Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Vintage 1966 Lamborghini 2R Tractor at the Savoy Automobile Museum

Lamborghini Tractor Photos

One of the coolest exhibits at the Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, is a pair of Lamborghinis. The first one to catch my eye was this beautiful 1966 Lamborghini 2R Tractor. 

1966 Lamborghini 2R Tractor

Powered by a 2.2 liter Diesel engine that put out 39 horsepower, it was a far cry from the modern Lamborghini sports cars that we see today.

1966 Lamborghini 2R Tractor Lettering

But, the paint and restoration of this tractor are superb and it is a thing of functional beauty.

1966 Lamborghini 2R Tractor

It has long been part of supercar legend and lore, that Ferruccio Lamborghini started to make sportscars because Enzo Ferrari dismissed his concerns about problems he was having with his Ferrari. The Savoy Automobile Museum is also blessed to display a Lamborghini Muira sportscar. It was neat to see both a Lamborghini sports car and a Lamborghini tractor in one place. I'll save the sportscar photos for another day.


Friday, July 25, 2025

Cellphone Photography: TKE Elevator Test Tower Construction on a Misty Night

Here are some cool photos I took using my Samsung Galaxy S21FE smartphone camera. It was a foggy night and the lights were playing just right on a local construction site. This is the Thyssen Krupp Elevator (TKE) headquarters in Cobb County, Georgia, back when it was under construction.

The TKE elevator test tower in Cobb County, Georgia, under construction

The TKE test tower has grown into the tallest building in the Atlanta suburb of Cobb County, Georgia. It stands 420-feet high and is the largest elevator testing facility in the United States. It has 18 elevator shafts for testing and demonstrating TKE's state of the art products. It is the centerpiece of TKE's North American headquarters. On one foggy night back in 2021, I was able to get some cool photos of the facility as it was being built.


TKE North American Headquarters under construction

The adjacent building serves as the company's North American headquarters. It was eerily lit when I took these photos.

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Car Photos: 1954 Studebaker Commander Starliner Custom at the Savoy Automobile Museum

Sometimes it can be difficult to photograph a car in a museum setting and handle the reflections from lights and keep other people out of the photo.  Other times, the lighting can work out just right. The curves of this 1954 Studebaker Commander Starliner Custom coupe did amazing things with the museum lighting at the Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, Georgia.

1954 Studebaker Commander Starliner Custom Coupe

Here are some other photographs that I took of this great looking car. It looks like something Batman would drive.

1954 Studebaker Commander Starliner Custom Coupe

Here is the interior of this custom car. I love the steering wheel and dashboard.

1954 Studebaker Commander Starliner Custom Coupe (interior)

It's amazing to see a car that's long and lean with curves in all the right places.

1954 Studebaker Commander Starliner Custom Coupe (Rear view)

For these photos, I used my Galaxy S21FE cellphone. It's hard to beat the convenience of a cellphone for casual photography. I was able to take these photos while touring the museum with my wife.


The Savoy Automobile Museum is located outside of Atlanta in the historic city of Cartersville, Georgia, on the edge of the Appalachian mountains. 

1953 Studebaker Starliner Model and Collector Tin by AMT (Amazon Photo)

If you are interested in building a model of the 1953 Studebaker Starliner, Amazon offers a cool one from AMT that comes in a collectible tin. It's a Level 2 model to assemble and would require paint and glue. You can get this Studebaker on Amazon here.


Friday, March 22, 2024

Flower Photos: Spring Flowers in Atlanta 2024

Spring has been sprung for a few weeks now here in Georgia.  But, there have been plenty of spring showers to go with them.  Fearing that thunderstorms would wipe them out, I took these quick photos of some local spring flowers on a damp and rainy day.

Looking Down into a Red Tulip

All of these photos were taken with a Samsung S21FE mobile phone and I think they turned out brilliantly.  The main photography technique I used here was stopping the car, getting out, and taking photos when I had the opportunity.  I think the rains have beaten down many of these flowers in the past couple of weeks so I'm really glad that I did.

Pink and yellow flowers that provide a brilliant backdrop for tulips

Overall, when you look at the entire flowerbed, the effect at this condo building is quite dazzling.  As I look at this photo now, I wish I could have maneuvers to hide fire hydrant.  A different perspective would have put it behind the tree in the background.


A flower bed arrangement popping with red tulips and color


The angle below provides a more interesting perspective with fewer distractions. In this shot, I tried to focus on the second tulip in the flowerbed instead of the tulip in the foreground.  I'm not totally sure it worked since the foreground is really dominated by the first tulip.

Focusing at the tulips beyond the foreground


We'll close this one out with another down the snout view of a tulip.  This cell phone camera is truly amazing.  Sometimes, it is difficult to justify excursions with a more proper camera.

Another shot down into a tulip

For more information on how to photograph flowers, check out Creative Flower and Plant Photography by Molly Hollman on Amazon.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Bird Photo: Great Blue Heron

Here is a quick shot of a Great Blue Heron near a community pond close to the Chattahoochee River and the Cochran Shoals Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.

Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a majestic wading bird commonly found across North America, from Alaska and southern Canada to Central America, with some populations migrating to the Caribbean and northern South America for winter. Standing up to 4.5 feet tall with a wingspan exceeding 6 feet, this heron is often seen stalking shallow waters in marshes, estuaries, lakes, and rivers, patiently hunting for fish, crustaceans, and small vertebrates with its sharp, dagger-like bill. Its slate-blue plumage, elegant neck, and slow, deliberate movements make it a striking subject for photographers. While some herons are year-round residents in milder climates, others migrate seasonally, often forming loose colonies during breeding season in wetlands or forested areas near water.

[For more information on birds found in Georgia, check out the Birds of Georgia Field Guide on Amazon.]


Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Thrift Store Camera: Canon EOS 20D - Professional Quality at 8.2 Megapixels

 I came across a "vintage" digital camera and I've decided it's time to revive this blog. What's my latest greatest new camera?  A Canon EOS 20D DSLR from around the year 2004 or so. Am I crazy? Probably.  I've been looking at modern DSLRs and Mirror-less cameras for a long time.  So why get an old one?  The answer is simple.  I figure I should probably learn what all the various program and manual settings on a DSLR do before spending $500 to $1000 on a new camera.



Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Street Photography: After Work Stroll

Have you ever tried street photography?  Here's a shot I took in an Atlanta, Georgia, area live-work-play community.  It's just a quick snap shot with my cellphone camera and stripped of metadata.  I just tried to capture a moment of neighborhood life.

Woman walks dog in Avalon in Alpharetta, Georgia

If you are looking for tips on street photography, check out this book-- Street Photography: Pocket Guide by Bryan Lloyd Duckett on Amazon.