Off-Topic Forum

I hit a major milestone this year and didn't even realize it. I photographed my 150th different automotive brand! The cars photographed range in age from 1901 to 2020 models. This is a major, major life milestone for me, as, since my health problems don't allow me to own classic cars, I've set out to photograph as many as possible. I hope someday to push it to 175, and then 200. It will be a challenge, as I've gotten most of the easy ones already, but this is a lifelong quest. To show the entire history of the automobile in photographs is my goal. It's possible I have a couple others in my "can't identify" folder as well. 

This was #150, Glickenhaus, which is also actually the closest car producer to me, in Westchester County NY. 

THIS is my true main project, not anything with cards. I just had to share, this is such a big deal to me. 

Awesome!

Way to go Billy! You’re in the right part of the country to see a wide variety of car makes. 

That’s awesome dude!

I couldn't name half those brands if I tried.. Congrats on this achievement. I'll be waiting for you to hit the 175 mark. Keep it up.

That's awesome!  What a mix of just 2019 adds, from the very common, so I'm surprised you didn't have already, to really exotic, and I'm surprised you added that many.   👍

That's cool, Billy.  I've wanted to undertake a project like this, but havent.  Do you have any kind of definitive checklist you go by?

Thank you everyone. It's a real thrill for me. I've been thinking about it all day today after realizing it around 4 AM, LOL. 

I'm not too big a fan of Japanese cars, so I have not photographed too many of them. I went to the New York International Auto Show for the first time this year, and I added 17 brands that day. The Mullen, Karlmann King and Rivian were making their public debut at that show, which is pretty cool. Since I was there though I tried to photograph every single car. I couldn't- my health gave out before the end- but I did manage to get every brand, at least. Some of them coded in yellow I'm a bit iffy on. I am sure I had shot a Datsun Z car before, but it wasn't in my files. I had photographed a Smart but didn't list it, but found the photo in my files from 2018 after the screencap was made.

I don't have any master list per se; I have this chart of what I've seen. I had a project where I was tracking every single model and year I had seen for every car but that got to be too much for me, and when I lost my master files two hard drive crashes ago I gave up. I do know that I've photographed at least one car from every year from 1901 to 2020 models, with the exception of 1905. The "holy grail" now is to get into the 1800s. It's not impossible, but I've been going to car shows and museums for more than 30 years, and still have not seen one yet. 

I do have my own website where I've posted all the pictures I've taken of cars. https://public.fotki.com/ElCaminoBilly/automotivephotography/

To be honest the idea to keep track of them didn't hit me until last year or late 2017. I have just been photographing as much as I can for as long as I can remember, and I've always favored the oddball and obscure. It adds up. I have been known to photograph cars passing me on the highway and walking through parking lots to get a photo.