Upper Middle Petrol Head:

This Chrysler Dodge Challenger RT screams 1970s!  Everything from its purple paint, Coke bottle profile, huge bonnet scoop and fat BF Goodrich tyres evoke the era perfectly. The car featured here is a Series I, built somewhere between 1969 to 1974.  Ironically, the Series II Challenger sold in the USA from 1978 to 1983 was a trumped up Mitsubishi Galant Lambda (a Scorpion here in Australia), big brother to the UMPH Galant, versions of which were also sold State-side as Dodges. It seems that everything old is new again.  A Series III is now available in America, complete with V6 and big V8 motors, as Chrysler's answer to Ford's reborn Mustangs and the Camaros of General Motors. U M P H. PS: If you enjoyed this post, please visit  http://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au   for more classic cars, route suggestions and Tasmanian dining experiences.

UMPH can reasonably claim to be a professional photographer, given that he formally studied photography for three years and a major part of his day job relies on his photographic skills.  He is not, however, a professional car photographer, no matter how much he wishes that were so. He's not so big-headed that he thinks the photos in this 'blog are the last word in automotive imagery but he does know that they're technically okay.  Here are a few simple tips he reckons will improve any car photography, no matter where the images might be taken, under what conditions, and irrespective of the camera you're using. Lighting For professional photographers, it's all about the light!  A pro will base his or her whole day around where the sun is going to be and what the prevailing weather conditions are or, if they're shooting indoors, will spend ages manipulating studio lights, diffusers and reflectors to get just the right lighting effect. As a predominantly f

From the minute Patrick Devine announced that he would be displaying his immaculate 1956 Mercedes-Benz SL300 Gullwing at Classics by the Beach, it was always going to be virtually a one-car show.  It didn't matter that there was the usual collection of beautifully restored classics and one or two vehicles that UMPH had never seen before ; Patrick's German super-machine deservedly stole the show!     The distinctive doors that give rise to the Gullwing moniker. Owner Patrick Devine, centre, wearing the white hat. Plenty has been already written about the car, including this 2002 article from The Age   http://www.gardenseeds.com.au/ news/2002/10/24/oh-oh-what-a- gull / .   What might not have been written about, however, is what a thorough gentleman Patrick is.  Surrounded by eager punters, he happily shared stories of the car's  history and restoration and appeared not to be the least bit worried as its  many admirers go