Tag Archives: vintage cars

Photo theme: Quarter Windows & Side Mirrors

1 Reply

Last weekend, I attended the 25th annual SuperNationals Car Show in Albuquerque. It was a sea of chrome and gleaming paint. There were silly low-riders, beautiful antiques, and fine-art automotive sculptures.

So amongst all that overstimulation, I tried to stick to a few themes. And one of them is the subject of this post: Quarter Windows and Side Mirrors. Quarter windows are the small (usually triangular) windows in front of the front windows. On old cars, they could swivel open to allow airflow.

The shining chrome of the quarter window tracing around the silvery side mirror–that’s a theme I will see again and again. There’s a lot to play with. Reflections in the flat glass, warped reflections in the chrome, angles, lines, light. This is what I have for now. To be continued…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Advertisement

Exploring Albuquerque

Leave a reply

Albuquerque’s a great place to explore with a camera. The weather’s cooperative, mostly, with consistent lighting and low humidity. There’s a great balance of industry and nature, gaudy and dilapidated, geometric and organic. There aren’t many trees, so there are more opportunities for sweeping vistas, often punctuated by mountains or volcanoes. There’s even a great chance you’ll catch something awesome in the sky, be it a flyover from the air force base or a hot air balloon. So this weekend I explored Albuquerque–not the surrounding area– on a photo tour.

150906-downtown-abq-0041

Playful editing on Route 66. A vintage car in from the Pueblo Deco style Kimo Theater.

150906-abq-railyards-0249

Abandoned buildings in the Albuquerque railyards, which once employed 40% of the city. Part of it now hosts a Sunday market.

150906-abq-railyards-0251-edit-1936

A look inside an abandoned building in the ABQ railyards. 5 exposures merged via HDR process.

150906-downtown-abq-0051

Cruising on Route 66 in downtown ABQ. A vintage car in from the Pueblo Deco style Kimo Theater. The vintage car drivers are very cooperative and slow down a little when they see the lens. ABQ has a lot of great vintage cars.

150906-downtown-abq-0084-edit-2005

HDR sunset in downtown ABQ on Route 66.

150906-downtown-abq-0139-edit-2043

Cruising on Route 66 in downtown Albuquerque at sunset.

150906-downtown-abq-0171-edit-2059

The Kimo Theater marquis and the neon lights emerging at sunset in downtown Albuquerque on Route 66.

150906-downtown-abq-0196-edit-2079

The Deco Pueblo style Kimo Theater

150906-downtown-abq-0248-edit-2114

The Launchpad concert venue in downtown Albuquerque.

150906-fireworks-0072-edit-1986

Labor Day fireworks. Photomerge of 8-ish images, because why not?

150906-fireworks-0109-edit-1972

Antique American Muscle Cars

Leave a reply

I went to a museum of American Muscle Cars in Punta Gorda, Florida. I am not a particular car enthusiast. I find the engineering intriguing as well as the design, but I just can’t keep track of all the models and companies and statistics. However, I found it a pleasure to wander through the rows and rows of beautiful cars. Even if I didn’t know their horsepower or what was special about them, I could appreciate the art in them. Check out the beautiful colors, hood ornaments, and details. Each photo below links to Flickr, or check out the whole set here.

(Picture 1: Chevrolet and vintage signs, picture 2: row of corvettes, picture 3: 1935 Cadillac hood ornament, picture 4: Chevrolet Impala convertible interior, picture 5: 1960 Chevrolet Impala convertible tail light.)

And I got a fun toy for myself too!

photo