Something to ponder... what exactly qualifies as a "street sighting"?I know this is an odd question to ask on my own blog where, theoretically, I make my own rules of what I post. (However, I wouldn't mind it if people actually read what I post.) I don't want to dilute the core of my chosen subject - cars of historical significance found parked on public streets within the state of California - but at the same time I want to attract and retain readers. I'm not making any money off of this, so readership is the only payoff.
So what counts as a street-parked vehicle of historical significance? What's considered "close enough"? How does one decide what makes the cut? Let me run some examples by you which continue to vex me.
Cars photographed on the day of a car show. If the vehicle belongs to a person who is almost certainly visiting the show, but parked on a public street, would you say it's kosher for me feature it? How far away does it have to be?
If the car is almost certainly a show participant, which happens to be parked temporarily on a public street very close to the show, what is the ruling there? I have some full shoots in the archives which were taken less than one block from a show. Technically the cars were on public streets. Am I splitting hairs or is it dishonest in some way?
I generally subscribe to the rules set forth by blogger Murilee Martin of Jalopnik.com, when he was doing his "Down On The Street" weekend series. (He now blogs for The Truth About Cars.)
From the DOTS FAQ page:
"...vehicles must be on public property. That means no driveways or yards, unless you OK it with the owner first. Parked on the street is best, parking lots might be OK, and car shows are out."
So if I find, say, a 1969 Ferrari 365 GT outside the gate of the car show, parallel parked around the corner on a public street...is it fair game? Or does it violate the spirit of what this blog is about?
Also, how about cars parked right next to the street or in parking lots? I generally do not blog-shoot cars in driveways or parking lots, because parking lots are not streets and driveways are private property (as are most parking lots, albeit open for use by the public). My good friend who operates The Automotive Way, a blog dedicated to cars in Minnesota, Kansas and Idaho, sometimes features vehicles found off the street (which I assume were photographed with permission). He has a wider focus than I do, sometimes featuring diecasts from his collection and new car reviews.Maybe I'm just thinking too far into this, worrying about violating an arbitrary rule made by someone I've never met. At any rate, I'd like to hear from you and get your feedback.
