If any of you have been following me on my blog or Instagram, you may have heard me rant about lighting. It was not an easy decision as I was holding out for Hensel to come out with their Foris light, which would be both AC and battery powered. My situation just couldn’t wait any longer, and renting was not an option that I wanted to keep doing. I did a lot of research, stalked forums, looked at articles and the comments, ratings, etc. Checked out videos, did a lot of Elinchrom vs Hensel, Hensel vs Dynalite, Proto vs Broncolor, Profoto vs Godox Pro 600, etc., I mean I was going a little crazy over here.
The main issue I had going against the Good system was their customer service. Good never returns their phone calls, emails, Facebook or Instagram Messages. It’s ridiculous, if I ran my business like that I wouldn’t have a business. Someone suggested I check out Adorama’s Flashpoint which is the Godox but re-named for them. They offered an additional 3 year warranty and Adorama services and repairs the units. So with credit card in hand, I purchased four Flashpoint Xplor 600 Pro TTL R2 strobe heads. I also had to add quite a few other things because since I’m switching to a Bowens mount from a Dynalite mount, my speedings need to change. I also picked up a Flashpoint Zoom Li-on R2 Speedlight for Canon.
Since my husband loves to get in front of the camera, he immediately signed up to help me test the lights. He works in tv as an Editor, so I thought it was be cool to mimic him being on location on set. Now, these are just test shots, nothing fancy, far from perfect, with a quick edit in Capture Pro One. Looking back I can see where I should’ve used my flags. But overall, it was fun just seeing how to set them up, figuring out the R2 Trigger, it was actually more fun that I thought it would be.
We went down the street from where we live, because of the weight of these lights, we took the car. I rearranged my Think Tank Photo Logistics Manager 30 Rolling Case to fit everything in it. I grabbed 4 light stands, my Westcott 7′ Parabolic Soft White Umbrella and a Glow 40″ Folding Beauty Dish. Now, I did get extra batteries for these heads, and this does add to the weight in my gear case. Once we put them on the stands, it was clear to me, that you cannot use these on cheap, flimsy light stands. Each one is around 6 pounds, without a modifier to tip them over. Compared to my Dynalites, this will be a bit of getting used to, because those heads were super lightweight, but with a cable connecting each one to a power box.
If you’re interested in seeing my long videos about the Lighting Gear, CLICK HERE.
Right before starting I spotted a turtle, and I at first thought that it was a Snapping Turtle. But it was just a cute little Box Turtle, we left him alone, and he didn’t seem all that into us anyway.
And there you go, my behind the scenes view from yesterday. I’m just happy to be able to work without having to worry about the lights like I used to before.
So a few weeks back I almost fell for this email scam that’s been targeting photographers. I already know about the ones claiming to want event photography. Check out my video to see me and share in the comments section below if you’ve ever experienced this too, and what was it about?
Here are some links that talk about them in more detail:
https://www.deirdreryanphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2-Photographer-Email-Scam-YouTube-2018-05-10-19-26-16.jpg405547Deirdre Ryanhttp://deirdreryanphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Logo.pngDeirdre Ryan2018-05-10 23:24:512019-10-17 17:33:15Email Scams That Target Photographers or How I Almost Fell For An Email Scam
I’ve been trying to get this project off the ground for about 3-4 years now, to photograph women who are car mechanics, women who love what they do around vehicles. No, you see I love cars. And if I could, I would own a hot rod myself, something like a 1968 Dodge Dart and have some fun with it. Of course I would need help doing this and that’s the point, learning, having fun and seeing the end result! What I’m interested in is the women who own their vehicles and work on them as well. Or work at a shop, race, anything. There are too many images of guys working on cars, and not enough showing women. Yeah we’ve seen the pin ups, and don’t get me wrong, I love that, however, it’s high time to show the world the beauty of real women, doing what they love. Basically I want this to as a woman empowerment in what’s been a “Boys Club”.
Now, I can finally say it’s started! Why has it taken this long? Well, getting people together, schedules, not emailing me back, life stuff, etc. To be honest, I was getting frustrated, so I took a leap of faith, dove into my Instagram feed and posted with this:
“For the past few years I’ve been trying to work on a personal project behind the scenes. But now, I need the help of social media in a big way. I’m looking for women who are car mechanics or who love cars and belong to car clubs and fix up their own for fun. If you’re someone who meets this or knows someone who does, please have them contact me. I have some goals that I want to work on and this is one of them. If they want to look at my work please go to my profile or www.deirdreryanphotography.com. This is not for boudoir or pin up. Thank you all so much!” #carmechanics #women#womenempowerment #cars #carracing#hotrods #showcar #photography#portraitphotographer#environmentalportrait#editorialphotographer#carphotographer #thankful #grateful#carlover
I got quite a few responses out of that one post, and I was like YES!!!! One of the first people to respond is a friend of my friend from HS. Her name is Jenni and just recently she and her “baby” were on Discovery Channels Sticker Shock. You catch a glimpse of Jen in the Sticker Shock promo below, the show with her and her car aired last night, Wed May 2nd, 2018.
Here’s Jen working on her 1973 Dodge Charger SE 440 a couple of weeks ago, these were her favorites. I have more photos that I want to show off, but I’m still working on a separate page for this project, and I need to figure out how to best do this.
Here’s what she was doing in her words: ” I was assembling and replacing my spark plug wires. (Some assembly required haha). The old ones burned up against my headers meaning my exhaust pipes coming off of the motor. The The new wires that I installed our 8mm superconductors for my V-8 big block 440 Magnum high performance motor.”
Everyone who agreed to this project I asked them to answer the same set of questions, here Jen’s answers:
Why did you decide to be a part of this project? Sounds fun! What drew you in to cars? The movie Better off dead. When I was 11 years old I saw that little French girl fix the Camaro and I knew right then and there that’s who I wanted to be. How did you learn how to work on cars? Friend What is the most rewarding part of what you do with vehicles? Turning the key and going! Well, and saving money on mechanic labor. Thats a big one. How many hours do you spend in the garage or driveway working on your vehicle? Ha, well if I had a garage Id be in there as often as possible. How much money do you think you’ve spent? Loaded question I know. Oh God I have no idea 😂 What would be your dream vehicle if money wasn’t an issue? Details please! One of the new Challengers. Mamma’s comin!!! Would you have your own garage as well? C’mon, the sky’s the limit here . Does a duck dart in the water? OF COURSE! If you race cars, what’s your favorite and why did you chose it? My favorite obviously is my 73 Charger SE, but I will poser brake my little 4 banger if someone tries to pass me on the right at a stop light. Never try to pass a former street racer on the right. How did you get into racing? I have a sickness. It’s called “go faster”. And guys. Ever watch a man shift a 72 Cuda in blue jeans? How many hours have you or can you spend at the track? Not enough!!! Is this a hobby, a full time job, or your full time business? Definitely a hobby. If you have another type of full time job, do you wish that you could do this full time instead? Nah. I prefer to not worry about getting paid if I screw up Are you good with fixing other things as well? Have you always tinkered? Yes, I love figuring things out, although occasionally there are mysterious parts left over after the fact What was your first “project” or “baby”? My 1973 Dodge Charger SE What was or is your most favorite car that you’ve owned? Mine was my 2001 Volvo V70 T5, she roared and purred….the photo below was taken on the day she died 🙁 My Charger of course Do you remember each car that you’ve ever owned like they were your “babies”? I still have a soft spot in my heart for my very first, an ’81 Olds Omega. First car was an 86 Chevy Caprice Classic nick named the Master Caprice Luxury Sedan. All my cars had names. Which do you prefer? Domestic Foreign Imports Other:Detroit Muscle baby!!! Why? More unique, and comes with a whole elite group of people who own them. Favorite brand of car? Fair warning: there are cars in here from all around the world, like the Ukraine, India and Australia. I just added everything for the fun of it. To find out more on them here’s the link http://www.autocarbrands.com/car-brands-information-list/
Alfa Romeo
Abarth
Aston Martin
Audi
Arrinera Automotive S.A
Acura
Aixam-Mega
AC Cars Ltd.formerly known as Auto Carriers Ltd
Bentley
BMW
Buick
Bugatti
Chevrolet/Chevy
Cadillac
Chrysler
Caterham Cars
Chevrolet Corvette
Citroën
Dacia S.A
Daihatsu
Dodge<——————–
Daewoo(remember them?)
Elfin Sports Cars Pty Ltd
Fiat
Ferrari
Ford
GMC
GAZ or Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod
Gillet
Ginetta Cars Limited
Geely
Great Wall Motors Company Limited
Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH
Honda
Hennessey Performance Engineering
Hyundai
Hummer
GM Holden Ltd
Isuzu Motors Ltd
Infiniti
Jeep
Jaguar
Joss Developments Limited
Koenigsegg Automotive AB
Lamborghini
Land Rover
Lancia Automobiles S.p.A
Lincoln
Lexus
Luxgen Motor Co., Ltd
Lotus
Lada
Maruti Suzuki India Limited
Maserati
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited
Mazda
Maybach
McLaren
Mercedes Benz
Mini Cooper
Morgan Motor Company
Mitsubishi
Mosler Automotive
Nissan
Noble Automotive Ltd
Opel
Peugeot
Pagani
Piaggio
Panoz
Porsche
Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sendirian Berhad(Perodua)
Pininfarina(Carozzeria Pininfarina)
Proton
Renault
Rolls-Royce
Rover
Rimac Automobili
Ruf Automobile
Reva
Scania
SEAT( previously stood for the acronym Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo (Spanish Touring Car Company, in English)
Saab
Scion
Škoda Auto
Spyker Cars
Smart Automobile
Subaru
SsangYong
Suzuki
SSC North America (formerly Shelby SuperCars Inc.)
Tesla
Tata Group
Toyota
Tatra
The Tramontana
UAZ
Volkswagen
Vandenbrink
Volvo
Vector Motors Corporation
Venturi Automobiles
Wiesmann GmbH
ZAZ
How many cars do you own? 2 How many cars have you owned? 9 Do other members of your family work on cars too? Nope. Just me. If no, do you work on your family and friends vehicles? Friends yes, family no. Don’t ask lol Is fixing your car or racing something you do with family or friends? Friends absolutely Do you see more women doing this now than before? If yes, why? I only know one other girl currently who fixes cars. Years ago, high schools offered auto mechanic classes, home ec, and other trades and now they don’t. Why do you think they don’t and do you think they should still offer them instead of going to a separate vo-tech school? Probably too afraid of liability and stereotypes. Which is stupid. They should definitely bring those back to school. Are there any nicknames for women who fixes cars? How does it differ from the nicknames for guys? I’ve typically been called a motor head or gear head. No gender identity in those names. But I’ve gotten marriage proposals from guys who called me a car chick. Are there nicknames for women who race cars? How does it differ from the nicknames for guys? Not that I’m aware of. Being a woman who loves cars and knows how to work on them, do you find that you have any problems with the “boys” at first or even now? Like when you go car shopping, if a guy is helping you do you see any differences in how you’re treated when you start telling them more facts about vehicles than they were expecting? When test driving? Omg yeah. Testosterone overload makes them try to trip me up with questions they think I can’t answer. Do guys respect you in your field? If yes explain? If no, why not? Most men are impressed, but there are a few that it hurts their wittle ego. Poor babies. Do you prefer older classic cars or the newer ones out today? Can you explain? Older. Easier to work on. When this world goes all Mad Max Thunderdome, you ain’t gonna see any Prius’ on the road…
My favorite cars since I was in grade school was the 1954 silver Mercedes Benz GullWing with red leather interior and the Duesenbergs from the 1920s. Are there any vehicles that still stand out in your mind from when you were a kid?
Yeah, the Lamborghini from Cannonball Run.
Why do you think there aren’t as many women mechanics or race car drivers as men?
Not sure, but we have better reaction times, so maybe it’s because men are too afraid of us beating them?
Do you feel that as a woman, you feel very much more in control when you are able to work on your own vehicle? That there’s a satisfaction in knowing you are accomplishing what is typically a “guys job” or do you not feel that way at all?
Yes. It drives me bananas when a guy tries to take over after I ask them to break a knuckle buster loose.
Last question, what would you tell young ladies and girls today who might be interested in a career that involved cars?
Do it. Don’t be afraid to fix your own car. Saves money, and it turns heads.
Jen, you totally rocked your photo session with me. Enjoy the photos and be on the lookout for your favorite to come in the mail for you to hang on the wall. You are one badass woman and I’m so happy that we connected with this project! Thank you so much!!!
Are you a woman who fixes cars, races them or knows of any who do? Contact me using the red pop up that says Chat Now.
https://www.deirdreryanphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IMG_3256WomenandtheirCars73DodgeChargerSE440byDeirdreRyanPhotography.jpg10011500Deirdre Ryanhttp://deirdreryanphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Logo.pngDeirdre Ryan2018-05-03 15:49:442019-10-17 17:33:31Personal Photography Project: Women Who Turn Wrenches-Jen and Her 73 Dodge Charger SE 440
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