Recent Uploads tagged 124th

A '32 Ford, 3 Window Coupe Named Poison Ivy

nobody@flickr.com (Michael Paul Smith) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 07:13:20 -0700

By the late '50s, Hot Rod Clubs were sprouting all over the country and
Elgin Park had it's own club; The Night Ramblers.
Out of the dozen or so cars in the club, Poison Ivy, a black 3 window Ford coupe that was lightly modified, led the pack in terms of coolness.
It even beat out the '56 Corvette and '57 Chevy.
Here is a photo taken at one of the gatherings, back in the day. As you can see, Poison Ivy had that "certain something" that turned heads.
Rumor had it a '55 Merc engine was going to replace the modified V8.

On a different note... when I downloaded this photo from my camera, the image had a slight painterly quality to it, for some reason. A faulty sensor, a weak battery or an incorrect setting? I'll never know, but I liked the end result.

The Diecast cars are from the Danbury and Franklin Mint.
The '32 Ford itself is cobbled together from both manufacturers.

At the Community Center Parking Lot - Circa 1962

nobody@flickr.com (Michael Paul Smith) — Wed, 29 May 2013 08:33:59 -0700

Michael Paul Smith posted a photo:

Back in the day, hanging out in the parking lot with my siblings while our parents were doing grownup stuff, like talking to relatives, was simultaneously boring and fun. We could run around, sit in the car and read Mad Magazines or just explore the surrounding area.
This photo is a recreation of those times; somewhere around 1962. I would have been 12 years old, so my fascination with car design was in full swing.
I knew nothing of engines or horsepower nor did I care.
For myself, it was all about the shapes, the colors and the exciting interiors.
It was the cars themselves that hinted at a shiny future just about to happen.
To this day, seeing a vintage car parked in the late afternoon sun makes me weak in the knees.
I am once again 12 years old experiencing the thrill of automotive design and anticipating a wonderful future.

The 1/24th diecast cars are from West Coast Precision Diecast and The Danbury Mint.
No Photoshop was used.

The Last Picnic

nobody@flickr.com (Michael Paul Smith) — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:31:38 -0700

Michael Paul Smith posted a photo:

Like wagons surrounding the campfire, Louie Yant and his family, along with their friends, gathered around the state park's charcoal grill for a send off picnic.
Plans have been set in motion to move the entire town of Elgin Park to another location.
Much thought has been given to this drastic measure, but at the end of a soul searching day, all of the town folks unanimously voted in favor of the move.

As luck would have it, I had just renewed my Pro Account here at Flickr before the Change happened, so I will be here until it expires.

But I have already started transplanting Elgin Park to Ipernity: www.ipernity.com/doc/18843
And I will also be at:
Smumug.
elginpark.smugmug.com/

So in the meantime, stroll around and take in the view; there are a lot of memories here.
I can not thank everyone enough for all of the love and support you have given me over the years.
Group Hug!

As for this picnic photo, it was a fascinating exercise in forced perspective along with trying to create an interesting composition with very limited possibilities.
What I found was everything was on the same visual plane, without any changes in height. The picnic tables along with the cars created a very horizontal sight line which made the image look quite flat.

Rarely do I re-shoot a scene but for this particular subject the flatness was quite bothersome, so I revisited it many times.

Gotta love the computer for in depth research.
Looking at vintage picnic snapshots, I found that only when the photographer was standing on something taller than a chair, did the scene take on some depth.
When I tried this with my diorama, it exposed the scene for what it was:
a group of model cars on a table.
Hmmmm.

But aside from all of the above, it does evoke memories of picnics from the past:
Mom's amazing potato salad, fresh lemonade, cold cut sandwiches on Mom's homemade bread and coconut frosted cake yellow cake just baked that morning.

Khalifa View

nobody@flickr.com (MaxSkyMax) — Sat, 04 May 2013 15:20:09 -0700

MaxSkyMax posted a photo:

Family jump (124/365 2013)

nobody@flickr.com (jofolo also at ipernity) — Sat, 04 May 2013 09:39:18 -0700

jofolo also at ipernity posted a photo:

May 4th. Last day of copycatting. At my folks. I had intended a Stuart levitation shot as my parents have the hall for it, but the day got very messy with the boy having had to go to ED with a poorly leg. Prior to this I took some jump shots as back up, a la Harpazo. Less recreating a photo, more recreating a style. She is the queen of jump shots.

I have enjoyed this week, I revisited many of your streams looking for pics to copy. I wish I could have done seascapes, water scapes, landscapes, desert scapes, ground shots, air shots. Or shots from planes, and bikes. Or shots of planes and bikes. Perhaps another time!

Out Take from the Kustom Kar Show - The Ala Kart

nobody@flickr.com (Michael Paul Smith) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 05:10:23 -0700

Michael Paul Smith posted a photo:

This is a Danbury Mint diecast model and the level of detail obtained in something that is only 5 inches long and 2 1/4 inches tall boggles the mind.
Back in 1961, a plastic model kit from AMT was offered for $1.50 and I couldn't mow enough lawns fast enough [ at 50 cents each ] to purchase it.
Granted, the completed kit never looked quite as good as the illustration on the box, but who cared? It was one cool automobile.
When Danbury Mint offered a fully assembled model 43 years later, I did not hesitate to pay the asking price of $150. It was well worth every penny as you can see in this photo.

First Warm Day in Early Spring - 1933

nobody@flickr.com (Michael Paul Smith) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 04:05:34 -0700

Michael Paul Smith posted a photo:

The concrete landing along the Sweetwater River was a favorite motoring destination for the local population of Elgin Park, back in the day. With the elegant stone bridge surrounded by the quiet woods, this spot provided a picturesque backdrop for contemplation, pleasant conversation or spooning
[ a euphemism for making out ].
The 1932 Ford convertible completes this idyllic scene and gives the past a warm glow.

This particular bridge is about 3 blocks from where I live but to get to the water's edge I had to trudge through woods and wet lands to get the best view, all the while 2 helicopters were hovering over me wondering what the hell this old guy was doing down there.

The Ford model is a Danbury MInt diecast. It is stunning.

Light Painting GTR

nobody@flickr.com (Photography By Blair) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 02:10:41 -0700

Photography By Blair posted a photo:

Press Photo from the Elgin Times - Kustom Kar Show Arrives

nobody@flickr.com (Michael Paul Smith) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 07:15:24 -0700

Michael Paul Smith posted a photo:

The mobile unit of TV station WLGN had been waiting all morning for the arrival of the headlining attraction of the Kustom Kar Show, but it wasn't until the late afternoon when they finally showed up. By then the weather had turned cloudy and cold which thinned out the onlookers.
"Skippy" Lamartine, photographer for the Elgin Times, took this photo for the evening edition.
By the next day, almost every kid in town had this picture cut out and taped to their bedroom walls.

Because the Kar Show wouldn't be open to the public for 3 more days, the excitement was running high.

Theresa Thompson gets full credit for giving this image the authentic feel of a newspaper glossy.
Elgin Park would be less of a place without her magic.

Here is the photo of the WLGN mobile unit waiting for the Kustom Kars:
www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/8595412407/in/photostream
You can see how drastic the weather changed from the morning until the afternoon.

And here is the poster that advertized the event:
www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/8601892144/in/photostr...

The diecast models are all from the Danbury Mint.
Need I say more?

The 1955 Chevy Belair Convertible

nobody@flickr.com (Michael Paul Smith) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 16:34:14 -0700

Michael Paul Smith posted a photo:

Nothing fancy here, just your basic Glamor Shot.
Because it was such a beautiful sunny and warm day in the neighborhood, I just had to go out and take a car photo. The '55 Chevy encapsulated the mood perfectly.

This is a Danbury Mint diecast. Pretty spiffy on all accounts.

First Snow Storm of the Season

nobody@flickr.com (Michael Paul Smith) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:25:53 -0800

Michael Paul Smith posted a photo:

This snap shot was donated to the Elgin Park Historical Society. On the back was written:
First snow storm of winter, February 1956.

Theresa Thompson has done her magic once again to create another piece of Elgin Park ephemera.
If archeologists find her work centuries from now, they will be hard pressed to figure out that Elgin Park only existed in the hearts and minds of people around the world.

She is the real deal!
Here is a link to her Flickr site:
www.flickr.com/photos/theresasthompson/

The Day After It Snowed

nobody@flickr.com (Michael Paul Smith) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 18:04:15 -0800

Michael Paul Smith posted a photo:

Gino Monteverde is the owner of the Main Street Texaco Station and as a Community Booster, helps during the winter by plowing parking lots of the local retailers for free.
Showing their appreciation for this service, the merchants gladly waive the bill for lunch or a cup of coffee. [Elgin Park is a good place to live]

Here we see Gino's '56 Ford F100 pickup "live parked" outside the White Castle, with Gino probably grabbing a sack full of burgers before he heads off to his next job.

The truck is a Danbury Mint diecast. The plow and tire chains are from a Franklin Mint model.

The plow was what inspired this photo. When I saw it's detail and accuracy, it was just a matter of waiting for the next snow fall to set up the shot.
I have to say, attaching those scaled down chains were just as frustrating as in real life. If anyone has had the pleasure of that activity, you know what I'm talking about.

1970 Chevrolet Impala, 24 inch rims (based on 1/24th scale car with 1/18th scale rims)

nobody@flickr.com (SoulRider.222) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 02:54:50 -0800

SoulRider.222 posted a photo:

1/25/13. Canon Rebel XTi. Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS USM, tripod, switch, sooc.

1970 Chevrolet Impala, 24 inch rims

nobody@flickr.com (SoulRider.222) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 02:54:51 -0800

SoulRider.222 posted a photo:

1/25/13. Canon Rebel XTi. Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS USM, tripod, switch, sooc.

1/24th Fairmiles A/C, Fairmile B x2 and Fairmile D

nobody@flickr.com (cdsc123) — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:41:17 -0700

cdsc123 posted a photo:

1/24th scale Fairmile A/C, Fairimile B (x2) and Fairmile D with torpedo scallops

The Past, now with Color!

nobody@flickr.com (Michael Paul Smith) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:13:33 -0700

Michael Paul Smith posted a photo:

I hesitated to post this version of the American Railway Express photo because the black and white image was so evocative of a past era.

www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/8570185532/in/photostream

This conundrum is similar to another photo I put up a while back:
www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/6362859441/in/set-7215...

For this particular image, I feel the color brings a slight contemporary note to the scene and emotionally it doesn't feel that far away, unlike the black and white version.
This is not a bad thing, though.

I just wanted to share these thoughts with you.

Cars

nobody@flickr.com (Jademunky NZ) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:37:49 -0800

Jademunky NZ posted a photo:

One of the first shots I took of my new cars. My 1/24 scale cars. I did a series of them to get some ideas for shooting full scale cars that I want to do.

The Setup Shot for Snow Plow Photos

nobody@flickr.com (Michael Paul Smith) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 19:49:19 -0800

Michael Paul Smith posted a photo:

I had passed this little park directly across from the town hall many times and felt it had potential as a back drop. But because it was such a highly visible and busy section of town, I hesitated to use it for a number of reasons. I went so far as to ask the local authorities if it was alright to take some photos there. Their response was: As long as I wasn't selling anything or creating a disturbance, it was alright.

Not having a car, I loaded up my trusty luggage cart and headed towards town.
Within minutes of setting things up, a number of middle school kids stopped to watch and had many questions, which I always enjoy answering. A few mothers with children then came by followed by the town work crew.
As you can see by the tracks in the snow, there was a lot of traffic.
It was a good session and great site so I plan on using it again in the spring.

Here are the completed shots:

www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/8417740361/in/photostr...

www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/8438785598/in/photostr...

Audi R8

nobody@flickr.com (Vicktrr) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 15:49:51 -0800

Vicktrr posted a photo:

1/24th scale model

Cadillac Escalade, 22 inch rims (based on 1/24th scale SUV with 1/18th scale rims)

nobody@flickr.com (SoulRider.222) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 02:54:52 -0800

SoulRider.222 posted a photo:

1/25/13. Canon Rebel XTi. Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS USM, tripod, switch, sooc.