I have entered my 2.2 in the Show and Shine.I thought seriously about entering the Regularity but the cost and my lack of track rubber put me off.Justin has entered his early car -below-and is impatient to get on the track.
May 24, 2013
Porsche Rennsport Australia
Porsche Cars Australia is holding the Rennsport Porsche Festival this weekend -25/26 May at Sydney Motorsport Park.It promises to be a big event-sadly not on the grand scale of the US Rennsport - but big nonetheless with Porsche racing and Porsche displays.The weather after weeks of sunshine is the big question mark .
I have entered my 2.2 in the Show and Shine.I thought seriously about entering the Regularity but the cost and my lack of track rubber put me off.Justin has entered his early car -below-and is impatient to get on the track.
I have entered my 2.2 in the Show and Shine.I thought seriously about entering the Regularity but the cost and my lack of track rubber put me off.Justin has entered his early car -below-and is impatient to get on the track.
May 22, 2013
The shop
A rather charming set of photos from friend George over in Pennsylvania showing a local restoration shop, Pollack Automotive Restoration in Pottstown.It looks just how you imagine an old style restoration shop.It's in an old factory,or maybe it was once a mill,not in an industrial unit on some boring industrial estate.It looks as if it has a nice ambience of real craftsmanship.A long nose 911Targa is getting the treatment -they need to get rid of that Ferrari decal though.
It wasn't so long ago that early 911s with tin rot were just parts cars in the US but now prices have risen so much that restoration is feasible.Thank goodness.It's sad to think how many early cars which could have been saved have been broken up for parts in the last 20 years.
It wasn't so long ago that early 911s with tin rot were just parts cars in the US but now prices have risen so much that restoration is feasible.Thank goodness.It's sad to think how many early cars which could have been saved have been broken up for parts in the last 20 years.
May 20, 2013
Software magic
A few weeks ago I bought the Nik Creative Collection of software when it was offered at a special price.It is a very impressive tool - particularly Silver EFX which converts colour photos into black and white.At the time I made myself promise that I would not start over- filtering photos so that they ended up with the same weird looks as all those photos being posted on Flickr and blogs by people who also have the Nik Collection.
However boys being boys I could not help myself and I have been playing with the filters and in one of my trials I converted what started as a pleasant photo taken in a monastery in Myanmar into something which I believe is slightly mystical -see below.For those interested in the technicalities it was taken on the Leica X1 as a DNG file -- converted in Color EFX using a bleach bypass filter and then given a light HDR treatment in the Nik HDR module and then tweaked in Lightroom 4.Not exactly a straight photo I know but hopefully you agree that it has a certain charm and an almost 3D quality.
And talking of software magic if you have not already seen it take a look at Animation extraordinaire it really is magical and worth giving up 5 mins time for.Make sure that you view it on a big monitor screen and not on a tablet or phone.
However boys being boys I could not help myself and I have been playing with the filters and in one of my trials I converted what started as a pleasant photo taken in a monastery in Myanmar into something which I believe is slightly mystical -see below.For those interested in the technicalities it was taken on the Leica X1 as a DNG file -- converted in Color EFX using a bleach bypass filter and then given a light HDR treatment in the Nik HDR module and then tweaked in Lightroom 4.Not exactly a straight photo I know but hopefully you agree that it has a certain charm and an almost 3D quality.
And talking of software magic if you have not already seen it take a look at Animation extraordinaire it really is magical and worth giving up 5 mins time for.Make sure that you view it on a big monitor screen and not on a tablet or phone.
May 18, 2013
Put a sock in it Gina ...and the rest of you whingers
Another week, another hectoring speech from the world's richest woman, Gina Reinhart,telling Australians how to live their lives.
For readers who are not familiar with the lovely Gina she is the world's richest woman due to inheriting vast iron ore reserves in Western Australia from her father.A fact that she seems to have conveniently forgotten as she regularly lectures us on the virtues of hard work and austerity and telling us that we could be billionaires like her if we worked hard enough.What utter tosh.
She really is a most unattractive person physically and in her actions.Life is one long battle against the dark forces of the left for Gina.If ever there is an example of money not bringing happiness it is Gina.
She seems to always be in litigation against someone including journalists ,companies and all but one of her own children.She rails against climate change science and cultivates the loony climate change deniers.She espouses extreme right wing economic policies which are singularly self serving.She always seems to be scowling and she apparently eschews philanthropy.
She harbours the ambition to control key media outlets to pedal her extreme right wing agenda- and she now owns significant shareholdings of one TV operator and the major independent media operator,Fairfax.
Her latest outburst warns that Australia will be the next Greece-unless of course we adopt her policies.
Some Greece.Australia has 5.5% unemployment,a very low rate of inflation and consolidated government debt is approximately 25% of GDP - a very low figure by world standards.According to Moodys rating agency "the median debt level for the 14 sovereign countries they rate as AAA is 50% and Australia has the lowest debt level of any AAA rated country with the exception of Luxembourg.".
Some way to go before we are Greece Gina but I am sure you don't want nasty things like facts getting in the way of your preaching.
Mind you she is not alone.Overnight that other appalling rich - former-Australian Rupert Murdoch has tweeted that "country is going broke".My comment to Gina also applies to you Rupert as well as to James Packer and all the other whingers-including the bank CEOs who are paid more in six months or less than I was paid in my whole working life and who last week told us how tough the business environment is as they announced more record profits.
Just to put the above into context take a look at the photo below taken by me in Myanmar last December.It shows a group of people in their "dwelling" on a filthy, garbage littered riverbank.Look at it carefully and let it soak in.
What you see in this picture is all that they possess.
These people are so poor it is beyond my comprehension.It makes me teary looking at the photo.I am almost ashamed that I took it.I move from teary to very teary when I think about the appalling behaviour of people like Reinhart, Murdoch and Packer and the radio shock jocks as well as all the thousands of copycat whingers who complain that they are poor when what they really mean is that they are still driving a two year old BMW.Shame on you all.You are not poor.These people are poor.You are greedy,very greedy and lacking compassion and any sense of perspective.
I am off to France in 10 days.I will see if there are any spare guillotines available to buy.Martin Place,Sydney will be good place to set one up.Bring along a basket.
For readers who are not familiar with the lovely Gina she is the world's richest woman due to inheriting vast iron ore reserves in Western Australia from her father.A fact that she seems to have conveniently forgotten as she regularly lectures us on the virtues of hard work and austerity and telling us that we could be billionaires like her if we worked hard enough.What utter tosh.
She really is a most unattractive person physically and in her actions.Life is one long battle against the dark forces of the left for Gina.If ever there is an example of money not bringing happiness it is Gina.
She seems to always be in litigation against someone including journalists ,companies and all but one of her own children.She rails against climate change science and cultivates the loony climate change deniers.She espouses extreme right wing economic policies which are singularly self serving.She always seems to be scowling and she apparently eschews philanthropy.
She harbours the ambition to control key media outlets to pedal her extreme right wing agenda- and she now owns significant shareholdings of one TV operator and the major independent media operator,Fairfax.
Her latest outburst warns that Australia will be the next Greece-unless of course we adopt her policies.
Some Greece.Australia has 5.5% unemployment,a very low rate of inflation and consolidated government debt is approximately 25% of GDP - a very low figure by world standards.According to Moodys rating agency "the median debt level for the 14 sovereign countries they rate as AAA is 50% and Australia has the lowest debt level of any AAA rated country with the exception of Luxembourg.".
Some way to go before we are Greece Gina but I am sure you don't want nasty things like facts getting in the way of your preaching.
Mind you she is not alone.Overnight that other appalling rich - former-Australian Rupert Murdoch has tweeted that "country is going broke".My comment to Gina also applies to you Rupert as well as to James Packer and all the other whingers-including the bank CEOs who are paid more in six months or less than I was paid in my whole working life and who last week told us how tough the business environment is as they announced more record profits.
Just to put the above into context take a look at the photo below taken by me in Myanmar last December.It shows a group of people in their "dwelling" on a filthy, garbage littered riverbank.Look at it carefully and let it soak in.
What you see in this picture is all that they possess.
These people are so poor it is beyond my comprehension.It makes me teary looking at the photo.I am almost ashamed that I took it.I move from teary to very teary when I think about the appalling behaviour of people like Reinhart, Murdoch and Packer and the radio shock jocks as well as all the thousands of copycat whingers who complain that they are poor when what they really mean is that they are still driving a two year old BMW.Shame on you all.You are not poor.These people are poor.You are greedy,very greedy and lacking compassion and any sense of perspective.
I am off to France in 10 days.I will see if there are any spare guillotines available to buy.Martin Place,Sydney will be good place to set one up.Bring along a basket.
May 16, 2013
As good as it gets ?
Peter uses a full frame Canon 5D and the image quality is stunning but it's not just down to the gear as he really knows how to capture motor racing action.When I see photos this good it brings home to me that anything less than a full frame sensor is suboptimal in terms of image quality.But life is a series of compromises and if you shoot with a full frame camera you have to resign yourself to a lot of heavy lifting.
If you are a fan of historic motor racing get out and take in as many events as you can NOW because this is the golden age of historic motor racing and it will be downhill from here and the number of really special cars - such as D-Types,250GTOs ,GT40s and 917s is going to diminish rapidly.
Lots of factors at play here.The cars are becoming so valuable that the number of owners who are prepared to risk them racing is falling rapidly. And can you really blame them? A Ferrari 250GTO changed hands for $35m back in March.
Sadly super affluent Arab collectors in the Middle East are switching from collecting modern supercars to collecting classic racers.And Chinese buyers are also starting to emerge.At the same time many of the owners and drivers of these cars are getting older and will not be around to maintain the enthusiasm for too much longer.And the cars themselves are becoming even more expensive to maintain and race.
The problem is that the next generation of racing cars from the 1990's to recent times is not going to be suitable for historic racing.This is down to two words -carbonfibre and electronics.Most racing cars from the 1990s (and even starting from the 80s) incorporate high levels of carbonfibre componentry and there are big questions about the longevity and durablity of carbonfibre.
Crash a race car with an old carbonfibre tub and it may shatter with very dire consequences.And in any case the moulds for the tub may very well have been lost/destroyed so replacing it will be out of the question.
Carbonfibre suspension and brake components have unknown durability.McLaren have replaced the carbonfibre suspension parts on many of their display museum cars in their HQ with steel parts clad in cosmetic carbonfibre.That says it all really.
As for the electronics even now historic racers with 1980s F1 cars are reliant on old laptops running long superceeded software to communicate with the electronics of their cars .If/when this software gets corrupted these owners will have big problems as the electronic interface even controls the start up routines for these cars .And the electronic components in the cars are not durable in the long term and they were not designed to be.This week Jeep announced a massive recall of vehicles because a circuit board is cracking sending an error signal to the gearbox which causes it to engage neutral inadvertantly.The electronics of racing cars lead much harder lives than those in a Jeep.Heat,vibration and just age related decay are the enemies.Maintaining those electronics going forward may well be impossible.And in the last 20 years electronics have taken control of most of the interfaces in sports cars and F1 cars in particular.
As well as the issue of carbonfibre and electronics there are the issues of aerodynamics and tyres .From the late 1980s aerodynamics have become a very critical component racing car design -and it is difficult to see how the sophistication of that science could be understood by essentially amateur racers in the future.Late model racing cars really have pushed out the performance envelope in terms of grip and cornering speeds and a small aero adjustment can literally mean the difference between staying on the track or flying off it.Even the mighty Mercedes can get it wrong as we saw at Le Mans in 1998.What chance will an amateur team in the future stand?
Tyres will also also a major problem for future racers of modern racing cars.F1 cars and the highest level sports cars are literally been designed around certain tyre specifications.Unless those tyres are available in the same specification in the future racing those cars will be compromised in their handling and even potentially lethal in amateur racer's hands.Getting the heat into the tyres requires the very highest level driving skills and when those tyres are not at their optimum temperature they have very little grip.
And finally there is the question of maintaining and operating the modern cars beyond the areas outlined above.Modern racing teams come to the races with a team of specialists who understand the complex systems of the cars.Even starting a modern F1 car involves a detailed sequence of actions which requires specialist equipment.It is difficult to see how amateur racers in the future could replicate this support.
No,it all looks as if the golden days of historic racing are here now and that today's racing cars will only be seen in museums or in demonstration runs in the future.
So get out to the Goodwood Revival,the Oldtimer Festival and next year's Le Mans Classic and the other great events.They may be the summit of historic racing.In the short term enjoy Peter's great photos.
May 12, 2013
In praise of the Porsche 911 2.7
There are not many models of the Porsche 911 which are not now revered but the 1974-78 2.7 911 probably falls under that heading and I believe that reputation is undeserved.Yes- the early 2.7s did suffer engine problems in the first few years of their lives but if a 2.7 is still going strong today then you can be pretty confident that the original problems have all been long ironed out.
Another issue faced by the 2.7s was that they were the first of the big bumper cars and the engines in the US were the first to have emission control gear.The big bumpers were a response to the US 5 mph crash requirements but coming after the very elegant long nose cars they were seen as less attractive.The early emission control gear on the US market engines did nothing for the driveability and performance of the 2.7 engine so this also tarnished the reputation of these cars.But it was only the US market engines that were fitted with this gear.
A 2.7 today can be a good buy because its undeserved reputation is still taking the edge off prices.
My 1977 2.7 passed the 200,000 km mark on a long drive last weekend.When I bought it in 2001 it had done 159,000 kms so I have travelled 41,000 kms in it in 12 years.Not bad for a car which is not a daily driver.
I bought it cheaply from a used car dealer in Sydney.It was in a very tired,sad condition.The yellow paint was faded and chalky.The car was dirty.There were lots of small problems due to a lack of maintenance and TLC .Worst of all it was a Sportomatic -a strange semi automatic transmission which was quite clever but is now very unloved and very difficult to repair.
Sounds like a bad buy? Well it was very original and unmolested which was rare for a car of its age in Australia as many have had flares added and wings etc tacked on .It had an almost complete tool kit,the original space saver tyre and original compressor and complete original books-although the service history was incomplete for the last 5 years.It even had original yellow NSW registration plates which look crude but which I have retained against the strong advice of a friend who thinks that I should have changed them for some smarter,modern plates.And it was a beautiful yellow although the paint has seen better days.
The car was imported into Australia in April 1977 coincidentally the same month I arrived here.The first recorded owner was the wife of the Sydney Porsche dealer who apparently ran it for 6 months.Then it was owned by the head of a major advertising agency for 10 years and who gave it a hard life and who smoked heavily-hence the nicotine stained headlining although the smell has long gone.
I set to work to turn this rather tarnished jewel into a good driving car and in the first four years a lot of mechanical work was done bringing it into shape.The biggest change was pulling the Sportomatic out and putting in a 915 5 speed manual gearbox in 2002.I also had the original factory airconditioning completely rebuilt and it now works really well but it was an expensive way to cool the car and today I would have ripped it all out and fitted one of the off the shelf kits from the US.
I was told very early on by one of Sydney's premier Porsche specialists, well known for the quality of their work and the size of their invoices,that the engine was a"grenade" -just waiting to explode.Since then it has done numerous hillclimbs,rallies,sprints and regularity trials and 41,000 kms and the engine has not been touched and it is only using normal amounts of oil.Some grenade.
It drives very well,is reliable and it is reasonably quick and thanks to the CIS injection it is surprisingly economical.
Was it a good buy? Well I could have bought a better car for much more money at the outset and avoided all the rebuilding costs but the journey has been fun and I ended up with a car which I really know and which I love driving.And it's yellow.
Another issue faced by the 2.7s was that they were the first of the big bumper cars and the engines in the US were the first to have emission control gear.The big bumpers were a response to the US 5 mph crash requirements but coming after the very elegant long nose cars they were seen as less attractive.The early emission control gear on the US market engines did nothing for the driveability and performance of the 2.7 engine so this also tarnished the reputation of these cars.But it was only the US market engines that were fitted with this gear.
A 2.7 today can be a good buy because its undeserved reputation is still taking the edge off prices.
My 1977 2.7 passed the 200,000 km mark on a long drive last weekend.When I bought it in 2001 it had done 159,000 kms so I have travelled 41,000 kms in it in 12 years.Not bad for a car which is not a daily driver.
I bought it cheaply from a used car dealer in Sydney.It was in a very tired,sad condition.The yellow paint was faded and chalky.The car was dirty.There were lots of small problems due to a lack of maintenance and TLC .Worst of all it was a Sportomatic -a strange semi automatic transmission which was quite clever but is now very unloved and very difficult to repair.
Sounds like a bad buy? Well it was very original and unmolested which was rare for a car of its age in Australia as many have had flares added and wings etc tacked on .It had an almost complete tool kit,the original space saver tyre and original compressor and complete original books-although the service history was incomplete for the last 5 years.It even had original yellow NSW registration plates which look crude but which I have retained against the strong advice of a friend who thinks that I should have changed them for some smarter,modern plates.And it was a beautiful yellow although the paint has seen better days.
The car was imported into Australia in April 1977 coincidentally the same month I arrived here.The first recorded owner was the wife of the Sydney Porsche dealer who apparently ran it for 6 months.Then it was owned by the head of a major advertising agency for 10 years and who gave it a hard life and who smoked heavily-hence the nicotine stained headlining although the smell has long gone.
I set to work to turn this rather tarnished jewel into a good driving car and in the first four years a lot of mechanical work was done bringing it into shape.The biggest change was pulling the Sportomatic out and putting in a 915 5 speed manual gearbox in 2002.I also had the original factory airconditioning completely rebuilt and it now works really well but it was an expensive way to cool the car and today I would have ripped it all out and fitted one of the off the shelf kits from the US.
I was told very early on by one of Sydney's premier Porsche specialists, well known for the quality of their work and the size of their invoices,that the engine was a"grenade" -just waiting to explode.Since then it has done numerous hillclimbs,rallies,sprints and regularity trials and 41,000 kms and the engine has not been touched and it is only using normal amounts of oil.Some grenade.
It drives very well,is reliable and it is reasonably quick and thanks to the CIS injection it is surprisingly economical.
Was it a good buy? Well I could have bought a better car for much more money at the outset and avoided all the rebuilding costs but the journey has been fun and I ended up with a car which I really know and which I love driving.And it's yellow.
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| WHQ 164 last weekend on a Porsche club run down to Berrima in the Southern Highlands of NSW with 200,000kms just clocked up. |
May 9, 2013
Timing is everything
This was the freak sunrise at Terrigal Beach,NSW last week.Produced by a combination of atmospheric dust and cloud location.I saw the very strong colour forming as I left the house for my early morning walk.By the time I had reached the beach a few minutes later it was just coming to its full glory.It only lasted 5 mins at the maximum.
As it faded quite a few people were arriving with cameras and iPhones primed but they were too late.Timing is everything.
This was taken as a DNG (RAW) file on the X1 and the only manipulation was that I have lightened up the shadow area on the cliff.
May 6, 2013
Now for something completely different.......
No it's not Porsches,cats,historic motor sport,Paris,France or even Leicas it's what I did last Friday.
Thanks to Craig,the owner of the superb 911S featured recently on the blog I went to sea.
Craig is a pilot with the Newcastle Port Authority.
For the benefit of overseas readers Newcastle is a major city about 160 kms north of Sydney in NSW Australia.It is one of the biggest ports in the world for shipping coal which is mined from mines in the Hunter Valley.Newcastle Harbour is at the mouth of the Hunter River.
The pilots are responsible for piloting ships in and out of Newcastle Harbour and it is a 24/7 activity involving 22 pilots and there are literally dozens of ships drifting off the coast waiting to get into the coal loading berths.As soon as they are loaded they vacate the berth.
My day started with safety briefings and then a trip across the harbour in one of the pilot launches to the helicopter facility.Helicopters are used, weather permitting, to drop of and pick up the pilots or transport them between outgoing and incoming ships.When the weather conditions are too bad the pilot transfers are done by boat.
The pilot launch is pretty small and I certainly would not want to be taken out of the harbour into a heavy swell and then face climbing up a rope ladder dangling over the side of a ship on a stormy night when the helicopter cannot fly.
From the launch it was into the helicopter and a short flight out to the waiting coal carrier.It was a beautiful day and there was a superb view of the city of Newcastle as we flew up the harbour.A quick circle of the ship,the Navros Hope, and then down onto the helipad -actually one of the hatches of the ship.Remove safety harness and headset,check camera,open door,keep head down to avoid decapatation by rotor blades and step rapidly onto float and then onto hatch.It's a very rapid exit -the helicopter does not hang around-and then up a few very steep flights of stairs onto the bridge.We had to wait for an outgoing vessel from the berth to clear the harbour entrance and then the ship was piloted in through the narrow entrancel and then up the harbour into the coal terminal basin then swung around 180º and manouvered into position alongside the coal loader.It sounds easy but the ship is big and the channel is narrow.
I guess my overwhelming impression was of total professionalism in every facet of the operation-the ship and its crew -scrubbed and really tidy--no clues to its cargo-the pilot launch and the helicopter shuttle and the piloting.
You see so much trivial nonsense presented as 'real life' nowadays that it is easy to forget that in the real world gigantic industries are working smoothly everyday and driving the economy without any fuss or visibility.
It was a unique experienceAll Leica X1 photos.
Thanks to Craig,the owner of the superb 911S featured recently on the blog I went to sea.
Craig is a pilot with the Newcastle Port Authority.
For the benefit of overseas readers Newcastle is a major city about 160 kms north of Sydney in NSW Australia.It is one of the biggest ports in the world for shipping coal which is mined from mines in the Hunter Valley.Newcastle Harbour is at the mouth of the Hunter River.
The pilots are responsible for piloting ships in and out of Newcastle Harbour and it is a 24/7 activity involving 22 pilots and there are literally dozens of ships drifting off the coast waiting to get into the coal loading berths.As soon as they are loaded they vacate the berth.
My day started with safety briefings and then a trip across the harbour in one of the pilot launches to the helicopter facility.Helicopters are used, weather permitting, to drop of and pick up the pilots or transport them between outgoing and incoming ships.When the weather conditions are too bad the pilot transfers are done by boat.
The pilot launch is pretty small and I certainly would not want to be taken out of the harbour into a heavy swell and then face climbing up a rope ladder dangling over the side of a ship on a stormy night when the helicopter cannot fly.
From the launch it was into the helicopter and a short flight out to the waiting coal carrier.It was a beautiful day and there was a superb view of the city of Newcastle as we flew up the harbour.A quick circle of the ship,the Navros Hope, and then down onto the helipad -actually one of the hatches of the ship.Remove safety harness and headset,check camera,open door,keep head down to avoid decapatation by rotor blades and step rapidly onto float and then onto hatch.It's a very rapid exit -the helicopter does not hang around-and then up a few very steep flights of stairs onto the bridge.We had to wait for an outgoing vessel from the berth to clear the harbour entrance and then the ship was piloted in through the narrow entrancel and then up the harbour into the coal terminal basin then swung around 180º and manouvered into position alongside the coal loader.It sounds easy but the ship is big and the channel is narrow.
I guess my overwhelming impression was of total professionalism in every facet of the operation-the ship and its crew -scrubbed and really tidy--no clues to its cargo-the pilot launch and the helicopter shuttle and the piloting.
You see so much trivial nonsense presented as 'real life' nowadays that it is easy to forget that in the real world gigantic industries are working smoothly everyday and driving the economy without any fuss or visibility.
It was a unique experienceAll Leica X1 photos.
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| Pilot Craig.Yes collar and tie are mandatory for the pilots-not for me fortunately. |
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| Pilot launch. |
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| Shuttle helicopter .A McDonnell Douglas MD-500. |
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| Nobbys Head and Beach |
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| The ship-Navros Hope bulk coal carrier-Panamanian registered,crew Ukranian and Filipino.Takes coal from Newcastle to Japan. |
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| A quick lap of the ship before touch down |
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| From the deck after a quick exit |
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| Stockton Beach from the ship's bridge |
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| The wheelhouse.Craig directing,captain watching |
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| Tools of the trade. |
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| Navigation officer |
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| The Captain |
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| Entrance to Newcastle Harbour.Tug coming alongside to attach lines |
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| Pilot,helmsman and the navigation officer controlling the engines |
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| The coal loading terminal basin from the wheelhouse.The berth is on the left behind the blue ship |
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| Captain Yatsenko. |
May 3, 2013
First photo? 1960 Tourist Trophy
I found this photo on a short strip of negatives in a file a couple of weeks ago.It was taken by me at the 1960 TT (Tourist Trophy) sports car race at Goodwood.The race was won by Stirling Moss driving Rob Walker's Ferrari 250 GT.The picture shows the Ferrari 250 GT of private entrant Pierre Dumay overtaking what looks like an AC Bristol on the back straight at Fordwater.Even in this poor picture the Ferrari looks superb. but it retired early from the race with a gearbox problem.
It is a remarkable photo because it may be my oldest surviving photo.The race was in August.I received my first camera, a Halina 35X, on my 14th birthday in July and this picture was taken with that camera.I processed the Kodak Plus-X film myself.The Halina was a Leica look a like - made in Hong Kong ( which at the time probably meant that it was made in China but exported from Hong Kong which was still a British colony and hence it did not attract duty coming into the UK)-it had reasonable reviews at the time and it served its purpose as my starter camera.I had my eyes on either a Agfa Silette or an Aretta B but they were both out of my price range.The Halina cost just 8 pounds sterling-$12 -the cost of 30 mins parking at Sydney Airport today!
I travelled to the race by public transport with a friend.I lived in Ewell near Surrey, my friend lived nearby in Surbiton.We took a bus to Kingston,a train to Chichester and a bus to a village near the circuit and then we walked some distance down lanes to the back entrance of the track.We had a very basic timetable but only for the trains-no internet in those days - and it was a long journey-it took us over 5 hours.We were very determined We arrived after the race had started.We got home late yet my parents were completely relaxed about me heading out on such a long trip.
I clearly remember that there were no other spectators along the back of the circuit.It was a stellar entry and it was classic race.The entry list reads like a who's who of motor sport greats-Stirling Moss,Roy Salvadori,Innes Ireland,Graham Hill (in a Porsche), Jo Schlesser,Willy Mairesse,Jo Bonnier, Mike Parkes,John Whitmore and more .The only big player missing was Jim Clark who must have been up on his farm for the weekend.
If you are not into the motor sport stars of yesterday to put it into musical terms this is like going to a concert and finding that the artists appearing that evening are The Rolling Stones,Pink Floyd,Queen,The Who,Fleetwood Mac ,Bruce Springsteen,The Beatles and Dire Straits.
Stirling Moss was superb and we stood on the fence and waved to him as he came through Fordwater flat chat and drifting and he gave us a big wave.I can remember it with absolute clarity .Magic.Forget the Goodwood Revival TT -I saw the real thing.I count myself very fortunate.
My friend's name was Mike Worrell or maybe Worrall.I lost track of him a few years later.I wonder if he maintained his early interest in motor sport.This blog has generated some remarkable responses recently so if anyone out there knows a Michael Worrell or Worrall, formerly resident of Surbiton, Surrey in the UK about 67 years old please let me know.
May 1, 2013
The joy of prints
It's years since I had prints made of any of my photos.Once I used to print my own black and white photos in my darkroom.I even made beautiful Cibachrome prints in my darkroom but those days are long gone .
I had a spell at making prints with an inkjet printer about 10 years ago but the costs of the ink cartridges was way too much.
Now I have been printing my pictures in photobooks-usually from Blurb sometimes from Snapfish.They are a pretty effective way of displaying photos but the quality is never the same as real silver prints.Otherwise my photos are up on my computer and my blog which gives them a lot of visibility but it does not show them at their best.
Last week Snapfish here in Australia had a discount offer and I had 19 biggish (20x30cm) glossy prints made of some recent photos.They are printed photographically on Fuji photo paper and they are superb.They have made me realise what I have been missing.It's a completely different ball game.Next time I'll try an even bigger size.
If you are a keen photographer and you have not made big prints of your photos recently check them out.
I had a spell at making prints with an inkjet printer about 10 years ago but the costs of the ink cartridges was way too much.
Now I have been printing my pictures in photobooks-usually from Blurb sometimes from Snapfish.They are a pretty effective way of displaying photos but the quality is never the same as real silver prints.Otherwise my photos are up on my computer and my blog which gives them a lot of visibility but it does not show them at their best.
Last week Snapfish here in Australia had a discount offer and I had 19 biggish (20x30cm) glossy prints made of some recent photos.They are printed photographically on Fuji photo paper and they are superb.They have made me realise what I have been missing.It's a completely different ball game.Next time I'll try an even bigger size.
If you are a keen photographer and you have not made big prints of your photos recently check them out.
Apr 29, 2013
On crash helmets
Across South East Asia ownership of small motorcycles has soared in the last few years.Now governments are making the wearing of crash helmets mandatory to try and reduce the accident rates.Vietnam went down this route a couple of years ago and it looks as if Myanmar has also gone the same way.
The problem is that the governments have not set any enforcable standards for the helmets so riders are riding around with what amount to plastic basins on their heads which offer absolutely no crash protection.And even if they did most riders don't fasten the chin straps so the helmets are loose anyway.Making helmets mandatory without serious product performance standards is a nonsense.
Anyway none of this seemed to worry this happy,laid back, roadside helmet vendor in a small town in Myanmar a few months back.For him business was booming.Caveat emptor-let the buyer beware.Leica X1 photo .
The problem is that the governments have not set any enforcable standards for the helmets so riders are riding around with what amount to plastic basins on their heads which offer absolutely no crash protection.And even if they did most riders don't fasten the chin straps so the helmets are loose anyway.Making helmets mandatory without serious product performance standards is a nonsense.
Anyway none of this seemed to worry this happy,laid back, roadside helmet vendor in a small town in Myanmar a few months back.For him business was booming.Caveat emptor-let the buyer beware.Leica X1 photo .
Apr 28, 2013
Apr 27, 2013
Under serious lock and key
Obviously theft of the very popular large capacity scooters is a major problem in Paris given the size of the kit owners use to secure them.
The chains and locks are so heavy that the owners leave them secured to a railing or post overnight and return to the same spot the next day.Presumably they have a duplicate kit at home.Paris 2012.Leica X1.
Apr 25, 2013
James Hunt the movie
The success of "Senna-the Movie' has encouraged moviemaker,Ron Howard, to make a movie of James Hunt's 1976 world championship year.It's called "Rush"and will be released later this year.Trailers are on YouTube see RUSH-trailer
Most motor racing movies are rubbish.Even the famed Le Mans featuring Steve McQueen and some great race footage and that wonderful opening few minutes is really ,if we are being totally honest, piss weak.No plot.Wooden acting.And I own a silver 71 911 so I should be a true believer.
The success of Senna was due to the fact that it was a documentary using real footage .
Apparently "Rush" uses real period correct formula1 cars for the action sequences.Let's hope it all works out fine.From the trailers it looks a bit stilted and wooden but I must not jump to premature judgements without seeing the film.I am not a troll after all.
James Hunt is an obvious subject for a motor racing movie.I met him a number of times downunder and had a few beers with him over the years-the first time being at Winton in 1978 when he raced an Elfin Formula 5000 in the Rose City 10000.Pictured below is me holding James' beer (going by his complexion he has already sunk a few that day) at a function at the 1985 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide.Oh that JH was still around.He'd have something to say about that little plonker Vettel.
Wikapedia has a pretty comprehensive and entertaining biography of JH -warts and all -on James Hunt
Most motor racing movies are rubbish.Even the famed Le Mans featuring Steve McQueen and some great race footage and that wonderful opening few minutes is really ,if we are being totally honest, piss weak.No plot.Wooden acting.And I own a silver 71 911 so I should be a true believer.
The success of Senna was due to the fact that it was a documentary using real footage .
Apparently "Rush" uses real period correct formula1 cars for the action sequences.Let's hope it all works out fine.From the trailers it looks a bit stilted and wooden but I must not jump to premature judgements without seeing the film.I am not a troll after all.
James Hunt is an obvious subject for a motor racing movie.I met him a number of times downunder and had a few beers with him over the years-the first time being at Winton in 1978 when he raced an Elfin Formula 5000 in the Rose City 10000.Pictured below is me holding James' beer (going by his complexion he has already sunk a few that day) at a function at the 1985 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide.Oh that JH was still around.He'd have something to say about that little plonker Vettel.
Wikapedia has a pretty comprehensive and entertaining biography of JH -warts and all -on James Hunt
Anzac Day -2013
It's April 25th Anzac day.Australia and New Zealand's day for remembering the landings at Gallipoli in WW1 and those who died in all wars.A special day in both Australia and New Zealand.Huge numbers of people turned out for the dawn service here in Terrigal on a beautiful morning.
A difficult subject to photograph but hopefully this one captures the spirit- taken after the service and wreath laying -two children in front of the war memorial wearing presumably their grandfather's or great grandfather's medals with the sun rising over the sea.Leica X1 photo.
A difficult subject to photograph but hopefully this one captures the spirit- taken after the service and wreath laying -two children in front of the war memorial wearing presumably their grandfather's or great grandfather's medals with the sun rising over the sea.Leica X1 photo.
Apr 24, 2013
OMG-a suede Porsche !
Spotted on a street in Soho London a few weeks ago -- yes that is snow on the roof-a Porsche covered in suede! Yuk.There should be a law against it.I thought that a matte black paint job was as bad as it could get but this is worse.It is almost sacrilege.But there's no accounting for taste and as I keep telling myself -each to his own.
Presumably the adhesive used to attach the suede totally destroys the paintwork so when the owner comes to his senses ,or wants to sell the car,a complete respray is required.
April 28th Note -since the original post above I have been told via a comment that the statement re the paintwork is"rubbish" ( aside -why are so many people so aggressive on the internet? Although to be fair this respondent was decent enough to give his name and not hide behind"anon" as so many do).Anyway I do stand corrected as it is apparently possible to cover your car in a "wrap" and not harm its paintwork.I will resist the temptation.The same respondent advised me that this particular car is owned by a wealthy individual.Probably a statement of the bleeding obvious but there I have posted it.
Presumably the adhesive used to attach the suede totally destroys the paintwork so when the owner comes to his senses ,or wants to sell the car,a complete respray is required.
April 28th Note -since the original post above I have been told via a comment that the statement re the paintwork is"rubbish" ( aside -why are so many people so aggressive on the internet? Although to be fair this respondent was decent enough to give his name and not hide behind"anon" as so many do).Anyway I do stand corrected as it is apparently possible to cover your car in a "wrap" and not harm its paintwork.I will resist the temptation.The same respondent advised me that this particular car is owned by a wealthy individual.Probably a statement of the bleeding obvious but there I have posted it.
Apr 22, 2013
Brands Hatch 1965-Lotus 23 and Formula Juniors
It was raining heavily last Saturday so an enforced stay indoors gave me an opportunity to dig into the unsorted negatives and I found these two photos which I reckon are worth putting on the blog. Both from a Brands Hatch meeting in 1965 and taken on an Olympus half frame camera.
The half frame format was pioneered by Olympus and gave 72 exposures on a standard 36 exposure length 35mm film which had considerable appeal as film was not cheap.However the camera had to be held "sideways" most of the time as the photos were portrait/upright format with the camera held normally.Also the negatives were tiny and very susceptible to dust and marks .At that time I was processing my own film and I took these shots on Kodak Plus-X film-and I processed them in a developer which gave the highest acutance/sharpness although inevitably the negatives are grainy.I touched these shots up in Lightroom but have left all the dust spots on them -photographic patina.They are surprisingly sharp given that the camera was a cheap, basic device and the negatives are so small.
The top shot shows the grid for a Formula Junior race being assembled in the paddock.Formula Junior was about to be displaced by Formula Ford as the "entry level" open wheeler racing category.How about the paddock marshal with his coat,jacket,collar and tie and flat cap?Those were the days.Difficult to envisage now.
The bottom shot shows a Lotus 23 which my Lotus and Jaguar expert, Roger Putnam, reckons belongs to John Hine Racing .In the background is an old Bedford coach used as a race car transporter by Gerard Racing. Also it there is another old Bedford beside the Lotus.Very 1960's.Those old coaches were used by many racing teams and they were pre-war or wartime build and they were really slow.A team from the UK midlands or the north would pack up after the racing and then face a very long and slow drive home as there were no motorways in those days.
I like these photos because they show the wonderful casual,laid back and friendly non commercial atmosphere of motor racing in that era.I count myself very fortunate to have experienced it first hand.
The half frame format was pioneered by Olympus and gave 72 exposures on a standard 36 exposure length 35mm film which had considerable appeal as film was not cheap.However the camera had to be held "sideways" most of the time as the photos were portrait/upright format with the camera held normally.Also the negatives were tiny and very susceptible to dust and marks .At that time I was processing my own film and I took these shots on Kodak Plus-X film-and I processed them in a developer which gave the highest acutance/sharpness although inevitably the negatives are grainy.I touched these shots up in Lightroom but have left all the dust spots on them -photographic patina.They are surprisingly sharp given that the camera was a cheap, basic device and the negatives are so small.
The top shot shows the grid for a Formula Junior race being assembled in the paddock.Formula Junior was about to be displaced by Formula Ford as the "entry level" open wheeler racing category.How about the paddock marshal with his coat,jacket,collar and tie and flat cap?Those were the days.Difficult to envisage now.
The bottom shot shows a Lotus 23 which my Lotus and Jaguar expert, Roger Putnam, reckons belongs to John Hine Racing .In the background is an old Bedford coach used as a race car transporter by Gerard Racing. Also it there is another old Bedford beside the Lotus.Very 1960's.Those old coaches were used by many racing teams and they were pre-war or wartime build and they were really slow.A team from the UK midlands or the north would pack up after the racing and then face a very long and slow drive home as there were no motorways in those days.
I like these photos because they show the wonderful casual,laid back and friendly non commercial atmosphere of motor racing in that era.I count myself very fortunate to have experienced it first hand.
Head on
Now I know portraits are supposed to be soft and flattering but this is one that just cried out to be hard and sharp.
It was taken as a DNG file on the Leica X1 then converted in
Apr 19, 2013
American Iron
I know that I have raved about it before and it is not exactly a well travelled tourist destination but the Tin Toys Club Museum in Yokohama is wonderful.Some American Iron ( tin?) at the museum.
Full size American Iron in the shape of a Corvette at the 2011 Le Mans 24 hour race.American racers love Le Mans and the Corvettes have been very succesful participants for most of the years I have been going-which is long time.And what could be more American than a Corvette sponsored by McDonalds?
Canon G9 photo taken with a Canon lens tele-extender.A pretty cheap,compact outfit which produces surprisingly good results.The only issue is that you have to use the tele-extender with the LCD screen -as the optical viewfinder does not work with the extender and it is difficult to hold the camera steady.
Oh to be a cloud......
Big fluffy cumulonimbus clouds are not the default clouds here at Terrigal on the Central Coast of NSW particularly during the day.The clouds we do see are usually pretty boring stuff but last week one afternoon I saw these magnificent examples out over the sea and I thought that they were worth a photo.Mountains of cotton wool.
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Apr 18, 2013
Chartres,Porsche and the Le Mans 24 hours
Chartres Cathedral is one of the most magnificent buildings in the world and one of the most fascinating glimpses of it is when you drive back to Chartres from Le Mans on the back road -not the autoroute-and you suddenly see it almost popping out of a field of wheat as you approach Chartres.
I love Chartres and have stayed there many times en route to and from Le Mans.It's a good stop over location as it's half way between Le Mans and Paris and is pleasantly quiet in the evenings after all the day trippers have departed back to Paris.I particularly like to stay there on the Sunday night after the race and have a very welcome shower,a few cold beers,dinner and an early night and head into Paris the next morning --totally happy with the world.Maybe in 2014 when the Porsche factory team return to the fray it will be even better.Perhaps despite all the denials Mark Webber will be driving for them.It would be a lot more fun than being the team mate of that obnoxious little s..t Vettel.Here's hoping.
Panorama stitched with PS - Canon G7.
I love Chartres and have stayed there many times en route to and from Le Mans.It's a good stop over location as it's half way between Le Mans and Paris and is pleasantly quiet in the evenings after all the day trippers have departed back to Paris.I particularly like to stay there on the Sunday night after the race and have a very welcome shower,a few cold beers,dinner and an early night and head into Paris the next morning --totally happy with the world.Maybe in 2014 when the Porsche factory team return to the fray it will be even better.Perhaps despite all the denials Mark Webber will be driving for them.It would be a lot more fun than being the team mate of that obnoxious little s..t Vettel.Here's hoping.
Panorama stitched with PS - Canon G7.
Apr 16, 2013
Six String Brewing Company
Microbreweries have come late to Australia-which is a big pity because much of our mass produced beer is woeful.Now they are springing up all over and even the big liquor retailers are selling the products of microbreweries.Let's hope that they all survive because they have changed the local beer drinking landscape for the better in a big way.
We even have a local microbrewery up here on the Central Coast of NSW at Erina Heights-the Six String Brewing Company .It opened in an industrial unit early in January and it has a small bar area and sells take away beer in reusable "squealers"-1 litre and "growlers"-2 litre-glass bottles and is hoping to sell draught beer to local hotels,restaurants and bars.
The beer is great particularly the very flavoursome IPA and the easy drinking"Saison" -4 styles are brewed- and the brewery looks very professional.
To celebrate "handmade" craft beer I thought I would use some old-style craft and took some film photos using the Hasselblad and Kodak Portra 400 colour negative film.The light was very low and I had to handhold the camera-I do not like using a tripod -and have the lens wide open. Nowadays with digital cameras with their small sensors and short lenses depth of field is invairably not a problem but with a medium format camera with a long lens wide open at close range the depth of field is very shallow.Exact focussing is a must.
The Portra film converts to black and white very nicely in SilverEFX and I used this for the final shots.
Cheers to Six String Brewery being a long lasting success.
We even have a local microbrewery up here on the Central Coast of NSW at Erina Heights-the Six String Brewing Company .It opened in an industrial unit early in January and it has a small bar area and sells take away beer in reusable "squealers"-1 litre and "growlers"-2 litre-glass bottles and is hoping to sell draught beer to local hotels,restaurants and bars.
The beer is great particularly the very flavoursome IPA and the easy drinking"Saison" -4 styles are brewed- and the brewery looks very professional.
To celebrate "handmade" craft beer I thought I would use some old-style craft and took some film photos using the Hasselblad and Kodak Portra 400 colour negative film.The light was very low and I had to handhold the camera-I do not like using a tripod -and have the lens wide open. Nowadays with digital cameras with their small sensors and short lenses depth of field is invairably not a problem but with a medium format camera with a long lens wide open at close range the depth of field is very shallow.Exact focussing is a must.
The Portra film converts to black and white very nicely in SilverEFX and I used this for the final shots.
Cheers to Six String Brewery being a long lasting success.
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