Hawaiian Gardens Blues

While attending the City of Hawaiian Gardens car show, I encountered a two-tone blue 1948 Fleetline that appeared remarkably familiar. The owner was seated at the wheel and, upon noticing my approach with my tripod and camera, promptly exited the vehicle and closed the door. I suspected that this might be the same car I had photographed at the Pomona Auto Swap Meet earlier this year and subsequently posted on my website. I swiftly located the post on my mobile device, presented it to the owner, and inquired whether it indeed corresponded to the vehicle I had previously captured. He confirmed its identity and expressed his admiration for the photographs.

To facilitate the owner’s access to the images of his car, I guided him to my website on his phone, enabling him to download the photographs. Once this task was completed, I proceeded to capture several sets of photographs of the car in its current surroundings. The owner then proceeded to share the photographs I had taken at Pomona with his acquaintances from the La Puente car club. The photo below is one of the shots I took on this day in Hawaiian Gardens.

 

The Show Before the Show - City of Hawaiian Gardens Car Show

During the LA Bombs car show in Santa Fe Springs, Kathy and I encountered members of the Compas car club. They extended an invitation to attend their car show, which would be held in mid-July in the City of Hawaiian Gardens. They also provided us with a flyer for the show and we agreed to attend.

We had previously attended their car show, which was exceptionally well-organized. In addition to inviting us to photograph the show, which was scheduled for a Saturday, they offered to allow us to visit the show location on Friday evening to capture images of the club cars that would be pre-positioned the night before the main event.

We departed on Friday evening after Kathy concluded work. Upon arriving, we entered the Fedde Sports Complex as the sun was setting. We located the club cars parked on the outskirts of the baseball fields and re-introduced ourselves to the club members we had previously encountered. After confirming our permission to photograph the approximately ten cars already present, we commenced capturing images.

The rapidly changing evening light due to the setting sun necessitated prompt action. I completed photographing the cars swiftly, while Kathy continued for a while longer. We had anticipated needing to have dinner, drive home, get some rest, and wake up around 4:00 AM to arrive by 5:30 AM the following morning.

Albert from the Compas car club generously provided us with media passes, enabling us to enter the show several hours early. This allowed us to capture our photographs without the presence of hundreds of people. While this arrangement benefits us, it may also be advantageous for the show attendees. By taking our photographs and departing before their arrival, we can avoid obstructing their view.

The photographs below were captured on Friday. Photos from the actual car show will be posted in the coming days.