more LIFE – 1987

November 18, 2021November 19, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The cover of Life magazine from January 1988.

How many of these events and people do you remember? The 1987 Ford Festiva LX (pictured below) was made by Kia for Ford. I actually owned a 1993 Festiva which was virtually unchanged from this model. 12-inch wheels by the way and awesome gas mileage approaching the low 40 mpg range on the highway.

And talk about changes. The 1954 De Soto (pictured below) from an ad that appeared in the November 23, 1953 issue of Life.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! – Chris

Comments are always welcomed as I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by and while you’re at it, feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios hosted by Etsy). – Chris Whelan

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, is this blog’s property and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.

wordless wednesday

November 17, 2021November 17, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Monster cars from Detroit – 1969

November 17, 2021November 17, 2021Chris and Carol 2 Comments

I just found a Life magazine from September 27, 1969, that was loaded with new car advertisements (which is to be expected in a September issue). Car manufacturers introduced their new model cars typically in the early fall. Here are some “land yachts” from Detroit.

Actually the two smallest cars from Chevy for 1969.

Another monster from GM. Wide-Track Pontiac Grand Prix.

Look familiar? It’s the same platform over and over again – just different body designs – huge 2-door cars.

The same car over and over again. Looks just like the Caprice, doesn’t it?

In 1970 I worked with a guy who had this vehicle and in the small shopping center where we worked, he could never find a spot to park his monster.

Here is the issue of Life magazine that these cars ads are from.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

autumn blaze

November 16, 2021November 16, 2021Chris and Carol 2 Comments

Bald cypress dressed in its best fall fashion (North Florida).

My favorite tree in my yard – I have about fifty of which I planted around fifteen or so. The remainder are “babies” from the original two trees that I planted back in 1991. The bald cypress is a member of the redwood family and some call these trees Eastern redwoods.

Camera and lens – Canon EOS 7D with Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 L IS USM zoom lens.

The top of the tree just before the last light of the day. The cones are clearly visible.

Camera and lens – Fujifilm FinePix S9900W with Fujinon 50x 4.3-215mm f/2.9 zoom lens.

This is about the best color my yard will see this autumn. The things that look like balls are actually cones or seed pods that the male bald cypress produces throughout the growing season. They are about the size of a golf ball and just about as heavy. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Canon Gadget Bags for Christmas!

November 13, 2021November 13, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Just in time for Christmas, I’ve added these two very nice Canon camera bags. Both are in new condition with Canon tags – never been used and both are now retired from Canon’s inventory.

My online Camera Shop can be found at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

For those serious collectors out there I have this awesome Canon fanny pack from the 1980 Winter Olympics – also in new, never used condition.

Hard to find (in new condition) Canon fanny pack from the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Not from Canon but pretty cool just the same, a camcorder bag with Walt Disney World logos.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Link, Skyward Sword

November 13, 2021November 13, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I found an unfinished sketch made by my daughter years ago. Link from The Legend of Zelda as drawn by Lindsay.

P.S. I rescued this from the trash years ago and I’m glad I did.

Happy Saturday! Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Friday Fotos!

November 12, 2021November 12, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I needed to take some test shots with my new to me Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi so I did a little walkabout in my front yard. Nothing more than snapshots but my goal was to test the autofocus and various modes on the camera. The Rebel XTi is a 10.1-megapixel from around 2008. I purchased it from the original owner who lives locally and knows I collect cameras.

A bit underexposed but my goal was to test the macro mode and close autofocus.

A nice clean and well-maintained Canon kit. The lens and camera work well together and it’s quick to lock on to the proper focus without a bunch of hunting around.

At least the AF locked on to the central subject (I think this is a butterfly bush).

Yep, that sign! My go-to focus test shot. That sign was erected in front of my home about 27 years ago when my daughter was small and she and her friends would make the driveway their playground.

I like rocks. The big one on the right came from a stream in Otto, North Carolina.

Ground-level transformer right along my property line.

Veteran’s Day and my across-the-street neighbor put out his flag.

2014 Toyota RAV4 with just under 50K miles on it. It needs to be washed (and that driveway needs to be replaced).

Canon made an easy-to-use compact DSLR and put together a nice combo along the way.

Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome day and weekend! – Chris

New arrivals in my camera shop!

November 11, 2021November 11, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Just in time for Christmas shopping, I’ve added many new items from my collection of cameras, lenses, and photogear. Almost everything is on sale at 10% off and most have free or reduced shipping to customers in the USA. I do ship worldwide too. You can shop in my online store at http://www.ccstudio2380.com