Brain Toad's Photo Blog

I'm just an average guy, nobody special. I take pictures, mostly of classic cars, sometimes of nature. I am a learning amateur.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Midnight Mass 2009 Pictures

The rest of my Midnight Mass 2009 pictures can be found here

Was a good show, keeps getting bigger every year. The size this year was almost too overwhelming.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Some Pictures from May

Pink is Outcast (by Brain Toad Photography)
Pink is Outcast

All Alone (by Brain Toad Photography)
All Alone

Rusty Grille (by Brain Toad Photography)
Rusty Grille

1934 Dodge Brothers (by Brain Toad Photography)
1934 Dodge Brothers

Grille with a Nose (by Brain Toad Photography)
Grille with a Nose

Face in Chrome (by Brain Toad Photography)
Face in Chrome

Black and White Chrome (by Brain Toad Photography)
Black and White Chrome

Hood Head (by Brain Toad Photography)
Hood Head

Packard Swan (by Brain Toad Photography)
Packard Swan

Soaring (by Brain Toad Photography)
Soaring

Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Deck Shoots a Stream

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Night Moves

It has been awhile since I've posted here, mainly because I haven't had much to post. My photography has been limited to what inspiration I can get while at school. No car shows until the end of March and there isn't much to shoot on campus or off. Especially during the rain we had for the past month. Though this past week has been amazingly clear and while I didn't get out during the day to shoot, I did get out at night. The first sessions was to shoot the massive moon we had this past week that was made even more clear by the lack of clouds in the sky.

The problem was that I didn't have my tripod, so I was stuck using a monopod and a sapling support as a brace to steady my camera and it didn't work well. I also didn't remove my UV filter, which I find out later causes some problems with night shots.

Attempt at Moon Photography (by Brain Toad Photography)
It was bright, very bright. This brightness plus the blur created an effect much like the sun at night.

Attempt at Moon Photography (by Brain Toad Photography)
That bluish dot is what happens when you leave your UV filter on at night. I thought it was just lens flare.

So after that sorry attempt, I decided I need my tripod. Since my dad was already making a trip up to give me something, I asked him to grab my tripod. That night I went out again. It was still clear though the moon was gone from the sky. It was also mighty cold and after less than a half hour outside my hands were numb. I think I'll wait until it warms up a bit before I go out again.

By the Lake (by Brain Toad Photography)
I'm trying to use Aperture priority more in my shooting. I know with night shots Shutter priority makes more sense, but aperture is easier to set. In order to get good shutter speeds, I had to crank up the f-number. Which gave the lights a really cool effect.

The Flash Got in My Shot (by Brain Toad Photography)
The light trails it created for the cars driving by was quite neat. I call this one "The Flash Got in My Shot", because of the red blur.

Reddish Sky (by Brain Toad Photography)
The sky came out really orange in some shots. Not sure if this was because it sun had only completely set not too long ago, or because of the light pollution of the area.

Down the Middle Towards Construction (by Brain Toad Photography)
My aim for this shot was to capture the lighted dorms still under construction way in the back. But the lamp posts ended up being the focus. The star effect really gives it a "fake" feel, I really like it.

I really couldn't get the center on this shot. I couldn't eyeball it very well, so I kept making adjustments and shooting. And I ended up with two shots, same settings but slightly different centers. I thought it would be good for a wiggle stereoscopy, to give a 3D effect. However, the pictures are a bit too different and it doesn't work as well. I may try this again though, the tripod makes it easy.

Wiggle Stereoscopy

All my night shots and all future night shots can be found in my Night Photography set on Flickr. I'll post more once I get a good batch going. I'll also post some pictures from the Good Guys car show in a few weeks.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Thought Gears

I'm not what you would call a perfect car guy. I love looking at, studying, and admiring cars. I don't know how an engine works, what the cubic centimeters numbers means or what the difference between a big block and small block Chevy engine is. I don't change my own oil, fix my own problems, or even open my hood unless I'm filling the wiper fluid. I'm not above any of that, I just never learned how, not that I wouldn't be willing. But I am a great admirer of classic cars, why else would I take near 5000 pictures of them in less than 3 years?

And there is a specific type of car I love. Some call them rat rods, others call them traditional hot rods, or suede. These cars aren't shined a showroom finish, tucked away in the garage, only coming out to be loaded onto the trailer to be bussed to the Rod & Custom Show or the West Coast Nationals. They live their lives outside or in beat down garages, they are driven daily if they run, worked on daily if they aren't. They are bare metal, rusted, or primered. Their wheels are usually the cleanest and newest thing on them, because they are the cheapest. They are a mismatch of parts, scraps, blood, sweat and tears. They are obvious works of love by these individuals. These classics don't need to shine, they just have to run.


1952 Buick (by Brain Toad Photography)
1952 Buick, no gloss, no shine, just flat paint with hand painted flames.

1950 Chevrolet (by Brain Toad Photography)
1950 Chevrolet, a Frankenstein of color, fading original paint perhaps, or the result of different tests

6th Street Garage Pickup (by Brain Toad Photography)
Rust doesn't mean the car isn't loved, in some cases the rust buckets get more love the the gleen machines

Ford Model A Rod (by Brain Toad Photography)
Tractors are legitimate sources for parts

1951 Chevrolet (by Brain Toad Photography)
1951 Chevrolet, just because you own a Chevy doesn't mean you can't have a Pontiac hood ornament

Spade Rat Rod (by Brain Toad Photography)
Rust is a valid color in these parts

Ford Coupe (by Brain Toad Photography)
You can still color coordinate and still look cool

Kirby 1956 Ford Sedan Delivery (by Brain Toad Photography)
It worked then, it still works now, what other reason do you need?

"El Cheapo" Bucket (by Brain Toad Photography)
What is in a name?

1959 Edsel Corsair (by Brain Toad Photography)
1959 Edsel, this style works even past the Hot Rod era

Almost Ready (by Brain Toad Photography)
What is paint but just another expense?

Lucy and Her Truck (by Brain Toad Photography)
With Bettie by your side, can you do any wrong?

Custom Weaponry Bicycle (by Brain Toad Photography)
It doesn't even require an engine to be a true piece of work

Volkswagen Custom (by Brain Toad Photography)
Just because you weren't born in the USA, doesn't mean you can't still be a true American classic

Rat Rod (by Brain Toad Photography)
If your back wheels are almost as big as your body, you are doing something right

Rusty Rod (by Brain Toad Photography)
Your car is also the best seat in the house

You Missed Some Spots (by Brain Toad Photography)
A little nudity is always appreciated

Just Back from the Salt Races (by Brain Toad Photography)
Don't bother cleaning your car after your run through the mud or salt, no one will judge you

Long and Low (by Brain Toad Photography)
And it's always good to bring along a designated driver


I love these cars. If it wasn't for them, I would have never fell in love with classic cars. These cars and their owners showed me that not every car guy owns a car to show off once a year, but there is people out there who do it for the love of the vehicle, the work, and the culture. I salute the owners of these hot rods, rat rods, suede machines and leadsleds.

(Pictures taken from my Billetproof 2006, 2007, and 2008, Midnight Mass 2007 and 2008, and Last Originals 2008 sets)

About Me

I'm just an average guy. I'm a student at Sonoma State University. I take pictures, mostly of classic cars.