How It's Done

People are always asking, "How do you get all of those wonderful photos and videos of neat old machinery, Mr. True Blue Sam?" Well, not really, but I hope thay are thinking something like that. You have to spend time visiting with exhibitors at the shows. Most collectors love to talk about the engines they are showing, and they are usually glad to start up an engine if you want video of it running. Gary B was showing a D T Bohon engine at SIAM this year. It is a rare brand of engine sold out of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, but manufactured by other companies under contract. We will put up some video of it running in a post one of these days.

I like to shoot engines from several different angles to show the intricacies of the machinery, and I use a monopod with a ball-head on top to steady the camera. The monopod keeps the YouTube viewers from getting seasick and it helps you frame your shots.

You have to go where the engines are. Mrs. TBS caught this Model T racer parked in the shade, and it is much more photogenic here than it would have been in the car barn. When you go to an engine show you have to keep your camera with you, and have extra batteries and SD cards handy so you don't lose the good shots when you see them.