Thank you Ryan. I am eagerly awaiting your generous offer. I am excited to see what image I'll be getting and will start hunting up a frame to matt it.
Hey @Ryan I am deeply impressed at how much you have spiraled down the Tom Cobbs rabbit hole of kick ass photography. I really like the photo of the car jacked up with the vintage soda pop bottle boxes in the back ground. Its really my favorite out of that batch. I am glad it made the cut for the selection that you are giving away. As much as I would love to have that color print that you made, I will just be happy to view it on the H.A.M.B. So yeah, no bitching, no crying, no sniveling, from me, its not about the cost of shipping at all, I just feel that its better to give than to receive, if you get my meaning! It deserves to go to where ever you point it, and who ever gets that print, I hope they really appreciate it for what it is and the time period it represents! Thanks from Dennis.
Always I have been a fan of finding knowledge through the experience of trials. Crossing the threshold of wonder into the security of AHA is very gratifying. Even better is sharing the rewards with others. You Rock.
I flat-out refuse to use this printer for black and white negatives. I’ve run side-by-side tests—one handmade, one from the printer—and I can’t tell them apart. But even if the results are the same, it feels like cheating. Takes the joy out of the process. No smell of fixer, no wet hands, no soul. Color, though? That’s a different beast. For color negatives—or files where all I’ve got is a digital version—this printer is damn near magic. No contest. I actually prefer the results, regardless of the situation. And that got me thinking… maybe I can use this machine to give prints to anyone who wants one. It’s not that far-fetched anymore. Let’s talk expenses. I scored the printer cheap at an auction—old Walgreens machine, retired but not dead. The chemicals? That’s where the pain lives. They cost me a small fortune. But here’s the kicker: I’ve made nearly a hundred prints already and barely put a dent in the supply. So screw it—I’m calling the chemicals a sunk cost and moving on. That leaves paper. And yeah, it’s pricey. But thanks to sales from my larger prints, I’ve got a system. Take the last run: five prints at $65 each. After expenses, I cleared $98. I’ll need some of that to restock large-format paper, but there should be enough left for a pack of 8x10 Ilford—25 sheets. Each sheet gives me two prints. That’s 50 total. And honestly? I can’t imagine 50 people lining up for one of these. So yeah… we’re getting close to making this whole thing more accessible. A little less precious.
Hey @Ryan The ghosts of Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Margret Bork White, Alfred Stieglitz, Man Ray, William Wegman, Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange, Diane Arbus, are all viewing this thread from a galaxy far far away, and they are smiling and are most appreciative, of how YOU are the caretaker of Tom Cobbs, treasure trove of cool kick ass photography! Thanks from Dennis.
@Ryan, I've paid waaaaaaayyyyy more than $65 for signed, numbered prints of artwork that hang on the walls of my house. I enjoy them even though they have nothing to do with cars. My garage walls have a set of Rex Burnett prints and I enjoy them equally. You really care about these pictures taken by Mr. Cobb, and it shows. If I were to acquire even one of them, it would hang right alongside of my Burnett prints.
When it comes to photographers in the narrow world of hot rod imagery, there are only two I’d dare put on a pedestal. For portraits, it’s Steve Coonan—no one frames a stance or profile like that guy. And for the raw, unfiltered street work, it’s David Perry—pure voodoo behind the lens. The rest of us, past and present, are just craning our necks, trying to catch a glimpse of the view from where those two stand.
Hello, When we were in the throes of our photo business, it was not just a photo here and there, right off of the developing and drying tray. They were neatly dried on a flat dryer with cotton cloth covers to make them flat and soak up the water at the same time. One side was shiny chrome and the other white cotton cloth, with a lever to catch and make the whole thing lay flat while drying. The prints came out perfectly flat, ready for mounting and delivery…or… After the prints were dryed and mounted on hardback mount board, it was ready to give as is or I created a custom frame from antique (50 year old wood siding from old torn down homes in Santa Ana). As the old homes got torn down, I knew of a guy whose business was storing and selling that wood for a centerpiece wall of the newer homes or as what is called a “feature wall” these days. Something one sees up0n entering a house that catches the eye, instantly. The wood was cut to varying sizes or widths. It was rustic home made wooden frame from old wood. The first ones looked simple enough. Butted up ends like a kid would make in the woodshop at school. (which we did in junior high school) So, this time, I had the had a fine tooth hand saw that cut thin wood like butter and left very little splinters along the way. An early sample of a floating framed photo within an all Cedar slat homemade frame. A custom version for our funky apartment due to the nice aroma from fresh cut Cedar. Jnaki Some of the early ones I gave away to hot rod owners were the butt end versions. The later ones used thinner redwood slats for the outer frame in a 45 degree bevel cut and the full vertical slat back to make the photo float inside of the frame as to the size of the photo mounted. This photo taken by my wife, was slated to be mounted and made into a “floating photo” within a custom frame. But, despite the great composition and color, it looked out of place among the “old” antique photos we had on our walls. Now, that custom made floating frame photo was a “one of a kind version” for all of our hot rod/motorcycle owners. A good way to say thanks and it ended up fast to make, and was low cost, so it was a good advertising item from our fledgling company. Plus, we were able to make the frames and mount other “antique” color photos to give as gifts to our family and friends… YRMV
I just returned home to find your print. I am excited to see that the image you sent was the one I would have wanted the most - the one in the upper right hand corner of your collage - the one with the Continental towing the vintage sprint car. Was it pure luck or did you try to match the photo with our profile? I am a retired Ford engineer and sprint car enthusiast so your photo checks both those boxes. I chose a muted pastel lavendar matt to compliment the colors of the mountains and pavement, without overpowering the print. Its going in my man cave / shop collection. Many thanks.
The Jalopy Journal
