This is a very different picture of people in a car than probably anything else I’ve ever captured. In many ways.
When I saw it and shot it, I didn’t really expect that it would have the glow that popped up on my D3’s LCD. But sometimes light and a piece of glass like the legendary 85mm 1.4 Nikkor D combine to create something that goes beyond what we could reasonably hope for when we snap that shutter.
It is of a place and of a people. California, and Cali-fuckin’-fornians. There they are. I got them and I’ve brought them here to show you all, like pretty tropical birds in a zoo. Only, in this case, it’s just an old T-Bird, but whatever.
That’s the stereotype right there. Straight blond hair that’s sun and saltwater bleached to go with that classic black California license plate. But of course!
You know they’re a handsome family. Well to do. You don’t eccentrically teeter around Los Angeles in a glorious old 60s tanker sporting the original paint job that YOU know looks way cooler than any redo ever could unless you have the wherewithal to maintain that level of quirk. And quirk it is.
The irony is how rarely these kinds of California residents pop up into a person’s field of view in Los Angeles. The truth about LA is there are more brown-haired, brown-eyed, brown-skinned people here than there are stereotypical California blondes. But that’s for another conversation.
In amongst the Lexuses and Hundais and preppy BMW drivers, here are the quintessential eccentric Southern Californians.
Grandpa looks like Lex Barker from the Tarzan movies. The girls look like Kate Moss. They were eating Goji berries in the Amazon rainforest 20 years before the rest of the world even heard of them. They have a cliff house in Malibu Canyon and mom had an affair with the Dalai Llama.
I’m kidding of course! I don’t know these people!!! Have a nice Tuesday!
50'Lux 
Excellent writing, as always. But that photo… unbelievably great.
Thank you and thank you! Lot of luck there.
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Reblogged this on 50'Lux and commented:
Since so few people actually were visiting 50lux.com in the early days, and yet that was when I posted some of my better older images and stories… I’ve decided to REBROADCAST some of my better efforts. If Mad Men and Breaking Bad can do it…
Classic! The car and your imagery. 🙂
Thank you, Eric!
Darn you. I want that car!! 🙂
Great stuff.
Ah, Godfrey. Sadly I HAD a couple of old t-birds from that era. I think the year prior to that one and maybe the following or a couple of years later. I don’t think, but can’t be sure, that I didn’t have that same year. They got no love from me back then. It was the early 70s. These cars were from the mid-60s with a lot of miles on them. You put a t-bird in park and it started going backwards. I still have nightmares. 😉
Never owned one, I just like the way they look. The one in your photo is from the 1961-1963 series body style, my favorite. I also like the 1964-1966 series, but the ’61-’63 definitely hits my buttons.
If I were to buy a antique car for driving, however, it would be a Lancia Fulvia coupe from that same era, like this one:
Sadly, good ones are all too expensive and I haven’t the energy anymore too devote to owning one of them. I’ll stick with the car I have now, which is pretty darn nice.
a magical picture!! great shot!
Thank you, Paulo!
Cool pic!
Photo seems to look like a painting. Like it!
What a wonderful compliment. Thank you so much!
Great capture …Love it
Thank you!
This is just fantastic!
Thank you so much!