Last weekend, as I was driving through our small but attractive downtown area, I noticed quite a variety of unique vehicles cruising around. Spring weather does seem to bring out some of the best eye candy in town. During this trip, I happened to catch an incredibly interesting looking truck out of the corner of my eye. We passed each other underneath a train bridge, making it hard to fully process what I'd just seen. Were there multiple vehicles? Perhaps it was a custom limo? I hadn't a clue but also didn't have time to turn around and investigate further.
Not too worried about it, as my neck of the woods really isn't that big, I continued home. Since I spend a decent amount of time attending local automotive events and photographing cars, I figured I'd run across it again sooner rather than later. Sure enough, I happened across the vehicle and its owner the following afternoon. Determined not to lose out again, I began the pursuit.
After paralleling the owner for a couple blocks, I was able to make my way back to him at a stoplight. Window down and all smiles, he was eating up all the honks, waves and support being fed his way. Who wouldn't? Thankfully our lights downtown are unnecessarily long and, after what felt like 10 minutes, I got his attention. With nothing but a DSLR in hand and a shrug behind the wheel, he smiled, motioned to a nearby parking lot, and it was a date.
Over the last few years I've really grown in the photos I take. I've spent a lot more time scouting locations, setting times to work with the best possible light, and networking with people to try and make bigger things happen. Of course, none of that matters when you happen across an opportunity like this and it's a last minute thing. The only thing you can do to prepare for a situation like this is to have your gear with you at all times, and know how to make the most out of a less than ideal situation.
So, making due with what I had, I snapped a few angles of this crazy looking truck, had the owner give me the rundown on what exactly it was I was looking at, and promptly zoned out during his spiel. You see, that's the thing about being hyper focused on something you love.. It's really, really hard to split your attention. Instead of coming away with some great photos and the details to share about what you're looking at, I got some random snaps in a parking lot and virtually no backstory to accompany them. I realized this truck deserved more than that so, after consulting with some other local photographers about backdrops, I dove into my old archives and dug up some scenic shots from western Kansas.
Here's what I can remember about the truck: The owner, Monty, has only recently finished the vehicle up enough to get it out on the road. When I ran across him, he was practicing driving something with such a long front end. He's actually a sculptor, which is where much of the inspiration comes from on this truck. Almost every panel is handcrafted by him. He calls it, "The Wichita Chief," and it's meant to be considered a rat rod. It's not done yet! He's got plans to add in some arrow head details along the front and a coat of clear to keep it from rusting. It's built on a truck chassis. I believe he said the cab is from an old Dodge pick up. And that's pretty much it..
