Hot Rod Photos from Chuck Vranas – He’s Like That

Posted by pikesan on Dec 18, 2011 in Art & Photography, Featured | 1 comment

Hot Rod & Custom Car Photography

Jeff Norwell’s perfect hot rod pickup at the Moody Mile in Syracuse

Whether your building your first hot rod or a website about hot rods, it’s best to have a little help. The most generous people you meet help when really, there’s nothing in it for them. They’re just, “Like that”.  That’s the case for this featured photographer, Chuck Vranas.

I met Chuck at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, CA. He was floating around shooting here and there, but didn’t look overly busy and rushed (like me), so I asked who he shoots for. At the time, he was shooting for Source Interlink powerhouse Street Rodder Magazine.  Chuck shoots and writes feature car and tech stories for Street Rodder quite a bit, especially lately. Check out the newest issues and you’ll see stories Chuck did. It’s almost like seeing someone you know on TV! (but totally different)

Chuck is the real deal when it comes to hot rods too. Doesn’t it kinda show when a photographer really likes what he’s shooting? Ansel Adams can shoot some landscapes like nobody’s business, but does he see the beauty in a salty lake bed filled with hot rod coupes like this? I guess not my friends…

With the help of his Rolling Bones Hot Rod Shop buddies, in 2008, Chuck grabbed his rookie license in a Flathead V-8 powered ’32 Ford roadster to the tune of 117 mph. That might not sound like much, but what a thrill! I’ve bumped into Chuck a couple times on the salt and it’s no wonder some of his favorites photos are also mine from Bonneville Salt Flats.

Chuck’s also a car owner and driver whenever his photography lands him back at home. I saw first hand what Chuck and his wife Kim can do building a hot rod! (OK, it was mostly Kim) I called the story “Lady’s Choice” because most of the key decisions were Kim’s and she got it dead on with her 27 Ford Touring Hot Rod that competed for the AMBR award in 2009.

So look for Chuck at a show near you. If you see him… he’ll most likely be the relaxed, on-pace guy I first met at GNRS. Yea, I found out why… he’d been at the show almost all night. With his hook ups, he can shoot at night, with no people walking around and… AND with none of those ropes and barriers in his pictures. Jealous? YES!! But that’s what hard work and being, “Like that” will get’cha in the end.

Chuck’s got his own book he’s working on along with a the books he’s collaborated on. “Great American Hot Rods: A Full Throttle Chronicle of Custom Cars from the Street, Show and Strip” on KP Books, and the children’s book “Custom Cars (Motor Mania Series),” with Lerner Publishing.

I liked so many of Chuck’s photos, instead of jamming them all into this story, I made an “Event” called Chuck’s Hot Rod Photo Fantabuli. It’s full of some choice shots from around the hot rod and custom world.

Thanks for everything Chuck!