From the heart Welcome to this online Demo edition, This is my first attempt at self publishing a magazine that will be dedicated to Hot rods, Custom cars and classic American cars and trucks. I am offering a this as a free. One off trial version of what could with some changes and some support, become a regular quarterly magazine. For now this will be a one-off. If all goes well I may find myself brave enough to attempt a second issue but this would need funding so if anyone is willing to pay for advertising space It could end up working out and become a long term online magazine. I spell Hotrod as one word. My Facebook page is called ‘The Hotrod Photographer’ and it has a weekly reach of between twenty three to thirty thousand people each week. I have tried using other social media platforms including both Instagram and Twitter. I have had little success with either. Creating this magazine will hopefully allow me to offer some more in-depth information on the cars and trucks featured. I rarely add a lot of information on the images I post on my Facebook page. I have photographed so many cars and rarely get chance to note all their details. On those occasions I do get to talk with the owners I usually have to rely on my memory which is not great. am one of those people who will just keep trying. I would love to be able to use all my enthusiasm, passion and camera skills to earn a living from photographing Hot Rods, customs, trucks and classic American cars. I would also love to own a Hot Rod of my own again. I keep telling myself I will build one. We all have dreams‌ I
Cover Photo Photographed at Race the Waves, Bridlington on June 1st and 2nd this year. This Ford Flathead V8 powered. Model T framed, Aluminium bodied racer was one of my favourite from the weekend. There is a feature later in the magazine.
This Month Ten cars I have picked and listed these cars and trucks in no particular order. These are some of my personal favourites from those I have photographed over the past few years. They are displayed almost at random. There are many different reasons for selecting these but one common reason is that each one has left a lasting impression on me. A few of these images have even led me towards creating a very different, personal photographic style.
MY Top Ten Listed and featured in no particular order Geoff Wilde’s Belly Tank Colin Chambers 55 Bel Air Paul Grimshaw’s Chevy Truck Dan Clare’s Model T Paul Whittles Ford Pop Ray Hamilton’s Ford Pop Chris Denton’s Dodge truck 1956 Mercury Monterey Tom Parry’s 40 Willys Coupe Jeff Davies Ford coupe Girls and cars I talk about the reasons why we enjoy this genre of pin-up photography just as much as I enjoy my car photography, I try to explain some of the reasons behind my images offering some info on how I create a ’girls and car’ photo,
My kit During the summer months will often only carry my camera when photographing hot rods and cars but on overcast days I will need a little extra kit to help. During the winter months a few additional problems will have to be overcome. Here, I show some of the additional equipment I carry and how it helps me get photos when others cant.
The Project Every magazine needs a project vehicle and as I need a vehicle for my photography, I thought I would have a go at building a taxi based truck. It’s probably not going to happen but I am a tryer
I should add a contents section here I thought I would leave you to just thumb through and discover for yourselves. It’s probably more fun that way. Please leave comments, feedback and Likes on the post that links to the magazine and please share the post so that others can read it. Who knows, if enough people share and see it, I may be able to pay for the software and fund another. I might even think of a name for it.
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drawbacks. There are better cameras out there but I don't see any reason to spend more of my hard I work as a commercial photographer and spend lots earned money changing something I can use. of time photographing many different products. This means I have to know how to set up and use One piece of advice for car photography is ‘cards lots of different photography related equipment. and batteries’ I have five batteries for my camera Photographing cars can be very much like photographing products so it makes sense this additional and lots of high quality SD memory cards. If I am away for a weekend I know I can keep photoequipment can help me. graphing.
My Kit
When I go to photograph a car. I take my Peli protective case. This contains almost everything I may need: Cameras, battery powered flash lights, light modifiers, Gels, lots of memory cards and five batteries. The only other items I need to pack are much larger items: my heavy duty light stands that will withstand a fair bit of wind without blowing over and some larger modifiers if they are needed and, one more item, my ladders. I love those ‘from high’ photos.
I have also two battery powered studio flash units that can be controlled from a trigger fitted to the top of my camera. These allow me to get creative in many situations and weather conditions. Look at the Girls and Cars article and see how these lights and a few modifiers help me achieve some very different looking images.
The choice of camera make or model you use is up to you. A camera is a tool and when you go to buy one you will be confused with all the different makes and models and functions. Just be sure you buy one that’s is right for what you want to use it for.
I have spent the past three and a half years representing a well known camera manufacturer and brand. I have used their equipment to take photos and record video. The camera I use does a reasonable job and it produces reasonable images. It does not work well when panning ( a known problem with cameras that use floating sensor IBIS) which when photographing a moving car will have it’s
A new range of custom printed T shirts will soon be available from ‘HOTROD V8’.
OPENSHAW, MANCHESTER
Watch out for the online store opening soon
The Belly Tank One of my all time favourite cars to photograph. The first time I saw this belly tank racer was in September 2018. It was rolling up to the Start line on the beach and it looked so cool. I remember taking so many photographs of it then later in the day managed to talk to Geoff Wilde: the owner, builder and driver. I managed to photograph it away from the other cars and trucks with a clear background, As soon as I had pressed the cameras’ shutter button, I knew I had captured something special
Geoff
Girls and Cars Pinup photography is widely regarded as an established art form. It is said to have originated when soldiers ripped photos of their favourite stars from magazines and pinned them to their wooden locker doors. It is not era specific and I will create images in this style for 1960s and later eras. We often see images of a pinup models photographed together with hot rods, cars, bikes and trucks. The two go hand in hand and will come together and combine to create a unique image that will often offer the viewer a voyeuristic titillation. For me, creating a pinup style photo with a girl and car is less about titillation although I am aware of how to use this to my own advantage. For me wanting to create a pinup/car photograph is more about telling a story. It’s about creating a scenario that is fictional yet is also believable. It will offer those who are viewing the image, a purpose. It is my opinion is that for these images to be successful, they should never look as though they were planned.
There are many Pinup photos that are created to deliberately have a ‘Kitsch’ look. This style of stylised pinup will require a lot more planning than I apply to my pinup photography. I would love the opportunity to be able to create a few images in this style but for now I will carry on doing the very occasional ‘Girl and Car’ photo shoot.
Colin Chambers 55 There are some cars that have lots of power. There are some cars that are beautiful to look at. There are some cars that are practical yet fun to drive. Then... there is this. It’s Colin Chambers 1955 2 door, pillarless Chevrolet Bel Air.
It is powered by a Chevrolet big block 454 V8 that runs via supercharged induction and has nitrous injection. The engine is fitted with Brodex aluminium heads. All that power is handled by a C6 auto box and laid down via a Ford 9� through Strange shafts.
The build quality and standard of finish on this car are very high. The spec sheet on this car is incredible.
Showtime
This is an idea and could be elsewhere in the magazine, it could probably cover two pages. I do think a shows and event section would be great. It would not be ads but listings
THIS COULD BE YOUR ADVERTISMENT
Paul Grimshawes Chevy Truck Paul had only recently acquired this Chevrolet 3124 truck when I first photographed it at an old Krispy Kreme American car meet. The truck was full of surprises. At a time when ’patina’ was becoming fashionable, the
patina on Pauls truck was just right. One feature that caught my eye was the dual gun rack in the back window.
This truck is bagged having air ride on all four corners and is powered by a trusty well dressed Chevrolet 350 V8.
Ford Model T Speedster. Dan Clare owns and drives this modified 1927 Ford Model T. The car is powered by a flathead Ford V8 which is sat between a pair of 1927 Ford Model T chassis rails that support the twin seat hand formed aluminium body. Up front Dan used a cut and shut modified and upturned Austin radiator grill shell, A single cycle lamp is used to light the way on dark roads. The car made a bold statement on the beach.
Paul has had this pop for a few years now and has totally reworked it. It has taken him a few years but it has now become a car you can get in and drive and Paul does enjoy driving it.
Paul Whittle’s Ford Popular
Ray Hamilton's Ford Pop Ray bought this well known Ford Pop as a Drag Strip refugee. The Pop was built to drag race, and it was a very quick race car powered by a blown 350 Chevy engine and running E,T’s in the 9’s (seconds). Since purchasing it Ray has made it a little more suited for road use.
Can we still build an affordable Hot Rod? As this is my first attempt at a magazine, I thought I would introduce you to what will become my new project. What will make this project so special for me is that it will be the first build I have attempted in over twenty years. I have no budget to build this so I will be relying on those skills I acquired so many years ago. Skills, I may have forgot how to use or apply.
You Have got to start somewhere
This build is inspired by Three pickup trucks. The first of these is Gary Doherty’s Dodge truck which I believe started life as a hearse. The second is Chris Denton’s Dodge truck which I rode down the beach on at last year at Race the Waves, Both these trucks sit on top an old FX4 taxi chassis. The third truck to inspire this build is a 1940 Ford Pickup truck that Jeff Davies (Jack Lad) had and is now owned by _______________
I have not yet mentioned what I will be building. As I have already mentioned, I have no budget to build a project and for now this article remains a work of fiction, It will only happen through the good will of people I know. It will be based on an early Ford pickup truck bed, cab and front sheet metal mounted on a running and rolling FX4 Taxi chassis. The plan is for it to evolve over a period of time whist remaining a working vehicle for my car photography. I will run the taxi without any body mods until I have the pickup bed built (both rear wings are now repaired and complete). I will then cut the rear off the taxi panel it and fit the pickup bed then once I have sourced or fabricated front panels will fit a 40 ford truck cab. If you have any 40 ford truck panels that you think are past it please let me know as they may be good to use as patterns or help me repair some of the panels I already have. The plan is to write the names of all those who help on the truck. Did I mention... I have already started.
I now have both rear wings. They both came badly damaged. One with splits and dents the other was almost flat on one side and badly split. Both needed extensive repairs. They are both now usable and ready to fit to the truck sides I am making.
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Chris Dentons Dodge I have mentioned this Dodge truck elsewhere and talked about how it has influenced my decision to build my a truck of my own. This truck sits on an FX4 taxi chassis and running gear. Chris altered the tricks pickup bed to suit the Taxi wheelbase. I just love it
1956 Mercury Monterey Now being driven on British roads this 1956 Mercury Monterey was built by John St. Germain from Ontario, Canada. The chassis was altered by boxing and adding custom cross members. It was C’d at the rear for added suspension travel and a Ford 9-inch rear was fitted using triangulated four-link. Up front 2-inch dropped spindles and airbags were fitted. 15-inch steels are wrapped in Diamond Back wide whites and 1956 Dodge hubcaps. The block was bored to 330ci, and uses forged aluminium pistons . The grille and front bumper were shaved then 1955 Mercury front wing and door trim added. Custom made fender skirts along with stock rear quarter side trim and 1955 taillight bezels create the look. The car was then painted using Champagne Gold Pearl from ‘House of Kolor’. Inside a dash from a 1956 Oldsmobile was filled. 1964 Oldsmobile front bucket seats are matched to 1964 Buick Rivera rear seat.
Jack Lad’s 34 Ford This is like a Marmite sandwich for me. I love it, but... When someone has owned, sold, owned, sold, owned and sold a car so many times you know that car holds some kind of sentimental attachment. I have photographed this car many times and seen the many changes it has had. Jeff (Jack Lad) and other owners have had so much work done on this car. It keeps getting better.
what may happen. If enough people like and enjoy and share it, and it gets enough views then I may be daft enough do it all over again. It may get a new name and may even get bigger.
Ou can contact me via my Facebook page: The Hotrod Photographer
Next Month? Who am I kidding, if it does happen it’s supposed to be a quarterly. So, next quarter I may not have to waffle as much and may have some shows and events to talk about. Who Knows
Advertisers Pages can be divided up to accommodate various size advertisements. These spaces will start from as little as ÂŁ25. This is a whole new type of magazine and although unsure of how well it will do, I am hoping for a download and read estimate around 8,000-10,000 and if this figure is exceeded I will then publish numbers on my Facebook page: The Hotrod Photographer
Please remember; without the Advertising, I cant run the magazine.
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