On Sunday just before I left for the auto show I thought I'd view the new ABC Television series " Detroit 187." There's a couple of reasons...Shaun Majumder the funny talented comedian from Newfoundland and the setting ...the City of Detroit. Now I'm not really into cop shows but what I loved about this series were the scene setting shots captured all around the Motor City. Time lapsed images, urban / suburban and a great mixture of icons. After viewing the first episode I had to have another and then another. It's like heroin in a box. During the third episode they shot a great foot chase into the old Michigan Central Railway Station. If you know anything about this mammoth monolith you'll enjoy these scenes. As a huge fan of urban decay photography I can say that this enjoyable prime time drama has me hooked.
Now on to the show. First of all....NAIAS the North American International Auto Show crammed almost all of the auto manufacturer unveilings / press conferences and launches into one day. We covered most of them with a lot of grief. Too many accredited "journalists" especially all of the so called "bloggers" who even had some reserved seating areas. I'll let you know that myself along with about 50 other videographers shooting for national and international broadcasts would love to "shoot" these people whom in most cases are taking up valuable space and energy blogging to friends and neighbours ONLY. They with their camera phones standing up and blocking views from countless pros positioned or perched from manufacturer supplied scaffolding. It's immediacy over quality. Enough said.
Highlights for me... the new Porsche 918 RSR , the Hyundai Curb Concept, the Honda Civic Concept ( should have been an unveiling for immediate production ) and that crazy florescent green Mercedes Gull Wing. Several likes and trends...more females modelling with cars and the styling of matte paint finishes. Biggest disappointment at a presentation was Kia announcing their concept to reflect the van craze of the seventies. I should have known that since they didn't use phrases like..."shaggin wagon" or " if the van's rocking...don't bother knocking!" that my previous youthful dreams about driving around in my "apartment on wheels" wasn't going to be fulfilled. They wheeled out a metal box that looked like the Ford Flex containing three male geeks inside playing on a flat screen table computer. What they needed was a sofa that folded out into a double bed. But even if they did it the vehicle didn't look long enough to "sleep" in.
Anyway.
Have a peek at some of my photos here on flickr. We're currently putting a feature together for Motoring 2011 and I'll keep you posted on the date. Immediacy no...quality yes.
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There has been a long of bad press about the behavior of bloggers at the show. The really funny part of this is that some of the bad press has been written by bloggers!
While I tend to use the distinction of new vs traditional media, there is no question that some from both sides of the fence are more serious than others.
I think the biggest issue I saw at the show is the fact that about 1/3 of the people covering the show are so self-important that they are oblivious to the fact that anyone else is there. They are beyond ignorant. I lost count of the number of times I was hit or pushed out of the way while I was taking a shot. That, or waiting forever to get a clear shot and then some dick with a phone walks in front.
Folks, most of us are trying to do the same thing: cover the show to put food on the table. Could we not at least attempt to be considerate of each other?
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