I enjoy reading the annual reviews in newspapers/magazines & seeing them on TV of the year that's just passed, so thought I'd put together my own collection of personal highlights/favourite posts of the vespamore website/blog from 2012 - enjoy ......
January
2012 started off well with
this post on Ivan Dupont, my fave of the month.
This post on Jenny Markley's photography was a close second & is also worth mentioning.
February
From February I've picked this lovely shot from
Muranovic
Takumovsky taken in Sendai, Japan. Many Japanese seem to have an inherent flair or certainly appreciation for style & good design, similar to the Italians. I don't see many vespa shots from Japan but when I do they're usually good like this one from
moominsean also posted in February &
this one by salvus.
March
I got off slightly on the wrong foot with Naples based Scots photographer Robbie McIntosh as I didn't ask his permission to blog
this lovely shot although I did credit him as I do everyone on here whose work I post. Robbie was right & in my defence it's difficult to ask everyone due to time constraints & the amount of stuff I blog but am very careful to credit all folk wherever possible. I wish I was afforded the same consideration; I see a lot of my own photography 'borrowed' or assumed as others' work on the internet. Many seem to think if artworks are posted on the web they are up for grabs & can be posted elsewhere or printed off with no credit, due consideration or payment to the artist, never mind the breach of copyright that is taking place. Anyway, griping aside, I sorted things with Robbie & he was happy for me to use this image & also
this subsequent one.
April
Hold You Close - by Los Hot Boxers - Super8 & HD from
Don Fito on
Vimeo.
I posted plenty of nice shots in April from various talented photographers but have gone with this excellent film by
Don Fito
May
I always enjoy going on rallies/events with the
Veteran Vespa Club (VVC) & this was my first proper outing of the year, see original post
here
Also can't let
this superb shot go unnoticed I posted in May by vladimir rios, taken in Panama - great capture!
June
June's favourite inclusion for me couldn't really be anything other than
London World Vespa Days. Many people had a s**t time at this event but I had a whale of time with some Italian friends over from Milan & tearing around central London late at night on classic vespas with the S.I.P. Scootershop team, who came over from Landsberg, Southern Germany - some links below...
35mm film
fotos I took over the 3-day event
My
report written for Veteran Vespa Club magazine
S.I.P. Scootershop
film of event
Another personal highlight in June was getting some of my film shots in to S.I.P. Scootershop's encyclopaedic classic vespa parts brochure - see
here
Above foto by
S.I.P. Scootershop
July
July's post would have to be this garage find
Douglas Sportique I acquired. Still can't believe I came across this... sadly I couldn't afford to hang on to it when faced with the completed repair bill for getting her back on the road & sold it to the guy who originally found it & offered it to me.
Another July highlight was those lucky boys from S.I.P. & their
Sardinian roadtrip; how many of us would loved to have done this trip - see S.I.P's video
here
August
Not sure who took this lovely, period promotional
shot of Brigitte Bardot, sat on the bonnet of a Vespa 400 car but it's my favourite August post.
September
September for me was topped by this great set of shots taken at Vespa cross Reutlingen 2012 Blechreiz by Ralf Kuhn - original post
here
October
October's entry has to be Peter Didl's stunning replica of the
Arthur Francis Trialmaster 110, not many restos 'do it for me' but this definitely ticks every box!
On a personal note, picking up my 'new'
'71 Motovespa GT160 from
Retrospective Scooters was a highlight during this month.
Sara Fernández's photography was also a great post to write up in October.
October also included S.I.P. Scootershop's visit to Vietnam where Moritz & Co. met up with 'The Scooterist' & 'QSkulls' - see their story in fotos & on film
here
November
VTR Vespa The Resistance from
Pau Sàlvia Hortal on
Vimeo.
This awesome film from Pau Salvia Hortal could have been posted slightly earlier in the year but I got around to including it in November. This very cool film is one of the best on board, riding sequences I've seen; slightly trippy with the sun flares & overlaying, similar to double exposure. Filmed at the Zuera International Circuit, Zaragoza, Spain; see also this short film by iamascooterist & this post of Raul Abio's shots taken at the event organised by Team Vespa Barcelona.
A couple of other noteworthy posts for me was this nice shot of the rarely seen Vespa Elestart by my Milanese friend Federico Savogin, plus this great capture from Laurent Callot. November was a good month for quality shots, too many to mention but I loved this 'Easy Rider' shot which perfectly sums up the joy of riding & thrill of the open road...
December
December's favourite post is
this sublime shot from Spanish photographer,
Raul Gonzalez. Palma based Raul is a supporter of the vespamore website & has obliged me on many occasions, letting me add his excellent vespa shots.
Last up for December was this lovely
original paint Vespa GT125, saved from the restorers by owner Long_John_Silver!
Sorry - one last entry for December, which was this restored
'76 ET3 Primavera I got to take on expired Ektachrome slide film, with resulting shots cross-processed.
In summary....
Well that finishes off my review of 2012; hope you've all enjoyed reading & checking in on the website/blog as much as I've enjoyed writing it.
A couple of other small personal highs for me were getting some of my film shots published in quality publications I admire, which were
Men's File magazine,
Benzina magazine (
twice) &
Enjoy the Ride Fanzine.
Thanks to you all for keeping up with
vespamore photography it's pretty cool that 20,000 people from around the globe now regularly visit the website each month ....!
Last word goes to all the talented photographers, filmakers, creatives & contributors who have allowed me to include their inspiring work on here; I'm very grateful to you all ; )
Happy New Year everyone, hope you all have a great 2013 !
www.vespamore.com