3 Easy Ways to Improve Your Car Photography

Written by Jim McIlvaine

Our cars are our pride and joy. We love them, cherish them and in some cases, treat them better than we treat ourselves. Realistically, we know the relationships we have with our beloved machines usually don’t last a lifetime. Our tastes may change or our family obligations may finally win out and we eventually part ways. Still, we’ll always have memories and often photos are a great way to re-live some of those special times.

Unfortunately, our love for our vehicles is often blind. When we look through the viewfinder, all we see is our car and we often overlook some pretty glaring issues that are really detracting from our pride and joy. It doesn’t have to be this way! To help out, here are three easy tips, which will, regardless of what kind of camera you own, help you take better pictures of your ride.

Tip #1: Location, Location, Location

You’ve spent all weekend detailing your car and finally it’s perfect for pictures. Next, you break out your camera and start snapping some shots, right? WRONG! Your car deserves better than that. Take a picture in your driveway and there’s a good chance you’ll be including things like:

• Your messy garage
• Your neighbor’s rusty Toyota
• Maybe the garbage cans sitting at the curb
• Or the pole from your kid’s basketball hoop, sticking out through your trunk.

Is that what you’re looking for? Spend an extra 15 minutes and drive your freshly-waxed ride to a more suitable location. Remember, you’re taking a picture of your car, not a cool statue or a pretty building.

This Mustang was photographed behind a Wal-Mart. Those big box stores are actually good for something besides cheap prices on batteries!

Many of these stores have very clean walls on the backside of their building, with no parking lot stripes, street lights or other clutter to detract from the beauty of your ride. Your shiny paint and sparkling chrome reflect everything around your car, so try to keep that stuff to a minimum.

Also, leave the grassy areas to lawnmowers and livestock. Try not to let any vertical or horizontal lines intersect with your car. These lines could include the horizon, buildings, light poles and trees.

Once you’ve found the right spot, make sure you pick the right time of day. The best times to photograph cars are the hour around sunrise and the hour around sunset, known as “the golden hour.” Without getting too technical, harsh, mid-day sunlight won’t help you get great photos.

Summary for a great location to shoot your ride:

• Don’t use your driveway! Find a clean uncluttered spot
• Watch for excessive, unnecessary reflections, especially when your car’s parked on grass
• Shoot at the “Golden Hour” around sunrise and sunset

Tip #2 Composition:

Aggressive camera angles almost always look better than straight/level shots, even if it’s just a slight tilt of the camera. The angle of this picture is right on target and the “rule of thirds” is also in effect. This rule could actually be called the rule of ninths, as the photographer is supposed to imagine two evenly-spaced vertical and horizontal lines in each photo, with the subject generally located in the middle.

The drawbacks of this picture are:

• It was (presumably) taken sometime during the middle of the day, at a car show. That means we see:
  • a maroon sedan and tent on one side,
  • people eating at picnic tables on the other
  • and a whole slew of reflections in the front bumper and paint.
• The horizon line also intersects with the car (see the white tent?)

Get Low: Cars that sit this low should be photographed at an angle that shows off their proximity to the ground. This same picture can be taken behind the Wal-Mart or at the crest of a hill, with much better results.

See All Four Wheels: If you’re down far enough (and your car sits high enough) to see all four wheels, make sure you get all four in the picture. This will help you find the proper angle, which really shows off the shape of your vehicle, regardless of whether you’re looking at the front or back of the car.

Sweat the Little Things: The window of this car is rolled down and there is a car show flier stuck in the sill. Those are the kinds of little details that only take seconds to correct, but can greatly enhance the overall appeal of a picture. Other things to look for include shadows creeping up on the car (see the long shadow by the passenger side door?) or garbage on the ground or any other clutter that might detract from the subject.

This ’31 Coupe was shot in an industrial park at sunset. The rule of thirds is being applied here, as well as an angle that shows all four wheels and a slight tilt.

Somebody Get the Lights: You’ll also notice the headlights are on. This is an artistic preference, but I always try to use headlights and taillights in my photos, as I think it helps highlight the vehicle. The Mustang shown earlier also has headlights on. The headlight covers darken their effect, but the side markers do make a difference.One notable exception for using headlights is cars like third generation Firebirds and some Corvettes, Porsches and Ferraris, which have pop-up headlights. It’s best to keep those puppies hidden and just use parking lights or emergency flashers instead.

Elevated photos are also an easy way to set your car pictures apart from the herd. Try to avoid shooting straight on, so you can show more of the vehicle’s character. Notice the taillights on this roadster are on and the front wheel is turned toward the camera, to show off the face of the wheel, not the tread of the tire. Because this car is a convertible, we turned the wheel far enough, so that the steering wheel looked level inside the car.

Elevated photos are also a great way to hide junky backgrounds. I stood in the back of my pickup truck to take this picture, which helped hide a bunch of semi trailers. Also, don’t be afraid to move your car to take different pictures. This isn’t crime scene photography and there is no rule that says you cannot move your vehicle to take another picture.

Tip #3 Steady Now!

Flash OFF: One of the most important things to remember is that you should almost always avoid using a flash when photographing your car. The rare exceptions to this rule would include launch shots at the drag strip, but we’re focusing primarily on people taking pictures of their own cars. Whether you have the latest digital SLR or a $90 point and shoot camera, you’ll want to learn how to turn your flash off for car photos.

Tripod Time: Cameras will often compensate for the absence of a flash, with a longer exposure time. If you aren’t using a tripod, this might result in a blurred photograph. Therefore, find a tripod or some way of stabilizing your camera. When I’m photographing cars at ground level, I often set the camera right on the ground, propping up the camera and/or lens at the appropriate angle with my wallet.

I also use the timer function, so I don’t take a chance of shaking the camera by manually pressing the shutter-release button.

Watch for Shadows: As we mentioned earlier, avoiding peak sunlight hours helps eliminate harsh shadows. These harsh shadows come back in spades if you use a flash. This photograph didn’t have a flash, because the sunlight bouncing off the white interior kept the interior bright enough. You can still see plenty of shadows throughout the interior. Interior pictures that use flashes will often show shadow rings from the steering wheel, shifter or anything else that blocks the flash.

This photo was taken of someone else’s car at a Goodguys show. If this is your car, take the placard off the dashboard and move to a location (and camera angle) that won’t show coolers and lawn chairs in the background.

Find some Shade: If you really want to take pictures of your car during the peak sunlight hours, find a spot in the shade and take pictures of your engine and interior. The shade will protect the interior from harsh contrasts and shadow lines, but the strong daylight will provide enough indirect light to evenly illuminate the interior.

More Important Details: It’s also a good idea to double-check the little details on your interior.

• Make sure your steering wheel is straight.
• Be sure all the movable switches, vents and other doodads are uniformly aligned.
• Check to make sure the carpeting is clean and you don’t have 15 pounds worth of key chains or air fresheners junking up your shot.
• Don’t be afraid to open the door to get a better angle, let more light in or make it easier to position your tripod.
• If you have a convertible top or t-tops, crack ‘em open and let that light in! Just make sure you’re in the shade.

Engine Pictures: Taking pictures of your engine can also be challenging, because you’re photographing a relatively dark area of your car and you’re in the shade. Start by opening the hood as wide as possible, even if it means having someone physically hold the hood up (just make sure they aren’t in the shot). Then, get your tripod set up at an angle that shows as much of the engine as possible.

This is another car show picture and probably the best angle available, without touching someone else’s hood. Since the hood is so low, there’s not much light available and we end up seeing as much fender as we do engine.

Remember, just because you can stand in front of your engine and take a picture, that doesn’t make it the best possible angle. The camera in this photo sat on a tripod at about seven feet, to make sure the view of the engine wasn’t obstructed and the battery and intake were also visible.

You’re not alone! If you’ve read all this and are starting to feel embarrassed about all the crummy pictures you’ve taken over the years, don’t feel bad. You can go to the newsstand right now and look at cars in magazines that have paint jobs littered with reflections from trees and backgrounds so cluttered with junk, the art department had to photoshop white backgrounds in their place.

Study the Pros: If you would like more ideas on how to take great pictures, check out the magazine work of some real pros. Some of my favorites include Wes Allison, Randy Lorentzen, Johnny Hunkins, Rich Chenet and Rob McGaffin. Remember, practice makes perfect and if you’re using a digital camera, it only costs you battery power!

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The author of this story supports Camp Anokijig, a non-profit youth and family camp, located near Plymouth, Wisconsin.  Visit www.anokijig.com for more information.

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Hot Rod Art at Gasoline Gallery

It’s Saturday night rolling down Main Street in El Segundo, a cute little Maybury-esque town in Los Angeles County. All of the sudden the street is lined with hot rods and some bobber-styled bikes. Cool cats pour out of a store front holding cans of Pabst beer in their hands. Have I landed in heaven?!

Not just yet. It just the New Year’s Nuisance 2 art show & party at Gasoline Gallery. This gallery has been growing into its own little epicenter of kustom kulture over the past couple years. Specializing in low-brow art and artist-featured t-shirts (and most recently a record label all their own,) Gasoline Gallery throws these great shin-digs every couple months when their gallery-show changes.

I’ve been to a few of these now and am pleased to report this show was just as high quality and fun as the others – with artist, 3 sheets, taking the spotlight. That’s enough of my blabbering, let me just show you the pictures! For more info on any of the work or artists shown, contact Gasoline Gallery or look em up on MySpace.

I didn’t realize at first this painting’s on the wrinkled door of a Highway Patrol car! Entitled Gas, Grass, or Ass by Big Toe.

These four pinstriping pieces done on painted metal show of the striping skills of 3 Sheets.

“Social Outkast” Frankenstein by artist duo Johnny Ace & Kali – who studied under the Big Man Ed Roth himself. On the wall, you can see the variety of stuff present – from sculpture to photography to pen & ink to painting.

This piece just pops out at you and makes you giggle too – “Oral Hygiene” by Dave Burke.

Another wall of work – including Max Grundy and very cool photo boxes done by Jay Mason of Chrome and Light Photography (he uses vintage equipment!)

Our friend Dwayne Vance’s piece stood out. I wish my photograph would’ve captured it a little better…but I don’t think that car wants to be captured!

Three fun little bits by 3 sheets.

A classic hot rod painted on an old car magazine page by James Owens next to an amazingly intricate ink & paper by Krazy Dotty made entirely out of small dots.

3 sheets again.

This sculpture was one of my favorite pieces, done by artist Odd Rodney. I wish I could’ve taken it home! The whole evening had me feeling a little artistic myself – so when I stopped for gas on my way home I couldn’t help but notice the cool lighting provided at the gas station!

Cheer’s to art! Whether it’s being hammered out in your own garage or hung on the wall over at Gasoline Gallery…happy trails to you!

-GreaseGirl

Cool Hot Rod Pinstriping From 2009 Part #1

Here’s a look at some of the coolest pinstriping found on MyRideisMe.com during 2009.  I think you’ll agree, pinstriping is alive and well.  So many hours go into practicing and painting, it takes a dedicated person on top of the skill required to lay a great line.  Enough words, these pictures will tell a 1000 of them on their own.  Enjoy!

Please check out the full Pinstriping Gallery to see even more works of art!

Click the pictures to see them Enlarged.

And a few of the stripers who we give much respect to, Charlie, Joel and Andy.

So, there were so many pictures I wanted to share that one post is not enough.  Keep your eyes peeled for more!

Hechtspeed

Vote For Hechtspeed’s Best Picture of 2009

These pictures are a look back at my first year of blogging at MyRideisMe.com.  I’ve met some cool people and made memories that mean a lot to me personally.  This poll is a cool way to remember my favorites from the year.  Take a look at the pictures below and vote for your favorite.  Don’t forget to click on the images to see them Full Size!  Check the links for the full stories as well.

Bonnie’s Bonneville Homecoming at Speedweek 2009.  The first roadster I’ve ever ridden in.  What a blast!  This beauty shot on virgin salt will stick in my brain for years.

 

Hilborn Injectors from Larry Volk’s ‘29 roadster project.  This Hemi powered Model A will be an epic project that I plan on writing more about in the future as Larry builds his dream ride.

The Hot Rods by Dean ‘55 Chevy at World Finals blew me away when I saw it waiting in line.  One of my favorite cars I shot all year.  Nothing like a stock bodied car with great stance! 

Nick Hoesing’s ex-Galaxie Custom and his buddy’s 5 Window Coupe from Nebraska.  Cruising the Long Course at Bonneville while riding shotgun with Pikesan is one of my favorite moments of 2009.

 

Larry Monreal’s turbo VW just after sunset during World Finals 2009.  The bright yellow paint, low light from the sunrise and a top notch driver and “5th son” Jim Bradshaw.

This is definitely one of my favorite shots from this year.  Man and Machine.  I really gained an appreciation for the roadster as the ultimate driving experience.  Pikesan’s first trip to the Salt Flats will NOT be his last, that’s for sure! 

Just realized this turned into a “Favorite Salt Flats Picture Poll”.  That tells you how EPIC Bonneville is!  See you on the Salt!

Hechtspeed

Drifting Photos from Drift Day 26 in Wisconsin

Drift Day 26 Story and Photos by Daniel Lo over at Corner Speed Photo Thanks Dan!

This past Sunday marked my first time shooting 4 wheels for me. My first love is the 2 wheeled variety over at Corner Speed Photo. Thanks to some professional guidance, I think it worked out!

Held at USA International Raceway in Shawano, WI, “Drift Day 26″ featured big names from the Midwest drift scene with the likes of Simba Nyemba of GripGambler and Mike Pollard of TMF Opposition in attendance. All this was made possible by my friend and pro shooter Danny Lim who was covering the event for Wrecked Magazine and was kind enough to invite an amateur to tag along. Check out his coverage of Formula Drift at Long Beach this year.

Having had fairly minimal exposure to the sport of drifting beyond watching The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and the odd YouTube clip, it took me a while to understand what exactly I was supposed to be shooting. Fortunately, Danny was on hand to coach me thru the basics so I had a bit of a jumpstart on the day.

Shooting a drift event was in a lot of ways the total opposite of what I’m used to. When you’re panning it means the front of the car is pointing towards you and when it’s coming or going, you see the car’s profile. Unlike shooting motorcycles, or possibly most other forms of motorsports, wheel spin is pretty much always visible so you can never quite get away with cranking up the shutter speed without losing sense of motion.

However, the real fun started towards the end of the day when I was able to put the camera down, throw on a helmet, and hop into Simba’s purple 240sx for a ride. Say what you will about drifting, but there’s no denying the ridiculous amount of precision and skill that must be required in navigating a car sideways around a track and experiencing it firsthand was nothing short of mind-blowing. Thanks again Simba!
(no that’s not me in the passenger seat)
When it comes to racing, my first love will always be 2 wheels so I probably won’t drop shooting motorcycle racing in favor of drifting anytime soon, but would I do this again? Definitely!

Click here for some more pictures from Drift Day 26

(Give Dan a shout and tell him to shoot more cars! – Pikesan)

Want to see more stories about drifting at MyRideisMe.com? Let us know by leaving a comment.

Hot Rod Photographer Jean-Marie Michalski

I met Jean Marie at the Grand National Roadster Show in January 2009. His card had a stunning photo on it and it said he does pinup photography, so we started chatting. See all the photos he shared with MyRideisMe.com in his Hot Rod Photo Gallery

43 year old Jean-Marie Michalski grew up in a town called Perwez in Belgium, as the single child of Jean Michalski, a now famous artist & painter. His father Jean Michalski was born in Belgium in 1936.

At 12 years old, Jean and his friends attempted to climb up an electricity pole to better see a soccer game. Jean lost his balance, fell off the pole and was electrocuted with 12,000 volts. The injury and subsequent complications led to the amputation of both arms. After the accident, Jean was placed in a rehabilitative institution for three years, where he learned to write with his mouth.

When Jean was 16 years old, the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (AMFPA) contacted his mother, and Founder Erich Stegmann visited the family’s home to recruit Jean as a student artist. The Association assisted with tuition for six years of art school at the Royal Academy of Beauty of Arts in Belgium, where Jean was the only disabled student. He became a full member artist of MFPA after six years, at which time the Mayor of Brussels honored him for his achievements. Jean and his son Jean-Marie came to the United States in 1981, where Jean met and married his wife Nancy. Jean and Nancy now reside in St. George, Utah. And his son Jean-Marie resides in San Marcos, Ca.

Ever since Jean-Marie Michalski was a child, he was surrounded by art due to his father situation. At 10 years old, he won a month long trip around the world, for taking care of his “at the time” single father. When he got home from his month long trip his father asked to see the photos from his trip. Jean-Marie responded, “I didn’t take any.” Regretting not taking photos Jean-Marie started taking pictures all the time, at first with a KODAK110 camera. Then a good friend of his dad how was a photographer and ran a photography Studio and a club in their town Perwez, Belgium showed Jean-Marie the basics of photography and showed him how to develop film in a dark room. Now Jean-Marie seems to always have a camera in his hand, sometimes driving his family a little crazy.

Jean-Marie also has always loved Cars. When he lived in Belgium, his house was next to the only garage in town. They sold new cars and fixed old ones and had a junk yard in the back. He used to sneak in and play in the old cars and help the mechanics that worked there.

For years people have complimented his unique style and his talent to catch those special moments with an artistic flare. You may have seen his work in Ghetto Choppers Customs, Old Cruiser Magazine or the flier for Bo Huff and many Local Bands. He’s now moved on to shooting weddings, Fashion Models and his new passion Pin-up Models with or without cars.

Jean-Marie aka Belgium moved from Belgium and has lived in North San Diego County since May 1, 1981. Now married with a lovely wife and 2 daughters, he’s started a business called Belgium Lion Photography about 3 years ago selling his art at street fairs, car show, and online gallery.

You can contact Jean-Marie Michalski @ www.belgiumlionphotography.com or www.myspace.com/belgiumone

View his large format gallery site @ www.photoshop.com/user/jeanmariemichalski

His Images can be purchased online @ www.belgiumlionphotography.printroom.com

Pinup Photographer Mitzi at work in Arizona

Turns out pinup photographer Mitzi from Mitzi & Co is a St. Louis Rams fan. That’s great for me for a couple reasons: The Cardinals whooped the Rams here in Arizona and Mitzi’s coming to town!

I’m a hack pinup photographer. Who am I kidding, I’m a hack photographer, but I’m trying. That’s why I was jazzed when I got a chance to meet Mitzi again and see her working. I also helped out getting my buddy Erock to bring his traditional styled 34 pickup down for the shoot. I wanted to use Bonnie, my 27 roadster, but she had other plans (damn webers!).

Mitzi on the other hand is a pro. In stead of seeing the, “Work it, yes YES, oh you sexy bitch!” style of Austin Powers, Mitzi was super calm and professional. She shot slowly and purposefully and I could tell the girls were comfortable and having a good time with their “Pinup for a Day” photo shoot.

Here are a few of the shots taken outside Mitzi’s buddy Adam’s Electric Haven Tatoo/High Life Pomade shop in Tempe, AZ. Adam’s also a member and has posted a few more shots of his Chevy 210 he calls “Shirly”

See all of Chez’s pinup pictures here and then check out Marissa Lynn here.

Thank you Mitzi and thank you ladies for a great experience. Next time, let me hold the camera a while!

Artistic Photo Effect Applied to Hot Rods

A person seeing my photography for the first time usually pauses for a moment, gazing, trying to understand just what it is they are looking at. I start to smile, knowing what is coming next. I say, “No…It’s a photograph”. The reply is almost always, “Really, I thought this had been airbrushed or something.”

The beauty of a well-designed automobile, truck, or, motorcycle inspires me to photograph them. I have a true appreciation for all the time and effort needed to bring a vehicle to a prime conditioned state. I see photography as a means of permanently recording that beauty.

When I first began searching the internet for a more artistic type of photography, I came across a series of photographs from Trey Ratcliff at the website: www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms. Trey produces amazing photographs with HDR, a computer generated enhancement tool. To fully understand all the nuances of HDR, check out the website, www.HDR.com.

The HDR technique I use blends several photos together bringing to life the color and texture that is seen, but not recorded by a single photograph. Every reflection, color, and shadow is enhanced to a degree that emulates what the human eye comprehends.

To produce a finished photo, I begin by taking a minimum of three shots of my subject from a tripod, each at a different exposure setting. During bright days, the exposures are set at a full stop apart; and on more overcast days, I work with about a 1/3 stop. (in case you’re like me and needed to know more about “f-stop or what’s a “full stop”, check this wikopeida reference)

These next 3 shots show the three variations of exposures:

(you can click on these photos to see them full size. The change from one to the next is subtle withou studying them.)

Shooting from a tripod insures that the three shots line up when it comes time to merge them together.

Exposure blending takes these three shots and combines all of the highlights and shadows together, improving the overall tonal range of light and dark. The blending is done with the HDR (High Dynamic Range) software. Notice the subtle differences between the 3 shots above and the blended photo shown here:

At this point, it is time to add the final artistic details. This step allows me the freedom to “colorize” the photo. “Colorization” involves utilizing software like Adobe Photoshop to break down a photograph to its individual components and then enhance the colors.

1. First, I address the TONE of the photo by balancing overall lightness and darkness. I want to able to see details in the shadows, but not blast the sky to complete white.

2. Next, I address the COLOR saturation and temperature (the warmth or coolness of the photo) to bring out highlights. For this process I use the “Image Adjustments” feature of Photoshop.

3. Finally, I use the software to clean up small details as some colors may not look right after the other changes have been made, in other words, they may look “fake” or “brassy”. For example, if the grass around the car appears too green, I would tone down the green or yellow. If the chrome is reflecting too much of the sky, I would tone down the blue.

Throughout the colorization process, it helps to visualize what you want in the final photograph.

Every photo has to be treated individually-some photos scream for over-the-top colorization, while others may need all color removed, producing a dramatic effect in black and white.

During a car show, I typically take 300 to 500 shots. I really need to work with all the photos to see just what is going to be usable. Out of all of the blended shots, maybe a 100 or so are run through Photoshop to bring out all the details you see in the finished product. Photos that may have looked promising in the beginning of the process can turn out uninspiring, while shots that didn’t look so good to begin with can really turn out well!

The rewards for taking time to produce something special can really pay off! Car owners never tire of looking at great design. The HDR photo technique I use sets my photos apart from the rest, and keeps car lovers coming back for more. In addition, the personal satisfaction I get from seeing the enjoyment of others drives me to continue to produce my style of photographs.

Alan57

Alan’s Home page:www.alan57.com

Let’s give Alan a warm welcome to MyRideisMe.com. If anyone else would like to share their knowledge of photography or hot rod folklore, please get in touch. Thanks Alan!

Open Invitation to All Car Types – Lowriders

Visiting MyRideisMe.com you’ll notice that it’s pretty heavy on Hot Rods. What can I say? That’s what I like most, that’s what I photograph most and hot rod shows are my scene. But… MyRideisMe.com is NOT limited to any one type of car. Not at all. It’s more then a URL, My Ride is Me is the theme of the site. What is it about your car that describes you? It’s always something! You didn’t just HAPPEN to like lifted Jeeps or 1970 Chevelles or 64 Fairlanes. There’s a reason you say, “That’s my ride.”

Case in point for this blog is Lowriders. I dig’m. Would I ever own one? Maybe not, but so what! I can still appreciate them as sweet custom cars that at times have the most intricate paint to be found on any car. Whatever your opinion is, there’s no doubt that the owners of these rides love their cars and they no doubt tell you something about who’s driving them.

I haven’t had a chance to photograph many lowriders, so I turned to my new friend Jae for these shots. He’s an avid poster at flickr and he’s got more shots on his myspace page. But to find out more about him and the photos he takes go to his Wordpress blog at Jaebueno.com. Jae doesn’t just shoot lowriders, although he’s obvious got a great eye for them, he shoots whatever strikes him and does some sweet photoshop work to make the shots really pop! I’m a fan. By checking out other photographers and how frame the car and what they do with colors or custom frames, it’s a great chance to learn. I know I’ve learned alot from looking at Swanee’s pictures.

So to Jae and his buddies and all the low rider owners out there, please stop by and check out MyRideisMe.com. I’d like to know what you think. I’d also like guys in that scene to blog at MyRideisMe.com instead of free bloggers like Wordpress and Blogger. Anyone interested? Please contact me! Leave a comment and I’ll know who you are.

Until then, Jae’s got alot to see for lowrider show coverage:

Scrape on the Lake

Together CC Azusa Car Show

Imperials & Techniques

Then, until we can get some lowriders here, you’ll have to search out Flickr. here’s a couple I found: bob merco & Kid Duece

I hope to see some lowrider members soon. If MyRideisMe.com ain’t your thing, let us know what you’re looking for, maybe I can swing it.

More Hot Rod Pics from Car-N-Art.com

I met Keven Carter doing what I do best… surfing the web for the best Hot Rod and bike sites out there. Keven’s been sharing his work at Photobucket where old ladies looking for pics of grandkid and quilting pics browse. I talked him into letting MyRideisMe.com have a few. It’s a cool mix of black and whites and color shots of mostly period correct style hot rods and kustoms with a few pinups mixed in just for fun. Keven shared this brief bio… Ever since I was a young boy I wanted to grow up and own a car with fins. Since the automotive world looks to never go back down that road, I was compelled to look to the past. I have always been fascinated with old cars and vintage design elements, from packaging to advertising. I’m a graduate of The Center for Creative Studies (now College of Creative Studies, CCS) in Detroit, Michigan where I received my bachelors of fine art with a focus in Animation. My creative endeavors aren’t limited to animation, but rather they span from Video installations, Sound Design, Film Production, Music, Photography, Graphic Design, and even Painting. My focus here at Car-N-Art.com is to display my visual arts of what has inspired me as a native Detroiter. My muse can be found in traditional tattoos, vintage Halloween decorations, automobiles of nearly any age. I’m a self confessed junk collector and have often been seen picking through your trash and loading it into my truck.To learn a little more, check out Keven’s Myspace Page. I’ve inserted just a few of my favorites pictures from what Keven sent over. Please make him feel welcome by visiting his home page at Car-N-Art.com. In addition to the pics, he does graphic design and has this print for sale for $25.

The rest of his pics can be seen in the photo gallery (Click here). Dig it! Thanks Keven!

Or, check out all the Pinups here MyRideisMe.com Pinups Models & Hot Rods

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