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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Ferrari Owners line up Ocean Ave in Carmel for Monterey Car Week 2025
Another car show event for Monterey Car Week 2025 today. This time I went to Carmel for Prancing Ponies on Ocean Ave. The main street down the heart of Carmel is Ocean Ave, and indeed ends right at the ocean. The beach was not the center of attention today though, it was a lineup of Ferrari cars from across the generations to the latest 12 cylinder GT car, to classic racing cars from the 50s. I even got to see my personal favorite, the 458 Speciale Aperta. None of the Ferrari Big 5 (now 6) nor the Daytona SP3 which was disappointing though. Still, the sun was out and it was a beautiful afternoon for viewing fast and beautiful Italian sports cars!
Pacific Grove annual The Little Car Show brings a big crowd in 2025
One of the benefits of living in downtown Pacific Grove is that many very cool events are just walking distance away. Such was the case today with The Little Car Show taking place just two blocks from both my photo studio and apartment. I really enjoyed this car show because it was not the usual kinds of cars you see at the average car show. Many cars I had never even heard of before, let alone have seen before. So many of the car owners started talking to me about their cars with such interesting stories and history with their cars. One person with a VW van took his now wife out on their first date in it. All these years later, he just finished restoring it with his daughter. What an amazing story it was! Thank you to all the car owners who came to Pacific Grove today!
