Automotive Commissions

The theory used to be: Photography shall be a record of what the eye sees, and the more exact you can reproduce it on film and then print, the better. That is that, and you may as well get used to it.

My images fly in the face of all that.

One of the most fun things for me is commission work. It's a little stressful, but fun to see the smile on an car owners face when they see the finished image in print. The biggest trick is getting the color of the car right, it's their car not some one else's that they want. The rest is crafting an image for the art of it.

The owner of the Cayman has been a volunteer at Balboa Park in San Diego for years. She wanted a shot of her car, but had no idea where in the city to do it. I had several locations from the coastline to the mountains, but when she spoke of how much time she spends in the park, I thought, "Why not there?"

That lead to a few issues. Where to take it in the park that says "Classic?" The California Tower says it all, but the car had to be placed perfectly to get the final composition I wanted. Also, when to do the shoot in order to avoid people and traffic. A weekend morning with sun seemed to be the answer. We also needed a day without fog to capture what I wanted in the background. First is the out of camera shot, and next, the processed final image with all the distractions taken out, and my spin on what I wanted the image to look like. A cleaner image enhanced with color to bring things to life, and a leading line encircling the car.

Laguna's Art Show is a Wrap!

As many of you know if you have been following my blog, I was showing at one of the three big art shows held in Laguna Beach this past summer. Precisely, the "Laguna Art-A-Fair." Entering a two month show is not really for the faint of heart. But, I have to say, it was a blast! I met so many nice people over those weeks that it made it seem as tho I was on a two month vacation at the beach. Yep... really, really nice people that had so many wonderful things to say about my photography. Oh, of course it was always cool to make a sale too. So to all of you that came just to say hi and to those of you that left with one or more of my art pieces, Thank You! Hope to see you again next year. As of this point my jury scores during the summer were more than enough to have me accepted back again next summer. So, watch my post for next years show and some special invites to the preview night 2019.

Following, are two shots of my last day of the summer and last sale of the show.

Here's your Monthly Calendar

Yep, it's that time of the month! Boy, here is SoCal it was a hot and humid summer! Now I'm looking forward to Fall peaking it's head around the corner and some local car shows! Also of note, the race track at Laguna Seca is holding the awesome Porsche event called Rennsport, and I'll be there racing as well as trying to get some time to click off some new images, stay tuned.  What are you looking forward too?

Don't forget, print your calendar out and post it somewhere to remind you of this one of three green Ferrari 275 GTB's called "Verde Pino" made that year.

The Boot...

There is some Old West DNA in "The Boot." Genuine leather, for one, it has a well worn rawness to it. Yet it's impeccably crafted and blends unmistakably with the unrefined finish of the car...

I shot this and printed on high gloss metal for a friend and his wife. They wanted it as a 16" x 24" with a custom barnwood frame to hang in their home. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you wanted one too. If your interested in one for yourself, click the button. So kick it into gear! With custom barnwood framing the 16"X 24" image, it's $595 including tax and shipping in the US.

Yes, it is...

Yes, it is.

That time of the month I send out the calendar to all of you. I'm trying something a little different, I hope it comes to you a little larger so you can make use of it. Copy it and pin it up where you will.
BTW, this is a shot of Porsche's first class winner at LeMans in 1951.

Here's another reminder to come visit me at the "Laguna Art-A-Fair." I'll be showing in booth B20 until the end of August...be there or be square!

Happy 4th!

May freedom fly so we don't have to sacrifice the things we love. And what better way to celibate it than with one of my images of the new "Bullet Mustang" called "Road Ammo" with Old Glory superimposed over it. What do you suppose Steve McQueen the original Bullet Mustang driver would think? Have a fun and safe holiday all! If you want me to print one for you, let me know.

PS. My emails going out will be dark for a two weeks, heading out on a road trip to get some photos and commission work done......

A Deal Too Good to Pass Up

Garage Style Magazine, a magazine that knocks it out of the park when it comes to feature cars, art, car event coverage, garage's and garage collections, is very cool indeed! I've mentioned it in the past because they have featured some of my art, but here's the deal of the Century. Because of a new relationship with GSM, I've worked out a deal for all my friends and email followers to be eligible for a special discount subscription! I hope you take advantage of it, it's normally priced at one year for $20. Listen to this, you can get a two-year subscription for the same $20!( US Residents Only)  It's like one year for free! How can you say no!

Here's how to get the deal, click this link: https://garagestylemagazine.com/subscribe or call this number, 1-888-881-5861 and use the promotional code "Straub", click "Subscribe Now" then click the box for two years and enter the promotional code to get your discounted subscription going! Like I said, $20 for two years, this is too good to pass up! Did I mention, you'll love it?
You will!

PS: You know how all this computer stuff works, if you have a problem, contact me!

 Also, you can forward this post to your friends to hook them up on the deal!

Route 66 is Calling

I remember walking home from school as a kid, it was on warm Friday afternoons. Summer was knocking on the door and the thought of my parents taking me on a vacation road trip seemed to be calling. This made it even more important to tune into one of my favorite Friday evening TV programs, "Route 66." Oh, that Corvette that they drove back then, scouring the country, what a sexy car. Even today when I see a classic one, I remember the feelings of unknown adventure I had as a youngster. And yes, the thing that always stands out is the totally space age coves running down the sides saying, "I'm fast and sexy."

This is one of my new images, it can be printed on metal in a custom barn-wood frame. Available in different sizes to your liking, or ordered on photo paper ready to frame off my site. Email me!

Donohue's 917-30 Finds New Homes

It's not every week that I get to see the smiles of two friends and collectors,  when I deliver framed prints of Mark Donohue's Porsche 917-30 twin turbo. Indeed, a good week! Dave and Steve are both happy campers!

Now for some different news about a cool show I've been juried into. If you love all kinds of art and live in SoCal, you may have heard of the Laguna Beach Art Festivals, the Sawdust, the Festival of Arts, and the Art-A-Fair. They all run the months of July and August. I'll be showing in the Art-A-Fair this summer! But wait, that's not all........I can send you a special invitation to the "Premiere Night" at the Art-A-Fair plus a season pass for two. All you need to do is send me your address and I'll get it in the mail to you. Tell me you can't wait! I'll post more about this as we get closer. So for now, have fun and drive safe on this Holiday Weekend!

Check out Garage Style Magazine

Thought I would share this info about a cool magazine with you guys. What got me thinking about this was, I delivered a large double float on metal to the owner/publisher of "Garage Style Magazine." He had seen "Cafe 11" up in Monterey last year at "Automoblia Monterey" held at the Embassy Suites in my booth. The way Don tells it, "One of his favorite things to do is collect signs and art for his man cave and office. When he first laid eyes on the print-on-metal he fell quickly and irrevocably in love." Like a lot of collectors, months would go by, but he kept thinking, I would love to have that piece for my office. Finally we touched base again and shook hands over email. I ended up delivering the piece to him at the "Gallery of Speed" in Laguna Beach.

As I started, if you have not seen or subscribed to "Garage Style Magazine"...it's very cool! If you want to check one out, I believe Barnes and Noble carry it in their magazine racks. They do a big spread on Monterey car week covering events like Pebble Beach. Oh, they also do private garage tours at the start of the week. It's pretty darn cool! So check one out guys, and share this post with your other car buddies that may want to see it too! I think you'll like it!

Gallery of Speed Fine Art

It's been a busy time, I've been out doing some commission shots as well as getting art together for a gallery in Laguna Beach. That's right, I'm excited to announce that I'm now being represented by "Gallery of Speed Fine Art" located in that sea side town. It's a gallery dedicated to all things that relate to speed with very cool watercolors, paintings in oil, automotive dioramas, and of course photography. Only original art, not reproductions. As you may know, I've been in a gallery in Carmel the past two summers, now it's closer to home! And speaking about close to home, here in San Diego, I've been chosen as one of eight "Featured Artists" for San Diego's ArtWalk in Little Italy. More on this in a future post.

So if you're in the area of Laguna Beach, please stop by and check out the automotive work from some very talented artists. It's best to call ahead for open times. The "Gallery of Speed" is located at, 1590 South Coast Highway #3, Laguna Beach, CA., 1-949-637-7009.

Corvette Grand Sport

"Grand Sport"

In late 1962 Corvette was being developed into a car that would do battle with Shelby's Cobra. Bowtie fans and racers were ecstatic! However, the Cobra was about 1,000 pounds lighter. Zora Arkus-Duntov, father of the Corvette, and others at Chevrolet launched a plan of building 125 ultra light Corvettes called the Grand Sport. By building 125 cars, the Grand Sport would qualify as a GT production car under the international racing rules. In the end, the five Grand Sports weighed in at about 1,900 lbs., about 1,350 lbs. lighter than a stock Corvette coupe. Sadly, the General Motors front office stopped the program. When the cease and desist order came down, those five Grand Sports had already been completed and were to become collector cars after doing some track time. The Grand Sport pictured above was built by Superformance. Check their site out.

Now for my infomercial, I can print the image above on paper or metal any size that interests you. Give me a shout if you love the image and can't live without one. Contact me john@johnstraubimageworks.com.