Katie's Cars and Coffee, November 2nd, 2013

It's been quite some time since my last visit to Katie's, but now that I've wrapped up some client shoots I've had waiting, and am back in the area after several trips, I decided to stop by Katie's.  There were some interesting additions to be seen; until last weekend, I'd only seen one C7 Corvette Stingray in the wild, out at Leesburg Outlets of all places.  It's clear that the takeover is imminent, because there were 5 C7s that I counted at Katie's this past weekend - I wouldn't be shocked if there were more.  It won't be long before these beautiful cars will become commonplace, and, well, not shocking anymore, like most Corvettes (sorry Corvette lovers...  it's true.  But don't be sad; Ferrari has quite a few models that are the same way.  Let the flames begin...).  I think it looks good in silver, but better (evil) in black.  The Corvette finally has been given a proper, though long overdue, refresh.

With the time change, Cars and Coffee began wayyyy before the sun was up, but this also prompted some folks to show up a bit later, and run Cars and Coffee a bit longer.  Even given the Daylight Savings Time change, I think most people missed seeing the Shelby GLHS, and Washington Nationals Right Fielder Jayson Werth arrive in his lifted F-250.  This was the first I can recall seeing a Carrera GT in person.

This street rod and Toyobaru are what I love about Katie's; it's about car  enthusiasts coming together to appreciate car culture, young and old, stock and modified.  Katie's is very Come As You Are.  Anything and everything can fit in.

And the most Jalopnik-ist car ever goes to?...

...and yes, it was a diesel.

"Ohhhhhh shit....  OHHHHHH shit!  Shit, shit, shit!  Ohhhhh shit!...  Awwwwwwwwwwww......."

This thing died pretty hard; note the black smoke as the engine says it's had enough.  It got trailered home... but not before the amazing reactions of the two gentlemen riding it.

This blog post has been republished by J. David Buerk onto Oppositelock.  For the full set of photos, view the album at his Facebook Page. All photography is by J. David Buerk, and is copyrighted All Rights Reserved.

Chad and Bess

I first met Chad during our time in the Boy Scouts; while we haven't kept in close contact after we both earned the Rank of Eagle Scout, we have periodically kept up with each other's lives after Troop 146 - my journey into photography, and his time at Virginia Military Institute.  When Chad and Bess became engaged, Chad almost immediately contacted me to be their wedding photographer - I was more than delighted! Chad and Bess were married on July 5th, 2013 in Alexandria, Virginia in the company of family, friends, and classmates.  After a Catholic wedding ceremony, the couple, joined by loved ones, danced the Summer night away, celebrating the day "Chad and Bess love each other the least" - the best is yet to come!  "He's just Chad, and she's just Bess."

Congratulations to both of you - I wish you both the very best life has to offer!

All of Chad and Bess' wedding photos may be viewed and prints purchased here.

Please Follow J. David Buerk - Photography on Facebook if you love what you see!

Final Notes:  Many of these photos were processed using VSCO's new Film 04: Slide - I think it's the best version they've released to date!  My favorite so far is the Fuji Astia 100F setting for portraits, but I also found that Fuji Velvia 100 works wonderfully on outdoor photos (so long as you boost color temperature) - this isn't shocking in the least, because these were the intended purposes of both these respective films.  And finally, this is the first blog I have posted which is compatible with HiDPI displays, such as the Apple Retina Display.  Please email me if there are any problems.

Shout out to my awesome assistant, Eddie Kyle!  I thought this was an awesome shot of him photographing the Wedding Mass :-D

Jaguar Alive Driving Experience

After getting exclusive access to the new Jaguar F-Type at the 2013 Washington Auto Show, my friend Jake and I were invited by Jaguar to a track day in which we could test drive all of Jaguar's top end and most recent models, including the 550HP, $155,000 XKR-S, and the pre-production XFR-S, among others.  Unfortunately the F-Type was still unavailable to drive, although a beautiful orange example from the Paris Auto Show was on hand to demo under the reception tent. Events we took part in were a Timed 0-60 / Top Speed Run, Autocross Circuit, Traction Control Demo Circuit, and Free Drive of any of the available lineup (the XJL was VERY well appointed).  As Jake later pointed out, we drove ~$1,000,000 worth of cars in just a few hours time.

The day started out with being greeted by showcase Jaguars, including a 1967 Jaguar E-Type, with DC plates "ELATED".  The event attracted plenty of exotic cars in the parking lot, mostly Jags of course.

Not far away was the Orange F-Type V8 S, and one of MANY XKR-Ss (actually there AREN'T many; the XKR-S is a limited production run vehicle with only 100 examples being sold in the United States).

02

Our driving experience started out by road testing the XJ, which was very responsive, although the Eco feature that disables the engine in stop and go traffic was a bit strange (we later disabled it).  All the Jaguars had very sensitive brakes - not a bad thing, but something that took a few minutes to get used to.

03

Next we were briefed by Lorraine McKiniry, host of Velocity Channel by Discovery Network's "What's My Car Worth?" who gave a history of the Jaguar brand, culminating in the 2013 lineup, and discussion of future plans for the carmaker.  Then it was out onto the track, where first up was my 0-60 / Top Speed run in the XKR-S.  I reached 90MPH with a 5.5sec 0-60 time (unofficial - official times are forthcoming).  The track was uphill on cold, hard tires, so the XKR-S' specified 4.0 - 4.2 sec range wasn't possible given the conditions.  You can watch my runs and see the live telemetry below!

04

Next it was on to the Autocross Course and Handling Tests.  I had a more strict course instructor than Jake did, so I wasn't allowed as much freedom on the course as Jake was which was somewhat disappointing.  The result was a top time of 39.6sec compared to Jake's 37.something sec time.  The Handling Course in the XFR-S was much more fun however, mostly because I startled and impressed the course instructor with a massive drift - he wasn't expecting it, but he was shocked that I maintained full control around the entire turn in a textbook drift without the traction control engaged.  His reaction after I snapped the car back in line for the straightaway was "WHOA!!!... OK.... Um... I didn't know you could do that.  That was very good...  Wow!...  You handled that.... really well!..."

Unfortunately I don't have many pictures from this or the rest of the day... because I was too busy driving!!!

05

It was an amazing, fun day!  I wish we'd had more track time!  I think our performance on the course would have improved dramatically with just a little more time to become more acquainted with the cars; but this goes without saying!  I also had two people, one of them a Jaguar representative, ask me who I was writing for - I apparently looked like an automotive journalist for this event (not paparazzi, like so many other occasions - I'm so happy!).

Loved it!  I can't wait to do another track day like it!  Now we're looking into other events sponsored by Porsche, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and others to experience more!

Washington Auto Show: 2013

It's become a New Year's automotive tradition of mine to see the Washington Auto Show every year, much like my annual Fall trip to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park to enjoy the car culture along Virginia's most scenic Autumn route.  This year, just like the last, I brought only my beloved 85L II lens to take in the petroheads' art.  I enjoy using a tight lens like the 85L because it forces me to be creative in creating new perspectives to an auto show that thousands of people photograph.  It takes a lot of effort to get a full car shot using the 85L, and that's just part of the challenge... because that's what everyone else is shooting; do I really want that shot?  How can I make it unique?  I hope you enjoy my carporn from the 2013 Washington Auto Show! Bonus points if you can identify the cars from just their detail shots; leave your guesses in the comments section!

You can also see the entire set of photos at my Facebook Page here.  Don't forget to LIKE my Page!

01

This Chrysler 300 has had a $10,000+ drop-top conversion done to it.  It was for sale, and had a potential buyer place it on hold.  The US Army also had a display, featuring a minesweeping Bobcat, and soldier launched UAVs.  I wonder if anyone actually returns the drone in a conflict zone like the sticker asks, like a library card.

02

There were also some local celebrities on hand.  DJ Flounder, known to the DC area from his time with DC101 on Elliot in the Morning, and Captain Planet!  I also feel that the kid below was paying too much attention to the Maserati, and ignoring the awesome Chevy tow truck begging for attention just a few feet away.  It had a Stingray on the back, for sale.

03

Jake and I also had the rare opportunity to demo Jaguar's latest model, the 2014 F-Type S:  a 380HP roadster that aims to compete with Mercedes' SLK55 AMG and SL Series, and BMW's Z4 sDrive35is.  It is also available with a 450HP Supercharged V8 engine.  We found it very comfortable, and we enjoyed the envious looks of onlookers as we tried the vehicle out in the enclosed Jaguar display area.

04

I was also happy to see the direction Lincoln is continuing to move in.  I truly hope to see them continue to recover and separate themselves as a retro-modern luxury brand.  That being said, the Chevrolet Impala is a welcome sight with a refreshed yet understated look, but a rear end that reminds me of a VW Passat.

05

06