Astoria Garages, 3.13.11

I wandered down to Shore Blvd., and P., the '55 Bel Air owner, drove by and said he was going to Serino's. So off we went. Serino Hot Rod is a shop in Astoria that has been around since 1935 - this is the 3rd generation running it. Beaters in various phases of restoration lined the street; it was car and photo heaven. They were kind enough to let me poke around, uncover cars, and shoot at will. I'm feeling a little sick of digital, so here are a few Holga shots... I plan on doing another post with the digital shots.

All photographs ©2011 Megan Green, All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, download, or screengrab without my permission.

Series in Progress - Classic Cars with a Retro Camera

Last spring, I started throwing one of my many old/antique cameras in my camera bag when I went to car events - a Sabre 620. In order to use it, I have to re-roll 120 film onto 620 reels - yes, I roll my own. Film! I wanted to shoot classic cars with a camera that is about as old as they are, and I really dug the results when I developed the first rolls. I've seen a lot of digital photos post-processed to look "old" or "retro," but actually using film gives it an authenticity that can't be replicated in Photoshop.

Last night, I was hosting a friend who was a JFK Airport refugee - she was stuck here because of the blizzard, halfway to her destination. Before she arrived I had been scanning some film I shot at a restoration shop in Texas, and the roll hadn't turned out all that well. It was way too dark in the shop for a simple box camera with no exposure control. I left the one frame that was salvageable open in Photoshop, and when she woke up my laptop to check her flight status, she exclaimed, "Wow, I like that!" Great, all was not lost. If Lecia from my art school days likes it, I guess it's got some merit - I am my own worst editor and critic.

This is a series-in-progress - I'm still not sure what it will ultimately be or when it will end (maybe a Blurb book?), but I'm having fun with it for now - and it will go to Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend with me! I bought the tickets months ago...

12.23.2010, Houston, TX:

6.12.2010, Rumble in the Country, Terryville, CT:

8.21.2010, Woodward Dream Cruise, Detroit, MI:

11.3.2010, SEMA, Las Vegas, NV:

10.9.2010, Riff Raff Riot, Greenlawn, NY:

If you "Like" my Pony Car Girl facebook page, there are a few more shots there. Looking at these, I realize I need to shoot more rat rods! I'll post more as the series goes on... but right now, all of the cool cars are in hibernation here in the cold, snowy Northeast.

Rumble in the Country - 6.12.2010

Terryville, CT

I'm finally getting around to posting some shots of the rest of the cars. As I previously wrote, torrential downpours arrived in Terryville just as we did. Fortunately, a lot of people stuck it out and the sun come out... as the last band finished. In between rain drops, I took pictures. In no particular order:

Man, dog, car. What else do you need?

Car guy...

The owner's wife made him open the door so I could get a shot of the rat:

...car guys...
This owner called me over to show me the hand-painted firewall on his Ford:


More car guys!

A couple shots of Rockabilly Express - as they played, the sun finally came out.



I will put the rest of the shots up on Flickr very soon, and will link it here in my blog. If you were at the rumble and these are photos of you or your car, and would like a copy, just comment or send me a personal message - I'm more than happy to email a copy or direct you to the set on flickr when they are up.

Stroke of Luck - Weatherford, TX

I had to go to Texas last week for a family emergency. Heading into Fort Worth to stay with a friend before I returned to NY Sunday, my parents and I pulled into a Cracker Barrel in Weatherford for some lunch. As we turned into the parking lot, we saw a whole row of classic cars roped off. Cracker Barrel was having a little classic car contest! I spoke with the restaurant manager and he said that he has it once a year - invites people in with their classics, whether it's a show car, a beater, whatever - and has the patrons and his staff vote on the favorite. While I photographed, my parents chatted, so I have to credit them with some of the details.

Hoods up!

Great hood ornament:Gorgeous T-bird. I talked with the owner for a few minutes, and will do a whole post just on this car:

There were a few Chevy Bel Airs. Surprisingly, not a single '57:



Car guy with a sense of humor:

There were a few muscle cars - this orange Ford Torino GT was a beauty, and won the judge's choice award:
I drooled over this one for awhile:

Tachometer on the Mustang:

And the winner, Morris, with his '54 Chevy:More cars from Texas to come!

All images ©2010 Megan Green, All Rights Reserved.