag:

Haven’t seen a DeTomaso in quite a while, especially one this nice:

And an 80′s Porsche 930 Slant Nose to go with it:

And to wrap up, a Chevy-powered BMW 325e:

Still more to come, so stay tuned!