Flying With the Chief

Being a vintage car owner, I enjoy looking at and photographing cars. Because America is constantly on the move, it has a strong car culture.  I especially enjoy photographing vintage cars because they have a certain character and individuality about them that is a refreshing change from the cars that I drive daily. Vintage autos also have the capacity to trigger memories and feelings within the viewer that help build a relationship with the photo.  My grandpa was a Pontiac man, and I remember experiencing somewhat scary rides with him while staring at that showy orange Indian hood ornament when he tailgated the cars in front of us. 

From my archives, I selected a photo that I took at a farm auction. The car in the photograph is a 1950 Pontiac Delivery wagon.  The Pontiac had sleek lines, and a full-on shot would have been wonderful, but it would have been impossible to eliminate all the distracting auction clutter in the background.  Therefore, I made a compromise to photograph one signature feature on the vehicle.  This is a technique I have found useful in photographing at auto shows where the vehicles are parked closely together and people are milling about.  As I was taking this shot, I had to make a decision whether to include the sky reflections or to attempt to eliminate them for simplicity.  I chose to include the clouds to make the image seem more three-dimensional.   As I studied the final product, I wondered if I should have shot this in a portrait format to accentuate the perspective of the chrome strips along its hood.

One reason I continue to take photos is that photography is a hobby that sometimes triggers seemingly forgotten memories and feelings.  Whenever those old memories return, they allow me to experience them in a fresh way that improves my thinking.   As a beginning photographer, my goal was capturing a variety of images.  Today, I care even more about creating quality images, but it is equally satisfying to discover hidden memories within today's photos while meeting new friends who, like those memories, unexpectedly cross my path.