AMAZING DRONE WORK AND EDITING IN THIS PORSCHE VIDEO
This is what’s possible in car videos today. This ad pushes the limits above and beyond – in the field and behind the computer. Amazing stuff.
3-13-22
VIC ELFORD R.I.P.
One of the greatest Porsche drivers in history passed away today.
He was also one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. He always took my questions without complaint, and was as humble as humanely possible considering all his accomplishments in motor racing.
Fans will always remember Vic’s rally victories at Monte Carlo in a 911 and his brave win in a Porsche 907 at the Targa Florio in 1968, where he came from far behind in the last laps to pass the lead Ferrari.
MY HOME WEBSITE
What you are looking at is not my main website. This is my blog.
Fun, sometimes serious, it’s a weekly journal that I do more for my sanity than anything else, but I’m happy if you find joy in it.
Some visitors to this blog are unaware of my main site where you can find thousands of images. Every so often I change the home page image there. I’m especially pleased with the current photo I made of reflections in a window at a So Cal air-cooled Porsche gathering. It changes regularly. Enjoy.
LUCKY STILL
I wrote this to a talented professional automotive photographer struggling in today’s world:
“Don’t be bothered by some of the stuff you see happening from those trying to make a living as a car photographer today. For the most part, they either have financial backing or cannot see the effects of the low fees they accept for their work.”
“Understand that most will never achieve what we were lucky enough to experience in the past. What we did then (and still manage to do today when the client has a budget) is considered a glamour profession. And it can actually feel that way when you are shooting, being treated fairly, and see your work published. Continue reading “”
WE REACHED 3,000 FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM
“What?” you ask. “Only 3,000 followers? Don’t you think you should have more than that after posting regularly on Instagram for three years? Especially after you won a national award for your efforts?”
Well, Andrea and I don’t believe in buying followers. If we bought them we could easily have 10X this amount. However, they would not be real followers. The number of likes we’d receive per post on IG wouldn’t change all that much after all the money spent.
What we do have is a great appreciation for the authenticity and loyalty of those who do follow us. You are the ones who view our curated site on a consistent basis. We are proud to say that over 1/3 of our followers regularly like our stuff. That’s huge! We have even received over 60,000 views and 5,000 likes on a few of our single posts, because others have graciously hubbed that image on their IG sites. Thank you to everyone for your support! Continue reading “”
CRIME OF THE CENTURY
The band Supertramp knew a few things. I was fortunate enough to see them in concert during their prime in the mid ’70s (at the height of the Cold War). I clearly remember being impacted by their music’s message about the dangers of power, corruption, and greed.
Nothing much has changed.
RUSSIA FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX CANCELLED AFTER UKRAINE INVASION
This is just another sign that the world sees Russia differently today. The Haas F1 racing team also removed the Russian flag-based livery from their cars. Many drivers say they had already decided not to attend the Russian race scheduled for September anyway. Hopefully, more financial sanctions of this type will help to stop the insanity.
CRAZY TIMES
WILDFIRE
One night, Michael Murphy, a singer from Texas, dreamt a song complete with lyrics. He composed it with Larry Candler in a few hours that morning. Murphy believes the song came to him from a story his grandfather told him when he was a little boy. Released in February 1975, “Wildfire” became Murphey’s highest-charting pop hit in the United States. It hit #3 on Billboard that week and is considered a classic today.
Happy Valentine’s Day
RE-INSPIRED 911 TURBO BY SINGER
Singer has done it again. Here’s a first glimpse at their new car inspired by the original Porsche 930. It’s a 450-plus-horsepower, carbon-fiber-bodied redefinition of an ’80s classic that can be specced with all sorts of refinements, including AWD.
Power comes from a modified a 3.8L block based on a Hans Mezger-designed air-cooled flat-six. Twin turbochargers with electronically actuated waste gates and bespoke air-to-water intercoolers mounted inside the intake manifolds provide the forced cool air necessary to achieve this kind of power.
(Image courtesy Singer Vehicle Design)
LAST CHANCE TEXACO
Rte. 66 is one of my favorite roads to travel on. I grab my personal photo kit and some clothes in a carry on, fly to Las Vegas, rent a Mustang GT convertible, and drive down to the original route.
This photograph was made somewhere along the way where an old Texaco gas station sits next to a modern Chevron one. You just hang around listening to the birds and waiting for the right light. Then presto, you are transported back in time to a simpler world.
HERE’S A MUCH BETTER IDEA
The Pro-ject Automat Turntable doesn’t include speakers, but it does include a fully-automatic start-and-stop with a German-made assembly that disengages and decouples while the record plays, thereby preserving the sound from mechanical vibration. I personally use Rega decks, but this option is very appealing.
HERE’S A BRILLIANT IDEA
Please do not play your albums on a turntable with built in speakers. In fact, don’t place your record player anywhere near your speakers. LPs never sound their best that way.
MUSIC REVENUE CHART
For folks who care about such things, here’s an interesting chart adjusted for inflation that shows where each music format has fallen in yearly revenue. LPs peaked in 1978, and CDs peaked in 1999. Only sales of new items are included. Colored vinyl is the new collectible fetish. Elsewhere, physical music formats have remained niche products, with revenue from used sales on-line unaccounted for. The days of finding gold in used record stores are pretty much over. Click on chart to enlarge.
THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS, IT’S ALL ONE STORY
Everything worth doing takes time. Commitment and intention are everything. Otherwise, projects end up half-baked, or worse yet, contain inaccurate information when they were thought to be “finished”.
Our title says it all. Remember the big picture. “You’re only as good as your last job” is something else to keep in mind, no matter how far up the tree you climb. Another is, “The higher you climb, the harder the wind blows.”
WHILE YOU’RE WAITING
While you’re waiting for the earth to end, here’s a cool turntable to play your carbon based records on. The Brian Eno LED turntable is a collaboration with London’s Paul Stolper gallery.