If you found this entry it’s because you searched for Old Car City, and somehow miraculously ended up here, or more likely you know me and aren’t surprised to see that I am writing on one of my favorite places. If you came here looking for information on Old Car City, I hope this helps.
Old Car City USA (OCC) is in White, Georgia. White is a small town next to an industrial park area. About the most significant thing there is OCC. Well, that and Wes-Man’s. It’s currently open from Tuesday through Saturday, 9 AM – 4 PM. For more factual information visit their website. The rest of this post is going to be how I approach things.
There are two times of the year that I like to go to OCC; the spring and the fall. I like going in March because it’s just starting to get a little in Georgia, and 60-degree days feel good after the normally cold Michigan weather. According to people I’ve spoken with there can be a lot of pollen in April.
I stay away from summer because of the heat. Which leaves fall. Fall is great because you can get some color from the leaves, and it often rains in the fall, and tends to be overcast. The rain is great if it doesn’t happen while you’re in the junkyard.
I always go for two days. If you’re going to do photography, you want at least two days. I also divide my days in 3 parts. Part one: get into OCC and photograph from 9 AM until noon. Part two: I cross the very busy US 411 and go to Wes-Man’s for lunch. Sometimes it’s warm enough by noon to eat on the patio. Part three: cross 411 again, and head back into OCC and photograph until closing time. Rinse and repeat for day two.
That gives me 4 “photography sessions” with the cars. I like to carry as little gear as possible, so I plan each walk into the trails as a theme. For example, I might decide I need full shots of the cars. In that scenario, I just take my trusty Fuji and the 16-55mm lens. In this case I won’t take a tripod. I’ll shoot at a higher ISO.
I might decide to just soot hood ornaments. I’ll head out with a tripod and the 55-200mm lens which will allow me that nice blurry background we all like. Sometimes, I’ve just gone out with my iPhone and shot Hipstamatic photos. Or maybe, I go out with my iPhone and Moment fisheye lens. I’ve gone with a pinhole camera too.
Sometimes I’ll decide to spend my time in one area. In this case I’ll take more gear so I can have all the bases covered. Don’t forget to shoot the more abstract images too.
As far as weather, I hope for rain in the evening to help bring out the color in the cars. I also hope for cloudy days. The sun can cause some real issues with contrast and shadows. If I get a sunny day I try to compose pictures with sun in the background, so I can take advantage of the sun flares.
Mostly I just enjoy being out around the old cars, clicking the shutter button, and looking for new compositions.
