I have been fascinated with the history of American Culture for some time now. In fact, it has been the focus point for much of my personal photography such as the works of Norman Rockwell and my obsession with vintage ray guns . This particular subject (Soap Box Derby) has interested me since I was a kid. I would always read or occasionally see on television, kids building these wooden cars with their fathers and then entering them in races in hopes of winning and representing their town at the national level. It looked like too much fun and I definitely pushed hard to get one. Unfortunately, it proved to be too expensive for my parents and I took up skateboarding instead.
I decided about a month ago that I would create a photographic series based on this Iconic American pastime. I knew it would be difficult considering the amount of props, people, locations, lighting, etc. I spent countless hours online looking for the right car. After many weeks of looking, I finally found the perfect car on Ebay. Some guy in Pennsylvania was selling it. He actually built and raced it in the 1950′s when he as just a kid. He said that it was taking up room in his fathers barn and he wanted it out. After agreeing on the price, my assistant drove to Pennsylvania and picked it up from him. The helmets are also very collectable and expensive. They were purchased on ebay as well.
For this shoot I wanted every last detail to be spot on. From the cars, to the wardrobe, to the scale that they used to weigh each car before the race. I had seen many reference images from back then featuring the same Toledo scale. In order for it to be authentic I needed to find one. I found one on craigslist and paid to have it shipped to the studio. It probably weighed 700lbs. In order for us to use it in the shoot we had to find a way to move it without the use of a forklift. We spent most of the day ripping the thing a part to where the only thing standing was the facade. We aslo spent a good amount of time building the ramps leading up to the scale as well as the starting ramps.
I have so many people to thank for helping with this project including Janet Henderson, Abe Sands, Kathleen Schiffmann, Callista Wilson, Georgannette Chatterly, Jeff Douglass, Tommy Evans, Vincent Coffey, SevOne, Bobby and Elizabeth Tierney, Sean Arnold, Lexie, Brayden, and Cody Land, Mark O’Leary, Owen and Will Hearn, Owen Callahan, Moira Feeney, Jeffrey, Lilly, and Max Carr, Alex, Annabel, and Annika Christensen. Please check out the pics and video below.
