Friday, April 29, 2016

Later, hater...

Someone recently commented to me that they didn't "get" the whole "I'm a Chevy guy" or "I'm a Ford guy" as so many claim to be.  I confess that I don't get it either, as I like and appreciate all cars that are done well, be it Ford, Mopar, GM, AMC, or import.  But that argument also exists in the photography world...



I hear "I'm a Nikon person" or "I'm a Canon person" all the time.  I guess I'm guilty of it as well, as I have been using Canon gear for years so I became a "Canon guy" somewhere along the way.  But the part I don't understand is when I hear people trash talking one or the other.  I've heard Nikon people talk down Canon equipment, and vice versa.  Since both make excellent stuff, I just don't get the hate.

As a photographer, I have always believed that the  best camera is the one you have in your hands when you want to take a photo.  Who cares if it's Canon, Nikon, Pentax, etc.  What should matter is the photo that you take, not what you take it with.

Not much content today, but that's how it goes sometimes.  Happy shooting.  Remember, if you're not having fun you're probably doing something wrong...

Monday, April 25, 2016

Who Made Who...

The unfortunate and untimely passing of Prince last week caused a huge uptick in the amount of his music played on the radio, MTV, and other outlets.  I heard "Little Red Corvette" more times in the last week than in the last 10 years.  Not a bad thing, because it's a good song, but it got me wondering about how icons are made...

One of my favorite movies happens to be Smokey and the Bandit.  Jackie Gleason, aka Sheriff Beauford T. Justice, was one of the two most important elements in that movie (in my opinion). The other, of course, was the black Trans Am.  Pontiac got a lot of great advertising by providing cars for that movie.  The Trans Am was a badass; fast, great burnouts, hell it even jumped a river while outrunning every Grand LeMans cop car in the South.




So, my question to myself was simple: Did Smokey and the Bandit make the Trans Am an icon? The movie came out in 1977, so I looked at Trans Am production numbers for 1977, 1978 and 1979.  Not exactly scientific (at all), but interesting and maybe anecdotal. 
1977: 68,745
1978: 93,341
1979: 117,108
Based on the huge production increase, it's not entirely unreasonable to think that the movie helped to turn the Trans Am into an icon. Obviously there's other factors involved, but it's enough to make you go hmm...


If a movie can make an icon, can a song?  Well, the Corvette was an icon long before the Prince song came out, but could the song have an influence on color choice? The song came out in 1982, so I looked at Corvette production by color for 1982, 1984 and 1985:
1982: 25,407 built. 2,155 were red, or roughly 8.5%
1984: 51,547 built. 12,942 were red, or roughly 25%
1985: 39,729 built. 10,424 were red, or roughly 26%

Do the number really mean anything?  Probably not, but it was fun to ask the question and look at some production numbers to see if there was even the possibility of a relationship. The Corvette changed body style in 1984, so it's entirely possible the C4 just looks better in red than other colors.  But it's enough to make you go hmm...





Thursday, April 21, 2016

Up On The Roof...

"When this old world starts getting me down..." I was listening to oldies (I know, big surprise) yesterday at my desk, and The Drifters song "Up On The Roof" came on.  (By the way, if you want to see what I listen to, feel free to find me on Spotify and check out at the playlists I have created.)  Yesterday's song was today's motivation, so here goes...

One of the many things I love about photography is how many different ways the same subject can look from different perspectives.  When I see other photographers shooting at the same events/parks, etc. as me, I usually try to get their card so I can look at their work later on.  Not to compete, not to compare, just to try to view things from a different perspective.  Every once in a while I even step out of "lazy" mode and try to find a new perspective on my own to try...

"I climb way up to the top of the stairs..." that Drifters song again.  I had the opportunity to create a different perspective not too long ago. I was at a car show that was being held at a local restaurant, and the parking lot circled a good part of the building.  Someone was gracious enough to allow me roof access, and I was able to take some photos of the event from a very different perspective than my usual one.

I guess the over-arching message here is to try to look at things a little differently from time to time.  Perspective is everything. Sometimes, seeing things from a different point of view tells a different story than the one you're used to.  Looking up, or (as in this case) looking down, looks different than looking at.  The roof happened to be all mine that morning, but I'm guessing that's because nobody else asked.  "And if this world starts getting you down, there's room enough for two up on the roof..." Yep, same song.  Thanks to the Drifters for some motivation.  Remember, if you're not having fun when you're out shooting, you're probably doing something wrong.

Monday, April 18, 2016

First Car...

I went to a car show over the weekend (big surprise...).  While I was there, I was talking to the owner of a nicely restored Mustang II and I mentioned that my first car was a Mustang II.  He said that he was surprised how many people have told him the exact same thing. That got me thinking about yesteryear...



If you're not familiar with the Mustang II, or if you haven't seen one before, you're not alone.  The reinvention of the Mustang came about because of the gas crisis of the early '70's. In 1974, the Mustang II hit the streets as a compact, fuel-efficient (for their time) car that evoked memories of the Pinto much more than memories of previous Mustangs. Mine sported the 90-horsepower, 2.3 liter 4-cylinder paired to an automatic, capable (in theory) of 0-60 times...

I don't want to bash the Mustang II.  In fact, I loved mine in spite of it's anemic performance.  It was my first car, and who doesn't have all sorts of fun memories attached to their first car?  Cruising with your friends, going to the beach, buying beer at the drive-thru, the list goes on.  In NY where I grew up you could get a junior license at 16, so I used to drive my Mustang to Driver's Ed in high school to get my regular license.

The Mustang turned 52 years old yesterday.  Happy birthday, Mustang!  I hope I look as good as you if I make to 52 years old...

Friday, April 15, 2016

The Road Less Traveled

Last summer I was able to spend a couple days exploring part of Route 66, the Mother Road, in central Oklahoma. One of the many interesting stops I made was in Warwick, OK at the Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum. Originally built as a gas station in 1921, it now houses dozens of vintage motorcycles.
What makes places like this, little bits of roadside America, so interesting to me is the people you encounter.  While I was here, I had a really interesting conversation with the owner.  He told me the history of some of the motorcycles, as well as the building itself.  All the time we were talking, I kept thinking of one of my favorite song lyrics from Neil Young: "See the losers in the best bars, Meet the winners in the dives,  Where the people are the real stars, All the rest of their lives." There's a human factor that you get in small town America that no longer exists in the big cities...

As I was wrapping up my visit, taking a look at the back side of the building, a motorcycle rolled in:

It was a ragged looking old Honda twin, with an Illinois license plate.  The rider was a young guy, early 20's and he was on his way to California.  He was doing Route 66 from one end to the other, on his own.  I envied him a bit, as that's one very liberating personal journey to take.  As I got into my rental car and drove off, down Route 66, that Neil Young song was stuck in my head.  The people are the real stars on our journey through this world.

Route 66 to some is a symbol of a bygone era, the slow way to get from one place to another.  To me it's a great reminder that life is about the journey, not the destination.  Slowing down and looking around can freshen your perspective.  As a photographer, it often leads to unique photo ops as well...


Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Don't Blink...

If you do, you might miss it.  Wait a second, is that really a post office?  Yes indeed, it is.

This is America's smallest U.S. Post Office, in beautiful Ochopee, FL. Never heard of Ochopee?  Don't worry, not many people have. (You can tell it's small, look at the size of their post office). Ochopee is located on Tamiami Trail in the midst of Big Cypress National Preserve down in Everglades country.

I took this photo a few years ago when I was passing through, on my way to Chokoloskee. (Don't worry if you've never heard of Chokoloskee, it's only a little bigger than Ochopee).  This drive across the Southern Everglades was made possible many years ago when the Tamiami Trail was built.  Unfortunately, the road cut off much of the water flow into the Everglades, and they have been struggling to survive for decades.  But all hope is not lost...

Several years ago, the Army Corp. of Engineers began an ambitious project to elevate parts of Tamiami Trail to restore more water flow into the Everglades. You can read more specifics here http://www.evergladesfoundation.org/what-we-do/projects/tamiami-trail/

The first mile of elevated roadway is complete, so that's good news.  There's more to be done, but a step forward is a step in the right direction.  If you have not visited the Everglades, I'd encourage you to do so. There's no place else like it in the world.  And on your back (or on your way to Chokoloskee), take a ride through Ochopee to see the post office.  Just don't blink, you might miss it...

Monday, April 11, 2016

A Moment to Reflect...

We all step back and reflect sometimes. We look at old photos, talk to old friends, and we reflect on those moments and memories as we go through our days.  But I'm not waxing nostalgic as I talk about reflecting for a moment today, I'm talking about real reflections...

Last summer I was in Oklahoma to shoot some photos for Eckler's at their International show.  Summer weather in Oklahoma can get pretty nasty pretty quickly, and storms can roll in with very little warning.  This day was no exception.  A 15-minute downpour came before many of the show cars could be moved or covered.  As soon as the rain stopped though, there was a brief moment when the standing water on the blacktop turned the parking lot into a great big mirror and I was able to get a few shots of some classic Chevy's (like the shot above).  Within a few minutes, the red-hot Oklahoma sun came back out and dried the blacktop, turning my big mirror back into a plain old parking lot, albeit one with a bunch of car owners drying off (and out) their classics...

Reflections can turn an absolutely ordinary photo into an interesting one.  As summer approaches, we will be getting afternoon storms on an almost daily basis here in Florida.  Take your camera out, and take a moment to reflect.  The results may be interesting...
Russ Muller Photography