Around the web today; November 19th, 2013.

An interesting post by Jeremy Cowart, comparing different levels and budgets for photography to selling cars:
 http://jeremycowart.com/2013/10/photographers-are-car-dealers/



A funky looking new retro-styled camera from Nikon:
http://daviddareparker.wordpress.com/2013/10/30/nikon-df-pure-photography-4/



There I was thinking that riding my bike on a 2 foot wide plank was brave:
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/the-red-bull-bikers-were-good-but-this.html



Loads of mouth-watering German machinery on display at the Porsche Club of Queensland's annual concourse day:
http://www.downshiftaus.com/2013/a-day-of-difficult-choices/



Ken Block's new gymkhana video; very cool stunts as usual, but I think I like the previous one better:
http://www.speed-industries.ch/wordpress/2013/11/13/ken-blocks-latest-gymkhana/



This is one mean looking Bug:
http://www.stanceworks.com/2013/11/rick-tolbooms-1959-volkswagen-beetle/



Some gut-wrenching stories from photographers about not taking action to help the people they were photographing:
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jul/28/gutted-photographers-who-didnt-help

Random Car Spotting: Volkswagen Beetle 'Carrera'

2011.

Photographer: Rohan Phillips

Camera: Nikon D300

Lens: Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF

I was taking a short drive around our suburb to keep my Cefiro running as I have been doing most days, when I came across this very unusually customised Beetle sitting in the driveway of a house a minute's drive away from home. I didn't have a camera on me at the time, but went back the next day and it was still there, so I assume that's where the owner lives. Couldn't see anyone around to talk to, so I just stopped and took a few photos of it from the footpath.

Random Car Spotting: Volkswagen Beetle 'Rat Bug'

2009.

 Photographer: Rohan Phillips

Camera: Nikon D300

Lens: Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

Exposure: 1/4000 @ f/3.5, ISO 200 

I took this photo in April 2009. After attending a few hot rod and custom car show events in the previous few months, I've really started to like one of the 'rat rod' styles in particular; matt black paint, intricate pinstriping, red wheels with chrome/metal hubcaps and whitewall tyres.

While I was sitting at the lights one weekday afternoon, and actually thinking about the rat styled cars I'd seen at a drive-in movie cruise, the VW Beetle in the pictures turned across the intersection in front of me. Luckily it pulled into a Sprint Auto Parts store and I was able to move around and pull into the carpark to get a few shots of it. 

The driver turned out to be a girl in her late 20s, she came out while I was taking the photos. I complimented her on the cool car, she said the paint was a GM Satin Black colour, and after chatting for a few minutes she headed off home. I haven't seen the car again since, or any other Beetles so strikingly customised.