Author: Randy Wells

THE 356 THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Once again, Excellence magazine has chosen to feature a “patina queen.” This one is an original 356B Porsche in Ruby Red driven by Rachel Nelson of California on a daily basis. With 285,000 miles on the clock, it’s still ticking and delivering the goods. Rachel’s custom glass goes in the back seat when she delivers small pieces to clients! Continue reading “”

PINK MOON REISSUE BOX SET

Here’s my vote for 2012’s top reissued piece of vinyl.

The newly released box set LP of Nick Drake’s phenomenal 1972 album, Pink Moon, was done right. Mastered with care from the original master tapes, EQd all analog, 180g record pressed at the highly regarded German Optimal plant with excellent quality control (my copy is flat and quiet), and presented in custom packaging that only adds to the experience. Continue reading “”

NEW SINGER 911 VIDEO

Chris Harris and Drive have just released a great video documenting Rob Dickinson’s Singer 911. It’s wonderful to see someone who has the vision and budget to produce a “bespoke” custom Porsche that has no compromises. Of course Rothsport’s slide valve injection might be even cooler, but this car is seriously “horny” as Chris says. Continue reading “”

REMEMBERING SUMMER

Whenever the sun disappears for two months at a time, when the rain comes down in buckets or the temperature drops below freezing, my mind drifts back to nicer days. Last summer in the Pacific Northwest saw plenty of those, and some great track days!

Here’s a short video of one perfect day. A retro-mod Porsche 911, a GoPro camera, and a brand new set of 225-50/16 Dunlop street tires. To paraphrase Kilgore/Milius: “I love the smell of burning rubber in the morning. It smells like… Victory.” Continue reading “”

PLEASE PLEASE ME

Fifty years ago the single “Please Please Me” was released in the U.K. The Beatles B-side was originally “Ask Me Why” but later switched to “From Me To You” on the U.S. release. Composed by John Lennon, with help from producer George Martin, PPM went on to become the group’s first #1 hit. Their first 7″ record, “Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You” (with Andy White on drums), failed to top the charts due to lack of promotion as The Beatles were still playing in Hamburg, Germany. Continue reading “”

CREATIVES, HOW MUCH ARE YOU WORTH?

Photo tips for the day.

Here are some links for those just coming out of photography/art/film school, or anyone else trying to determine their “day” rate in today’s competitive environment. Success is what you give yourself, so your long range view of business and art will be vital to getting you to where you want to be.

Practice your craft relentlessly. Find your own voice. Be the absolute best you can be. Know your capabilities and embrace them. Filter criticism. Find those clients who will compensate you appropriately for the work you are driven to create. And always remember: If you don’t think you are worth it, nobody else will. Continue reading “”

NEIL YOUNG – PSYCHEDELIC PILL

The recently released album Psychedelic Pill by Neil Young is now available on vinyl. This 3-LP package is sumptuously packaged and all analogue.

The result is one the best sounding Neil Young records ever. When the songs are this good, and LPs are done this right, it’s cause for celebration… even with this pricey edition. Continue reading “”

MAKING IT AS A TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER

Here’s an excerpt from our interview that appears in the latest Shutterbug Magazine. Thanks to Maria Piscopo and Shutterbug for including us in their latest “Business Trends” section.

“Never before has it been as easy for someone to produce a usable travel photograph. And never before have as many travel images been posted to the Internet. Unfortunately, many of these posted images are deemed of ‘good enough’ quality, are free to download, and are not credited to authorship. Continue reading “”

KIDS AND THE WEB

Something that’s come out of Japan lately is a bevy of very sophisticated yet inexpensive compact pocket cameras that are fully automatic and offer the creative performance of a pro digital SLR in the convenient size of a point-and-shoot. Great for kids!

Above is a pic from a recent travel made with a Canon Powershot ELPH 110. Much higher quality than any smart phone, and best of all.. No Instagram! Continue reading “”