Haboob Photo Shoot & Lowrider Cruise

Here are some shots taken a couple weeks ago in the downtown Phoenix area. I had been wanting to shoot some lowriders with ladies and murals...accomplished both, but it was under some severe weather conditions. The shoot has since been dubbed by the participants as the: Haboob Shoot.

"Don't turn around, Rena"...the wall of dust, known as a "Haboob" heading toward us from the East.

The shoot was planned around the 2nd annual "Back 2 Sku Cruise". The B2SC is a charity event that raises money and collects school supplies for needy Phoenix kids. It was a great success last year, with a great showing of cars from local clubs and solo riders.

Above a favorite shot from last year...see the archives....

Click here for last year's cruise...

Unfortunately, July is the probably one of the worst months of the year to do anything outside here in Phoenix, but obviously the event has to take place just prior to school starting, so the show goes on.
My original plan was to meet the models at the Calle 16 Mural Project to take a few shots with my buddy Freddie's beatiful '60 wagon. Then we'd meet up with the cruise.

Paul, my amigo/assistant and I were at the murals a little before the ladies showed up. It was so hot (110...if I recall) that I was not going to blame them if they just bowed out, but they all made it and the shooting began!

Rena...

Beautiful mural by Gennaro Garcia

Here's Rena pre-haboob. I'm not going to comment on all the following photos, but you can pretty much tell from the blowing hair and brown sky when the dust and wind kicked in. For instance this shot of Mercedes, below. The wind working nicely with us in this one.

This wall here and the following two shots are the beautiful work of El Moises (link to "Arte De Moises"

 I was surprised that after heat, dust and wind that the ladies were willing to change outfits and try some shots...they we're great. After about 90 minutes of shooting rain clouds rolled in and available light was getting scarce; we called it a wrap. The ladies bid us adieu and we headed out to the final cruise point to check out the cars and drop off school supplies.

Here we have the beautiful Abby, El Moises & Freddie's wagon...

Mercedes...

Freddie's '60 wagon, paint by Freddie! The fantastic mural is by Pablo Luna. Great combination here!

This incredible mural is by Pablo Luna

Said "combination" just doubled with Mercerdes & Rena.

Franchesca! Pinup stylist and mentor. 

Laying low & slow, cruising the storm out.

Well things didn't go as planned. I really wanted to shoot the cruise like last year, but I love the mural shots and met some really great young ladies that I hope to work with again.

Big thanks to Mercedes, Rena, Abby & Frankie. Also, to AZ Los Boulevardos cruiser Freddie for his magazine-star killer wagon, and to Ryan who cruised out in his bad-ass caddy...which I wish we would have had time to shoot with. And without my buddy Paul on flash and his all around help I'd have been overwhelmed by the number of ladies to shoot and dealing Mutha Nature...thanks amigo!!

Lastly, if you have not been out to the see the beauty of the Calle 16 Mural project, here's a link to their FACEBOOK page Calle 16 Mural Project....check it out. The link has the locations and bios on all the muralists. Go see the city!

Viejitos C.C. Arizona Picnic-Show & Shine

I had missed a few get togethers the Viejitos Car Club of AZ had hosted in the last couple years. A couple were due to schedule conflicts, others because I just didn't know they were happening, and more recently due to a rain cancellation. I wasn't going to miss this picnic/show and shine! It was also my first Lowrider show for 2012...so by April I was aching for some Low & Slow.

Viejitos (Old Guys...in this case, Cars) are an old school club with traditional cars...every car guy from of every stripe should dig and appreciate these fine rides. They have chapters all over the country. I saw plates from all over the Southwest and one from Oklahoma. There were a few riders from other local clubs as well.

Given I only had about a 2 hour window, I took my kids along knowing they could go that distance. Acutally,  they really enjoyed it and took a lot of photos themselves...not too bad either. It wanted to rain the whole time we were there, with a few drops actually falling and then as we were packing up our gear to head out, the sun broke through and I had to make a quick back track and reshoot a couple rides in the nicer sunlight.

Check 'em out...

 This mural on wheels is Mr. Gato's '51 Chevy and it's incredible!! I first saw this car back in 2010 at the big Lowrider Magazine show/tour in Phoenix and I've wanted another opportunity to shoot the car ever since. Back then, Mr Gato, the Prez of the Arizona Chapter, gave me a bumper to bumper tour and invited me to get behind the wheel for a better interior view where the incredible paint continues to flow.  He's a hell of a cool cat, but I didn't not get a chance to talk to him at this show.  

This '54 wagon came all the way out from Oklahoma.

I call this...."Mexican Blanket Sunset"...though it was only about two in the afternoon...artistic license, I think they call that...or Photoshop.

!Viva Viejitos! 

Go to a Lowrider show!

Have a great Cinco de Mayo!

LOWRIDERS: The Fort McDowell Show April 16, 2011 ~~ Part 1

Click on photos for larger image.

There were so many amazing rides and incredible paint I couldn't put them all in one posting. 

My one major regret is that I was all the way on the other side of the show-site grabbing a beer (it was in the mid-90's and the event took place on the pavement. This much needed beer was after two hours of shooting) when the previously delayed car-hop event was about to take place. I got there quenched, but too late. I ended up behind the crowd and couldn't see anything. However, I did get some video with a Flip camera I had to hold way up over my head. I'll have to see if I can post it at some point. Anyway, here's some images I came away with.

Old School...

This lowrider bike is a thing of beauty.

This bike was pretty amazing too...

This hood is the only hop photo I was able to get...

I'll be posting more lowrider photos from this event and add all of them (and others) to the Lowrider gallery in a couple of weeks....next week will be something different. Also, the big Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender #14 is just around the corner --- keep a look out for my take on that show of shows!