I’m finally at the end of my journey – and our final destination is Paso Robles (just 4 hours north of LA), yes, I’ve been to Italy, the Greek Islands etc, however, this is the biggy for me…. the West Coast Kustom Nationals – touted as the biggest and best kustom car show in the USA. And, can I say I’m not disappointed, it’s like swimming in a land of the best and coolest cars in the world, (pity I don’t have my 57 Cadillac with me).... Now this car is exactly as it appears here – not tricky Photoshop work at all… it has had 6 inches chopped from the roof and also the bottom of the car… It’s a driver and is actually staying at the hotel I’m staying at. As I’m writing this, I’m wearing a “Noble Fabrications” black T-Shirt given to me and my daughter as a present from the friendly driver. How cool is that! I am also photographing the 3-day event for an Australian magazine called “Hot Rod Revival” – so I’ll try and restrain myself and only upload one or two images as I don’t want to bore you all…. Anyway, how cool is this car!
Vector illustration of a custom VW beetle.
My second rendition of this shot…..I will miss this place as it has now closed down…sad….at least I was able to capture it while I could. HDR and LucisArt used in processing John
They came, they saw, they discussed…. / Austin, Texas
...my attempt at photo journalism. This ride was actually a fully driving kustom car, built from many parts, almost like a sculptor would construct a piece… I noticed the more ratted your ride the cooler you are… this being the perfect example.
I love 58 Chevy’s…one of my favorite cars. An old shot that I was able to salvage because of my editing skills improving. Needless to say I am happy I was able to! Now generally as a rule of thumb, I would KO the powerlines, but this time I left them in intentionally. Why? Well I started to KO them then went back, after noticing that without them, the telephone pole is just kinda strange and they add a sense of perspective in this shot. Processed with Photoshop, LucisArts, Virtual Photographer, about 7 layers, and custom color retro actions using curves. —-—-—-—-—-- / More of my work can be seen on my website at http://jdebordphoto.com / All artwork is © John De Bord, All Rights Reserved. You may not use, replicate, manipulate, redistribute, or modify this image without my express consent.
Vector illustration of a customised vw beetle inspired by how my mate Chris’s bug “The Fuhrer” looked in it’s old guise.
Vintage style garage shirt
Who stripped who? / Original painting – Oil on canvas, Exhibited and sold at Kustom Lane Gallery – V8 Vixens exhibition.
Fictional figure / ROUBLE 45×35 cm / Acrylics, Gouache & Watercolours on canvas.
Hammered refers to a kustom that has been chopped (the roof lowered) and this baby sure did! One killer kustom Merc. Processed with LucisArt Thoughts welcomed and check out those nekkid lady spinner hubcaps! :) —-—-—-—-—-- / More of my work can be seen on my website at http://jdebordphoto.com / All artwork is © John De Bord, All Rights Reserved. You may not use, replicate, manipulate, redistribute, or modify this image without my express consent.
Kustom Lane Gallery Presents “Bomshell Babes” – Pinup Art Exhibition featuring works from: / *Paul Vanzella, Jo O’Brien, Paula Delley, ...
Kustom Lane Gallery Presents “Bomshell Babes” – Pinup Art Exhibition featuring works from: / Paul Vanzella, Jo O’Brien, Paula Delley, Helen McLean, & Matt Black Opens Sunday 28th September – 2pm / Monday 29th September to Friday 3rd Oct, 10am – 5pm / Saturdays 10am – 5pm & Sundays 12noon – 5pm / Closes Saturday 18th October 5pm / www.kustomlane.com – 8 Luton Lane, Hawthorn – Tony 0409 023 523 I will be displaying large format stretched canvas prints, printed on / 415 gsm high-grade artist’s canvas, with museum quality 12 colour pigmented UV inks. Hope to see and meet you there!
Captured on an Indian Reservation in New Mexico, I have always loved 49-51 Ford Coupe’s…rare, they make one of the best Kustoms ever…and if I coulda found the owner and had a tow truck, I would have towed this all the way back home to Colorado with me! What a scene…...processed in HDR…thoughts welcomed!
I suppose you can say I have always been a sucker for old cars, especially Hotrods. There is something about the design and style of the years gone by, that todays designers in the automotive world have lost…the subtle curves of the body line, the way the trim fits along the body, and the overall composition and style….rolling sculpture. Elegance and style which is no longer created by the manufacturers but now recreated by those who spend many a late night out in the garage building a Kustom, wielding the torch, throwing the lead, and hammering the seams. Art it one of it’s most purest forms. Creativity personified. This is quite an older shot but remains one of my favorites, the color in this and the reflection caught my eye when I first captured it. I am not a huge fan of tri-year Chevy’s, but this ‘56 was just to good to pass up. Hope you all like it as much as I do / —-John / —-—-—-—-—-—-—— See more on my website jdebordphoto.com / All artwork is © John De Bord, All Rights Reserved. You may not use, replicate, manipulate, redistribute, or modify this image without my express consent /
Oil on canvas. Inspiration from model Bernie Dexter.
Pickups and Thunderstorms I was really going for exposure and atmosphere here with this shot featuring a 60 Chevy Pickup. It just really had an air about it…...
A trip back in time – with mobile phone.. / Taken at “John’s Annual Hot Rod Picnic 2008” at Pakenham
Oil on canvas. Will be displayed as part of the ‘Freak show” exhibit at Kustom Lane gallery 13th March 2009. And yes, this is my husband.
Watercolour & ink.
And this is what it’s ALL about. Sure, show cars are nice, with their shiny paint, but are NEVER driven! Welcome to the wildside of the Kustom Kulture/Rockabilly/Greaser/RatRod lifestyle! Where they are driven year around in all kinda of weather, where blood, sweat, and guts are spent many a late night in garages all over America, downing cans of PBR, welding and hammering, making it all fit. Homegrown hot rodding at it’s finest! Made to go, and made to run your show cars ass off the road! It’s a Model A with a vintage 50s Hemi, bullet holes are real, from when th ebody sat in a field for some 50 odd years. Beer Keg in the back works as the gas tank, and straight pipes make this thing louder than Hell’s Chariot! If Satan had a Hotrod, then this would be it!!!! Processed with my won Kodachrome PS script for vintage slide coloring Thoughts welcomed!
maybe it’s something that a lotta people outside America don’t understand….how we have this romance with the automobile. We view it as a gateaway to the wide open highway, elegance and freedom, able to take us anywhere we wish to go….leaving the stress and daily rat race behind us. It is even more prevailing in classic cars. The reflection on the past, when elegance, romance, style, and a simple life is what it equates. And speaking of romance, style and elegance, the Cadillac had all that. This is a 1949 model….and I wish it was mine. I wish I could just get in it and drive, westward California. Yeah romance the American way… / Thoughts welcomed! —-John —-—-—-—-—-—-— / More of my work can be seen on my website at http://jdebordphoto.com / All artwork is © John De Bord, All Rights Reserved. You may not use, replicate, manipulate, redistribute, or modify this image without my express consent.
I ‘spose anyone who knows me or has watched my work for awhile knows that I am true and tried hotrod nutcase! lol I love photographing them, the old design, the style, and I usually try to have my postwork reflect the cars era. This one being a 1950 Oldsmobile. Thoughts welcomed! John
Take one 1960 Hotrod Chevy Pickup at a car show in the rain, close focus and crop in camera, and then shove it thru custom settings in LucisArt and use the channel mixer for B&W, and you get something that looks like the textures will just eat you alive! I really like how this one came out…there is just so much to see in this….. / Thoughts welcomed! / —-John
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