Monterey Car Week

Astons on the Avenue 2026 in Carmel During Monterey Car Week

Astons on the Avenue 2026 in Carmel During Monterey Car Week

Just enjoying looking at Astons

I took my camera down to Carmel just for myself to check out Astons on the Avenue. I like the mystique and aura of an Aston Martin car, which I find different than any other, especially the generation of cars from about 2010 to 2018. I got the chance to talk to a couple of very friendly owners as well, which I found informative and interesting. The headliners at this show were the examples of the new mid-engined car Aston put out this year, the Valhalla. The range of cars though went all the way back to the 60s, so there was an Aston on display for everyone.

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Judging the Pacific Grove Concours Auto Rally for a Second Year

Judging the Pacific Grove Concours Auto Rally for a Second Year

A Little Faster the Second Time Around

This was my second year (check out year one) in a row judging the Pacific Grove Concours Auto Rally, and this time as an official member of the Pacific Grove Rotary Club! One thing I definitely learned from judging the car show last year is that I needed to be much, much quicker at it. There is a limited time window for judging all the cars assigned to me, and then going and talking with the other judges for choosing winners. I did not do the math at all last year and never made it to all the cars. This year, I knew not every car needed a full, deep level consideration if it did not really fit one of the ribbon categories, and if I knew it would not be a candidate for any of the three overall grand prizes.

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Night Rider at Asilomar During Monterey Car Week 2026

Night Rider at Asilomar During Monterey Car Week 2026

Back Underground at Asilomar Conference Grounds

This was actually not my first time photographing an event inside the underground parking garage at Asilomar Conference Grounds! Another similar event with cars, a DJ, and artists was my first time one+ year ago. This time though, for Monterey Car Week 2026, it was an event called Night Rider, featuring low rider and classic cars, lit up colorfully. As guests moved between the cars, a DJ spun vinyl records, and car-inspired artwork was being created on site. The team at Asilomar created another unique event. Thank you for inviting me to photograph it!

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Porsche Monterey Classic Photography During Monterey Car Week 2026

Porsche Monterey Classic Photography During Monterey Car Week 2026

Three Years of Photographing the Porsche Monterey Classic

This was my third year in a row (see the second time) attending the Porsche Monterey Classic, an event that for me has become the unofficial start of Monterey Car Week. After already photographing it twice, the challenge this year was trying to see the same crowded dealership, service bays, and rows of Porsches in a different way. At a car show like this, I am certainly not the only person walking around with a capable camera, and with so many people packed around the cars, making photographs that feel different can be difficult. One thing to be different was bring my Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM lens and shoot it wide open at f/1.4, which gave me a different way to work close to the cars while still showing some of the environment around them. I also kept looking for foreground elements, very low viewpoints, and compositions that you would not normally see just standing next to a car at eye level. Did I find completely new angles compared to last year, or even two years ago? I do not know, but trying to find them is part of what keeps photographing the same great Car Week event interesting for me.

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Pacific Grove Concours Auto Rally Cover Photography

Pacific Grove Concours Auto Rally Cover Photography

Contributing Through Photography

It has been nearly a year since I joined the Rotary Club of Pacific Grove, and I have enjoyed finding ways to contribute to the club and the community through photography.

I was grateful to be asked to make this year’s cover photograph and excited to see it printed on the finished event guide. With Jaguar as the featured marque, three beautiful classic Jaguars were brought together in front of Monterey County Bank on Lighthouse Avenue for the photo.

The club also generously included a quarter-page advertisement for Jason Collin Photography inside the guide.

I will also return for my second year as a judge for the car show portion of the rally. Photography, classic cars, Rotary and Pacific Grove all coming together make this an especially meaningful community project for me.

Thank you to the Rotary Club of Pacific Grove for trusting me with this year’s cover photograph.

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Monterey Car Week 2026 Car Photography and Auction Listing Photos

Monterey Car Week 2026 Car Photography and Auction Listing Photos

Bringing Your Car Week Experience Into Focus

Monterey Car Week is one of my favorite times of the year as a photographer and car enthusiast. Remarkable vehicles arrive from around the world, but the week is not only about the shows and auctions. It is also a rare opportunity for owners to photograph their cars against the coastal scenery and distinctive settings of the Monterey Peninsula. Some clients need complete, accurate photography for an upcoming auction listing. Others simply want memorable photographs of a car they enjoy, recently purchased, restored, or brought to Monterey for this special week. Whether the goal is practical, personal, or a combination of both, I enjoy creating a photography plan that fits the car and the owner.

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Jason is a judge for the 2025 Pacific Grove Rotary Concours Auto Rally

Jason is a judge for the 2025 Pacific Grove Rotary Concours Auto Rally

What is was like judging the 2025 Pacific Grove Rotary Concours Auto Rally

This summer I have been an invited guest to the Pacific Grove Rotary Club luncheons. After getting to know what the club is more about, I have decided to join, and even before becoming an official member, the club asked me to be a judge for its annual Pacific Grove Rotary Concours Auto Rally during Monterey Car Week! I am a car enthusiast and know a lot about a lot of cars, but I have never judged a show before. Luckily, there were not that many criteria to judge each car on. Basically there were 17 categories, 13 specific ones, and 4 overall “grand prizes” to consider for each car. Of the 250+ entries, it was on me to judge the even numbered entries, along with one other judge doing evens, and two other judges doing odds, so that each car had two judges assessing it.

Well, that was in theory, ha!

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