Decorating Bubba’s Garage

So how do you decorate your garage? Are you all business or do you like to have fun?

In Bubba’s Garage we are definitely about the fun! We can’t seem to leave a flea market or a big car show without picking something up to hang on the wall. We also collect diecast hearses and ‘59 Cadillacs that we display on inexpensive bookshelves in the garage. We also like to hang photos of us with celebrity car guys and autographs on our walls. It is a great way to remember past events. What ever you do your garage should reflect who you are.

If you enter your vehicles in car shows you will eventually have a collection of trophies. We purchased some brackets and pre-finished shelving from Home Depot to display them. For displaying our dash plaques we used dry erase boards that we picked up from Staples. A couple of the boards are metal backed so they work great for the shows that give out the magnetic dash plaques.

Peg’s VW Beetle – “Smoochys”

A clean car and a freshly recoated driveway meant it was time to try out some photo techniques.

Just your average shot of a car. But, I used X-Rite’s ColorChecker Passport to nail the color. I am very impressed at how easy this product is to use. You just take a shot of the color swatches under the light that you are going to take the shot under and the software creates a profile for you. Use the profile in Adobe Lightroom or Camera Raw.

How about from a different angle? For this shot I climbed a tall ladder and used Joby’s GorillaPod Focus wrapped around a step. Since all these photos were taken in the early morning light there would be no way I could hand hold these shots without turning the ISO way up on my camera. I didn’t want to battle the noise so a cable release and the GorillaPod worked well.

For the last shot I used the GorillaPod once again but flat on the ground. I like these low angled shots of cars.

One bad thing about being the photographer is that you aren’t in many photos. A tripod and a timer can fix that problem. Just pre-focus on a spot and set your timer with enough time for you to get in position. Smile!

2011 Gasser Reunion–Beaver Springs, PA

Wheels up racing at Beaver Springs Dragway in Beaver Springs, PA

 

Saturday had us rising at 3am to make the 3 hour trip north to Beaver Springs Dragway in Beaver Springs, PA. We were very concerned about the weather since it rained pretty much the entire trip north. But, as we approached the track the rain began to ease. Checking out the track’s website showed that there would be a 1 hour delay but they planned to still race. By 8:30am the sun was shining and the track crew was drying the dragstrip. The “Beav” is pretty much in the middle of nowhere but what an awesome track it is. It isn’t so much the facilities but the people that run the strip. I have never met a more laid back and fun bunch of workers at any race facility before.

We were there for vintage racing. Gasser Magazine was sponsoring the Gasser Reunion and it brought out many vintage racers and show cars. We had a blast! If you ever have a chance to go to one of these nostalgia drag races you should. I gave a few of our photos the vintage effect in honor of the races and several photos are available for purchase over at our photo store http://photos.bgcustoms.com. The rest can be seen over at MyRideisMe.com.

 

 

Over in the pits a killdeer had made a nest in the gravel. The workers had set up safety cones around the nest to help protect it. Just another example of how cool Beaver Springs Dragway actually is.

Road Trip – Lincoln Highway

The stretch of the Lincoln Highway (Rt. 30) between Rt. 15 and Interstate 81 has several fun places to explore and we stopped at a couple of them on our way home from York. One of our favorite excursions happens to be Desert Flower Wholesale, Inc. just west of Gettysburg, PA. Over the years we have purchased many statues and nick-knacks from this awesome store. On this trip we managed to get out with only some bears and a bird even though Peg really wanted the large cat! It’s easy to kill close to an hour wandering around this place. Further up the road is Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum and Store in Orrtanna, PA. We had great timing as this was Mr. Ed’s Grand Re-Opening weekend. (A fire had damaged the museum last year) You can find a good collection of current PEZ dispensers here along with bulk packaged items. Oh, and of course the Elephant Museum.

NSRA’s 2011 Street Rod Nationals East – York, PA

Street rods and customs at the York Expo Center

Over the weekend NSRA hosted their 38th Annual Street Rod Nationals East at the York Expo Center in York, PA. The event has been held in York for the last 31 years. While not as large as earlier years, there were more than 3500 vehicles registered.  Many major manufacturers and auto parts businesses attend this show so it is a great place to ask questions if you are working on any sort of vehicle. Even though the show is named the “Street Rod Nationals” NSRA has relaxed the rules to allow any vehicle 20 years or older to attend. We need to get the ‘48 back on the road so we can be participants instead of just spectators. Still, spectating was fun as well. Check out more of our photos over at MyRideisMe.com.

Country Roads Car Club Home Depot Cruise-In

I finally made it over to the Country Roads Car Club’s new Cruise-In location in Ranson, WV. The Cruise-In is held every Friday night and there is so much more room in the Home Depot parking lot compared to the old Cone Zone location in Charles Town. I like the new area but really miss the atmosphere that the ice cream stand brings. There is some real competition since the Cone Zone is still doing their Friday Cruise-In as well. It’s nice to have choices. I guess we will have to see how everything shakes out.

A very special auto made an appearance at the Cruise-In. I doubt very many people have ever seen a Bizzarrini 5300 GT American. I am really glad I dragged myself out of the house and was able to see this rare ride.