At Cars and Coffee on Saturday (pics and write-up coming soon), I saw a brand-new Nismo GT-R. Being a fan of the GT-R and having never seen a Nismo version before in real life, I went and took many photos of it. Later, I met the owner of it on Instagram, who has been extremely cool with answering my questions about the car. And, since I now know the owner, I worked on the Nismo photos first. Here are all of them; what a wonderful car:
Nismo GT-R
Cars and Coffee May 2015- Penske Racing Museum
My friend told me about how the Penske Racing Museum always holds a Cars and Coffee meet every third Saturday of the month, and I've seen the meet on websites before. With school over, I decided to go with him to check it out.
The day and night before, there were huge rainstorms all across the Valley. An inch of rain fell at Sky Harbor International Airport in downtown Phoenix alone (which is basically where rain will least likely fall due to location and the fact the pavement is a million degrees thanks to downtown and jet engines). The morning after, aka the morning of the show, there was still thick cloud cover over the Valley. I knew it was going to be a great opportunity for photos because I love taking pictures with cloudy backdrops. The lighting that exists due to cloud cover just makes things perfect for photos; the grayness of the sky, the cooler lighting, the lack of direct, harsh light- it all creates very moody images and nice reflections/contrasts, especially on metal. As I drove north to Penske, a light, and then a heavy, rain started coming down. I smiled, because I knew now that the cars at the show would be covered in a fresh layer of rain. I find a particular beauty in cars covered in rain droplets. I can't explain why, but seeing the water bead up on the metal and glass, and seeing how the water droplets grouped together and rolled off the body, following the bodywork of the car, is magical to me. Maybe it's because from a design perspective it helps visualize the lines of the car, and from an engineering perspective it helps visualize how air flows over the car. I couldn't wait to get to Penske and see what there was.
When I pulled in, I was a little confused. I thought maybe I was not in the correct place because I did not see too many cars. When I drove further into the parking lot, I realized I was at the correct place, but there were only around a dozen cars present. Rain always kills off meets. Still, that did not mean I could not take some photos. Since my friend had not arrived yet, I starting walking around before taking pictures to see what was there. I started with a lineup of Porsche 911s from different generations and different trims. I recognized a 3.8RS and a GT3 from the Gainey Village Cars and Coffee show immediately. I tried to get some shots of the water beads on the GT3, but they were too fine on the body. The RS though, was much more cooperative, and the monochrome image of the RS below is one of my favorites, if not best photos I've taken. A 135i M, a very underrated car given its capabilities, sitting nearby made for a good shot, too, as well as the Maserati dealership's Ghiblis. I've never lied the Ghibli too much, nor Maserati's new styling direction. But, since Fiat wants to sell 50,000 Maseratis per year, whatever is the most appealing will work (unfortunately).
I walked around a little to see what else was present. There was a first generation Ford Mustang present, but it was parked in a way that I would not be able to take many good photos of it. There was a Roush Mustang and another Mustang GT present, as well as a seafoam Nissan GT-R, but I've also seen them before multiple times, and they were also not parked in the best positions, so I did not capture them. However, many of the Ferrari/Maserati dealership cars were parked in great positions. First up was a white Gran Turismo S, or, at least the badge of one. I was definitely pleased with how it came out and how well it came out edited.
Moving onto the Ferrari section of the dealership, I came across a rain-kissed Ferrari F12berlinetta. It was beautiful looking at how the rain had beaded up and flowed off of the body. Seeing the front of the car covered in droplets worked well with the shape of the F12, especially towards the airbridge on the sides of the car. The moody lighting was also perfect in framing the water beads on the car. Further up, a 458 Italia and California parked side-by-side, facing the mountains. The picture of those two cars was wonderful with the mountains and clouds in the background. The rain on the California's body was also perfect looking, with drops flowing off the canopy and beading on the bodywork.
But up ahead sat a black Ferrari FF. The water on it, its position, the shape of the car itself, the way light was reflection off of it, it was all perfect. And, I think these are the best photos I've taken. Monochrome really worked well here:
Processing to bring out the colors of the sky (or, in the 4th photo's case, reduce the colors) also made for striking images, especially when sharpened:
And of course, here are the images without heavy processing, which still look great in my opinion. The clearing skies allowed for more light and blue skies to start appearing in images:
The Ferrari FF sat pretty in front of the Ferrari dealership, with a 458 behind it. Again, I love how the rain beading on the body adds an indescribable beauty to the car.
Having walked to one end of the dealership and not really wanting to continue on as it started becoming a Jaguar and Land Rover lot, I decided to walk back to see if my friend had arrived yet, and sure enough I saw his A4 parked nearby. By it was an evil looking CTS-V with huge hood vents that could eat a small child. I met up with my friend and we starting talking, but were interrupted by an Alfa Romeo 4C rolling by.
We talked for a bit and decided to go look around inside the dealerships since there wasn't too much to look at outside, but not before I snapped a few pics of a Ford GT. Inside the dealership, we wandered around, looking first at the Lamborghini/Bentley/Rolls-Royce dealership. There were a few Huracáns and Aventadors inside, as well as a Continental GT and a Phantom. We went outside to the back area, where an attractively positioned lineup of Ghiblis were parked, photobombed by a Honda Odyssey.
We returned to the front of the dealership through the Ferrari/Maserati dealership, admiring a used Nissan GT-R with around $40,000 worth of mods on it, as well as the Ferraris on display. Back at the front, I got another shot of the rain-soaked F12, with direct sunlight now hitting the bodywork.
Another treat lay ahead (at least for me, since I am a fan of JDM cars): A RHD 2nd generation Toyota Soarer, I'm assuming from Japan. I didn't find the owner so I could know what engine it had and what mods were in it, but I was still able to appreciate it. The clouds started covering up the sun again, giving me back that cloudy lighting I like.
Walking back, I got a shot of an M4 pulling into the show, driving by a bagged A3. After talking for a little while longer, a C7 Corvette pulled in, white paint looking amazing in the cloudy light, before leaving after only a few minutes. I loved how the white seemed to glow in this lighting, and how the black contrasted the white. Funny how a few years ago when this car first came out I hated the look of the blacks on the car contrasting the body paint.
Since we were thinking of leaving, I decided to get some photos of a McLaren MP4-12C that was parked nearby because the carbon fiber inlets for the intake were red, which I thought was striking looking, especially since it had bright red brake calipers as well.
After that, my friend decided to leave, but I decided to hang around a little longer to take more photos. A Mercedes 220 (W187 I believe, if my quick Google job was correct), rolled in. It is in beautiful condition, with the black paint giving clear reflections of everything in sight. I was never much into older cars, but the condition and look of this 220 in the now-direct-sunlight-again-but-still-overcast-skies lighting made it something beautiful for me.
As I was walking around, I noticed that the F82 M4 had parked next to an F80 M3. Given their black and gray colors, I thought it would be neat to get a photo of the two together, as well as the M3 alone since I have actually never seen an F80 M3 before.
Before heading to my car, I walked around back to the back of the dealership. I remember seeing some rain-covered cars that also looked really good looking. Yup, worst mistake ever because there were, resulting in the bazillion photos below. First up was a Porsche (forgot the model but that's not important for the photo). The way the raindrops had collected on the hood and on the Porsche badge made for an amazing image, made even more amazing looking with monochrome and heavy processing. Here are edited ones, not heavily processed:
And here are ones more heavily processed and ones converted to monochrome:
And ahead of this was a Ferrari 430 Scuderia, completely soaked in rain water. I love how the 430 Scuderia looks dry, with its curves and more aggressive body kit, but in the rain it looked even better. Again, I cannot describe why rain-covered cars look more beautiful to me,but regardless, I ended up taking many photos of it.
And, of course, the inevitable: a ton of edits, which in my opinion look fantastic.
Of course, monochrome conversion was even more fantastic. The images just look so moody, I love it.
I wandered around a little more, exploring the racing museum and going up the staircase to see the view of the mountains. As I was coming down, I saw a Jaguar XJ from almost directly above. It's large roof was absolutely covered in rain. As you probably guessed already, I had to take photos. But look at them. It looks so beautiful.
As I descended the staircase, I knew I captured some great photos. If only I knew that these would be the best photo's I've ever taken so far. But, to be honest, I think it'll be hard to top some of these in the future, even if I become pro and owned $10,000 cameras and lenses. I just love these images that much.
And this is why I love rain and cloudy skies
I'm still working on the Penske Cars and Coffee photos, but these ones here are some of my absolute favorites, not only from this shoot, but also out of all the photos I've shot. This is why I love rain and cloudy skies for photography. Those conditions provide the perfect lighting and backdrop for moody images, with water droplets beading on surfaces adding to the effect. I just love how the water beads and flows across the body of the cars. Design and physics in motion.
I also had fun processing the photos. Monochrome was really suitable here; to be honest the Ferrari FF photos I think are the best photos I have ever taken and will be hard to top.
I also played around with extreme contrast and sharpness, which also turned out really good due to all of the colors. I have to say, I am in love with these rain shots. Too bad I live in a desert!
When taking and editing these pictures, I kept thinking of the E3 trailer of Forza Horizon 2 and all of the close-up shots of the cars with water droplets all over them, for some reason. Plus, the song "Revolution" was also looping in my head. Look forward to seeing the full coverage of the Cars and Coffee event in the following days!
Gainey Ranch Cars and Coffee April 2015- Scottsdale, Arizona
Every first Saturday of the month, Oliver Smith Jeweler in Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, Arizona, hosts a Cars and Coffee event, where the amount of wealth in Arizona is revealed through the cars that show up. I have been attending the show since May 2014, only missing June 2014 (ASU orientation), Dec. 2014 (finals), and May 2015 (finals), so I'm accustomed to what usually shows up. For example, every show is chock full of Ferrari 458s, C6 Corvettes, Lamborghini Gallardos, Nissan GTRs, etc.; in fact, as a friend noted, they're so common you find yourself saying "Oh, it's just another 458 Italia" and walk by without a second thought.
This month, I brought along several friends. Since most people start arriving at 6am to get a show spot, and I usually arrive at 7:40am, I always have to park away from the show. So, as we approached, my friends and I saw a Ford GT, some M4s, an LFA, and other cars, but the "main attraction" always was up ahead.
Since a LaFerrari, several Enzos, a Porsche 918, and a McLaren P1 have all been the "main attraction", (yes, implying that a Ford GT and an LFA aren't the main attraction), we rushed ahead to see what was there. And behold, a massive treat:
Yes, a Ferrari LaFerrari, Porsche 918, and an Enzo Ferrari. All next to each other. Over $3,000,000 worth of beautiful, artfully crafted engineering in three adjacent parking spots. Which, of course, meant there was a HUGE crowd by them. I wanted good photos of these cars, since I know that there are chances I would never see them again. So, I spent literally an hour trying to get good shots. Let's say I got rather salty, trying to get photos, due to all of the people surrounding it. Basically all my patience was tested that day as little kids decided to dart in front of me, adults who wanted to watch the world burn decided to cross my path, and people got all close and personal with the cars while I was trying to get shots from further away. For every good shot I got, I probably took six shots overall. But, I hope it was worth it. The owner of the LaFerrari was by his car, and I managed to have him leave the door open for a little bit to get photos of the interior. I wanted to talk to him, but he was talking to someone else and disappeared right after closing the door.
After this, I focused on photographing the LaFerrari, the Enzo, and the two together, because the crowd around them was not as dense as it was closer to the Porsche 918.
First, the LaFerrari. 949hp of some of Italy's finest V12s and electric motors. It' surreal seeing something so expensive, rare, and fast in front of you. I never liked the LaFerrari's looks, until I saw it in person. It's absolutely beautiful. I love how all the lines flow together, which is why a lot of my shots are detailed shots of the bodywork.
And then the Enzo, the old king of Ferrari followed by the Enzo and LaFerrari together. I loved how the two cars were parked near each other, as if it was a ceremony where the torch of "flagship car" and "hypercar war warrior" was passed from the Enzo to the LaFerrari.
And then, the crowd thinning out a little, I started photographing the 918, as well as the LaFerrari and 918 together, as well as trying to get all three together in a shot. If you're wondering why it seemed like I focused more on the LaFerrari than the Enzo and the 918, it's because I've seen the same Enzo and a different 918 twice before, so the LaFerrari was the "newest" to me and my priority for getting a good photo of, since I already have plenty of pictures of the 918 and Enzo. I love the exhaust on the 918; while the engine may be hidden, that exhaust sticking out from behind the occupants' heads is a wonderful sight. And that spoiler; man, it is huge. But my favorite design detail of the 918 is the taillight: the shape, the fact that it protrudes and is "hollow", how it and the spoiler meet when the spoiler is down- all of it appeals to me.
With an hour gone, I decided to join my friends and see what else there was around the show. I'm a sucker for LED DRLs that form shapes, and I love the LED DRL shape Lamborghini uses as part of their brand identity. So, when I saw a Huracan with DRLs on, I had to take a photo of it, and later on edited it.
In the middle of the show there were various cars, including a Lamborghini Huracan with the license plate "458 B8" and a Lamborghini Diablo. There was also a Rolls Royce Ghost, and a couple of Panteras, which I caught as they were leaving.
But then, another surprise showed up: A Bugatti Veyron, which drops by from time to time. My friend knows the name of the man who owns it, but I forgot it. While I'd love to be able to get to know him, all I have for now are pictures.
However, he was just passing through, most likely because there were no parking spaces left. However, some of his friends stopped to talk to him, giving me some extra time to snap some quick photos before he left again.
Once he left, it was back to looking around. There were a lot of cool cars there. A Dodge SRT Hellcat caught my eye. It always surprises me that the Hellcat weighs 4404 lbs (around 1998 kg). How does it weigh that much? I've come to realize that other cars are just as heavy, like the new M5, but the Hellcat's weight certainly doesn't help the "heavy Challenger" stereotype. Still, I love how Dodge's answer to this is Jeremy Clarkson-esque thinking: POWERRRRRRRRR (707 hp). Maybe it's a pig, but it's all lean, muscular meat.
There was a Ferrari F12 and Lamborghini Aventador Spyder there, too, both in perfect positions to take amazing photographs of. I love how the sun reflected off of the F12; silver paint finally has a purpose. I also love the open doors on the Aventador; to me, it almost was like the car was beckoning for someone to take the wheel and take it to its limits.
There was also a very nice looking BMW 2002 and a Ford Shelby Mustang GT350H, which, if you aren't familiar with it, is the special version of the GT350 made for Hertz, the rental car company. Just in case you wanted a rental car that doesn't make you rethink all of your life's choices (or I guess could cause you to do so in order how to figure out how to own a non-H GT350).
Meanwhile, a beautiful Maserati Gran Turismo S was parked nearby. I've always found the car a looker, but not a performer. I know the second part of that thought is not true, but if I wanted performance I would choose a different car, even if they aren't as pretty.
As we were getting ready to leave, my friends and I spotted a car that we did not see on our first rounds: A Ferrari 275 GTB, a true Ferrari classic. It's a shame it couldn't part next to the F12, since both are the 12 cylinder grand tourer of Ferrari for their generations. Unfortunately, there were lots of people surrounding it (as many cars left already, leaving it to be one of the few "interesting" cars left), so I could not snap too many good photos of it.
As we prepared to leave again, a Ferrari 458 Speciale pulls in, again attracting a crowd. I've neer seen a Speciale before. As an engineer, I should love the aerodynamic changes on the car, but I just can't for the front end. It took the sleek lines of the 458 and straightened them out into a weird square-jaw. My inner engineer cheers while my inner stylist weeps.
Just when we thought we could leave, a chrome-wrapped Nissan GT-R pulled in. This GT-R is special to me; I actually saw it brand-new and stock in a Wal-Mart parking lot by my high school in 2013, and when I first came to Cars in Coffee in May of 2014, it had its blue chrome wrap, new wheels, and was one of the first cars I took photos of. Now, almost another year later, it has an AMS Performance Package installed. I wish I could have talked to the owner, but he left too quickly. I know it is the same GT-R because all three of the GT-Rs I saw over that time had the same awesome license plate: "GODZYLA". I feel like I've been witness to its evolution, seeing it in its "young days" and maturing.
Afterwards, we all decided to head back to ASU, ready to take naps, eat lunch, or do homework, with all of our months made by the cars there.