ROCKIN' in Pleasanton (Goodguys 21st West Coast Nationals) - part two: the trucks

(above) what it's all about . . . lookin' at trucks
(above) a classic '40 Ford, in the California early morning haze

(above) what lurks under the hood of this '50 Ford F100

(above and below) a massive and beautifully flamed Jimmie transporter

(above and below) a vintage Autocar, also converted to transporter

(above and below) ok, I once owned one of these . . .

a psychedelic yellow 1955 Ford F100,

purchased one deliciously impulsive morning

from a farmer in Red Lodge, Montana

(above and below) red pickups are simply . . . yummy

(above and below) Chevy Apaches and Suburbans, they're growin' on me

(above and below) late '40s - early '50s Chevys and GMC's

now take a major place at Goodguys events,

and when seriously modified (as below), take on a whole new persona

from their otherwise (previously) dowdy selves

(above and below) one of the weirdest and

strangely beautiful pickup re-creations,

which has caught my eye at many shows now,

and is just hugely fun to photograph from so many angles

(above and below) ok, for me, absolutely, BEST IN SHOW

(above and below) the 1941 - 46 Chevy 'mustache grille' pickup.

an undeniable classic properly chromed and spiffed,

but what I would do with one of these . . . de-chrome it (!)

and I'll show you what one looks like in a future blog,

(which I saw at an NSRA event in Louisville many years ago)

I'm a truck guy and proud of it. I'm a founding member of the American Truck Historical Society and the Hays Antique Truck Museum in Woodland, CA, and a few blogs back you read about my family's adventure at the Golden Age of Trucking Museum in Middlebury, CT.

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So, here I am at yet another Goodguys West Coast Nationals, and what do I see . . . MORE TRUCKS!!

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Yay! (You can never get enough trucks).

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During the course of two days, the weather and lighting changes constantly. The vehicles are parked every which way and take on (or lose) hues and depth of color. So you do what you can with your camera. Creativity and inspiration rule.

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And, of course, part of the task is the decision to either include people in your photo, or wait for just the right second until the crowd passes and you can hunker down and get just the perfect shot. Then, there's determining exactly the right angle, stance, and pose. And that's why I respect photographer David Perry so very much--'cause he sees it all.

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For the first time at a major car show, I'm using my Canon Powershot G6. What a fine piece of equipment--and I wonder why it took me so long to pull it out. I guess, because I've gotten addicted to my mini, the Casio Exilim 755 which is a miracle of technology in such a small package.

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Previously, I'd shot most of my books using the now venerable (and rare in its time) Epson 3000Z. I knew it was rare when it was brand new, when I learned that only one shop in the Bay Area carried it (Keeble and Schukat, in Palo Alto), and quarterback Joe Montana nearly beat me to it buy purchasing the last two of three. What it could do with only 3.3 megapixels . . .

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In the next several blogs, I'll show you my coupe shots, all kinds of wonderful and weird stuff, and a great discovery-adventure with a ROCKET 88 from Roseville, CA.