goodbye 2012

Since all the important newspapers, magazines and blogs post their end-of-year reports, I thought I'd join the festivities with something slightly less relevant: my favorite shot of the year. It didn't took me long to come up with it: Laurent's mighty 1932 Roadster staged on an old military airfield with the swiss alps making for an equally majestic backdrop. See you guys in 2013.

simply beautiful

I never posted this shot before. Mostly because I was hoping to have it published together with some other pics I took that day – but it didn't make it. So, here it is for you to enjoy. An example of simplicity: Mark Garza's unmolested 1946 Ford in a wonderful factory color, a subtle lowering job and tastefully chosen wheelcovers. I thought I'd follow this example when taking the picture: no fancy angles, no artificial light, no photoshop editing. Just as simple as that.

wheels are everything

I thought I'm fully aware of the impact wheels have on the look of a car. But I keep getting blown away everytime I see the transformation that can be done by simply putting on different wheels and tires. Even though I liked the factory wheelcovers a lot I kinda felt those 14 inch wheels were too tiny for that wagon. And since I always liked the look of chrome reverse wheels and chromed OEM steelies, I celebrated my own little x-mas party today. I'm absolutely stoked, also because it took me days to figure out the perfect tire size and it seems the choice I made turned out right. My apologies that they're only radials, but lookwise they are as bias-ply-ish as they get. Now where did I put that box with the lowering blocks?

preview powerglide mag #24

Stoked to see some of my work in issue 24 of the french PowerGlide Magazine. Coming soon...

longing for a longroof

The Lowtech headquarter recently moved to sunny San Clemente, California. And if you're familiar with this part of the planet, you know that it's got the perfect climate for well aged automobiles. You don't have to worry about snow blocking your garage door. Hell you can even drive your old heap in December without fearing it's all gonna be rusted away in January. So when we needed a staff car that fits right in with the local vibe we knew what it had to be. There are just some minor adjustments needed when it comes to stance and wheels and that longboard sticking out of the rolled down tailgate window...

on the road

"We were already almost out of America and yet definitely in it and in the middle of where it's maddest. Hotrods blew by. San Antonio, ah-haa!"

Jack Kerouac

christmas on the moon

Finally I found some time to upload my favorite shots from the big Mooneyes X-mas Party. If you like them, there's more in the slideshow. Now we're ready for the holiday season.

Click here for the slideshow.

back from the moon

Just got home from my first Mooneyes X-Mas Party. Damn that was a lot of cars, but the best part was meeting a lot of old friends and making new friends. More pics coming soon.

swap beach

As I probably stated before on this blog: I don't like swap meets. But the Long Beach Swap Meet could make me think over my opinion. Maybe at least a little bit. It's got a good size, there are some real hot rod parts and not just repop junk. And it's not too far from the beach in case you get tired of it anyway. Click here for the slideshow with some nice stuff at the car corral.

long beach swap meet

Early in the morning at the Veterans Memorial Stadium, Long Beach. More to come soon.

the night of the living sled

ACES Poker Run 2012

Car shows are like soda. Sometimes they taste okay and they even pretend to quench your thirst but you still feel like you're missing out on something. And if you had too much of it, you start feeling sick. That's why I prefer beer over soda. And that's why I prefer hot rod runs over static car events. So, the annual ACES Poker Run was all my taste. A great bunch of people, an amazing drive through an even more amazing landscape – and a nice turnout of hot rods. If you live in southern california and you own (and drive) a traditional hot rod or kustom, dont' miss the 2013 edition. Here's just a couple of outtakes from the 2012 ACES Poker Run as most of my shots are going to be published.

tradition

tra·di·tion. The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation. (thefreedictionary)

more bakersfield

Finally – here are a couple more of my Bakersfield photos. I don't have much time right now as I'm in the process of moving but the guys at at&t hopefully are working hard on my internet access. Find the rest of them pics here in the slideshow.

nasty nova

Another one from the Hot Rod Reunion 2012 at Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield.

the moment

Whether you're at a car show, a race or a cruise... when everything feels just so damn right, you might experience it: the moment. Maybe it's after a long day and you're shooting the shit with your buddies and forgot to count the beers you had. Or there's that old barn find kustom no one ever saw before and it just rolls into the show. Or while the sun is setting one vintage dragster by another turns up on the horizon, propelled slowly and almost silently by a period push car, lining up for the legendary cacklefest. There it is: the moment.

stranded here in bakersfield

Just returned from my first time at the California Hot Rod Reunion at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield. A whole lot of great entertainment but now I need some sleep. In the meantime, check out my impromptu postcard creation. Don't worry, there's more to come.

road test

I'm not a big fan of turning recent pictures into black and white. But this one came out pretty ok and reminded me of those road tests in some 1950s car magazines.

99 fahrenheit

It probably was the first time in my life that I experienced 99 degrees fahrenheit in mid-october. But it felt good, especially at the reencounter with that 1953 Chevrolet Kustom.

friday night in burbank