Going Topless...

No, not me (trust me).  As I was walking Cody this morning, enjoying what may be the last sub-70 degree morning until November, I thought about convertibles.  I've only had one, a Manx body dune buggy built on a 1963 VW chassis with a 40-horsepower 1200cc flat four that topped out at about 63mph.  It was a lot of fun, although hardly a practical car.

I've had the opportunity to photography many convertibles through the years.  One of the more unusual ones (for me anyway) was this '62 Lincoln Continental.

If the body style looks familiar to you but you're not sure where you've seen one before, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas while riding in one.  But that isn't what I wanted to talk about. What's so interesting to me about this car is the fact that it's a four-door convertible.  Not only that, it's got suicide doors.  That's not something you see very often, and that goes back to one of my recurring blogtography themes...

Look for the unusual. Sometimes it's right in front of you, sometimes you have to search for it, and sometimes you have to compose it. With the top up and doors closed, this white Lincoln doesn't draw much attention. But when you put the top down and open up the doors, it tells a much more interesting story. I don't believe they ever made another convertible with suicide doors, although I can't say that with 100% confidence.  I can, however, say that there have not been any other modern-era 4-door suicide-door convertibles.

Enjoy topless weather while you can, be it your car or yourself...Remember, if you're not having fun while you're out shooting, you're probably doing something wrong.

Neon Nights...

One of my favorite things from the era before I was born (besides the cars and music) is neon. One of our Noble (or inert, depending on your periodic table) gasses, neon has been used in signage since the '20's.  It really had its heyday in the '50's, when cars had fins, towns had diners and drive-in movies, and lonely dark roads were cast aglow in the light from neon signs.

The glow is what makes neon special to me.  Look at the sign above. Notice how each section has it's own distinct background color?  The green glow up top, the subtle blue glow at the bottom give this sign a warmth that you just don't get with LED or fluorescent lights. Neon signs are expensive to buy, expensive to run, and expensive to fix, but they are truly things of beauty. You don't see much neon around anymore, and that's a shame.  Sacrificing beauty for efficiency has taken away another bit of America and replaced it with Generica. 

So, what's this got to do with photography?  Not much, other than to reiterate one of my recurring themes through these blog posts: Look around for things that are interesting or different to shoot, and take a few shots. You never know what you might end up with, and you never know what might spark a new interest.  Remember, if you're not having fun when you're out shooting,then you're probably doing something wrong...

America...

I don't talk about politics anymore, and that has worked well for the last couple of years. But I have reflected on the "make America great again" slogan many times recently, and I have to say that whoever decided America isn't great at the moment was mistaken.  Let's go for a quick cruise...

If you've ever driven up or down I-95, or ridden in a bus, cab, tow truck or on a train that runs near it, you have seen signs for South of the Border. Yes, the heart of Americana (and thus America), just a few hundred feet into South Carolina, is a shining example of America's greatness. Loved by northerners for easy access to fireworks, and loved by southerners for its kitschiness, South of the Border represents the American dream (albeit under a giant sombrero).

How the heck does S.O.T.B. represent America's greatness, you ask? Well, ask yourself this: What other countries in the world have opportunities for entrepreneurs to build tacky gift shops, and advertise them for so many hundreds of miles that the kids are begging you to stop there and get them a t-shirt? That is a uniquely American phenomenon, and it a perfect example of what continues to make America great. If you have a dream, you can chase it here in America. Even if your dream is to sell key chains and salt and pepper shakers in Dillon, SC.  People want to come here because it is a great country, not because it used to be one...

Again, I won't get on a political bandwagon here (or anywhere else anymore), but I think America continues to be pretty great.  If someone had a slogan that said "make America even greater" I might be inclined to listen to some of his or her rhetoric. But I don't think we'll see that rolled out any time soon.  And by the way, if you've never stopped at South of the Border, you really should.  It's a fun little place, and they have been around for over 50 years. Pedro is aging better than I am...

http://www.thesouthoftheborder.com/

Superheroes...

It seems like there is a new superhero movie coming out almost every week these days.  They are obviously profitable or the movie makers would move on to a different subject. What really makes me sad though, is that nobody has ever made a movie about my favorite superhero.  In fact, there was a time that my favorite superhero was "America's Favorite Superhero."  Can you guess who it is?

That's right, Bud Man! There was a time when Anheuser-Bush (now owned by InBev, a Belgian mega-brewer) used Bud Man for their marketing campaigns. I remember visiting Bush Gardens on a family vacation in the '70's, and Bud Man merchandise was all over their gift shops.  In fact, I still have a Bud Man beach towel from a later visit.  The Bud Man magnet, pictured above, was on a rat rod at a local car show a few years ago.

Where is Bud Man today?  I guess he probably retired several years ago, so maybe he's playing shuffleboard at the Old Superhero home in Sarasota (or wherever it is that old superheroes retire to). The point of today's ramblings:  The Bud Man magnet was a little detail on a single car in a show with 100+ vehicles.  I would bet that I was the only one who took a photo of it that day.  Photos don't have to be iconic to be interesting. Sometimes, the little things leave a lasting impression.

Will there ever be a return of Bud Man?  My guess is no, because I'm sure in today's politically-correct world there would be something wrong with a superhero that represents a beer company. And besides, would a superhero who spoke French, Dutch, or German (the languages of Belgium) really be able to recapture the title of America's Favorite Superhero?

I guess that covers it for today.  Go out and shoot something, with your camera of course.  And remember: If you're not having fun while you're out shooting, you're probably doing something wrong...

Burnin' For You...

It's funny how song titles seem to capture a lot of my post ideas.  If you're not familiar with Burnin' For You, it's a song by Blue Oyster Cult, a band from my old stomping grounds (Long Island).  The song itself has nothing to do with today's topic: Burnouts...

Who doesn't love a good burnout?  The smoke, the smell, the display of power all work together to make a burnout great fun.  It's been several years since I've had a car capable of doing a big smoky burnout, so I have to live vicariously through others' burnouts.  This weekend, while I was covering an event at a local drag strip, I got to immerse myself in an extra cool burnout:

Times and tires have changed.  I've never seen a big blue burnout before (although I love the alliteration...).  Besides the obviously cool blue smoke, it was nice to be at ground level to take a few photos.  I know most people tend to shoot burnouts from the front of the car, and that's why I thought I'd shoot some from the back.  Taking the same photo that everyone else is taking may net you a good photo, but it has to be better than everyone else to get noticed.  Stepping away from all the other photographers and taking your own photo sometimes nets you a more interesting photo. 

Coffee break over, time to get back to work.  Happy shooting, and remember: If you're not having fun, you're probably doing something wrong.