R&R Well & Pump

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Found on some farm land is this magnificent old work truck…

© 2012  Michael Fiveson

After some careful examination, I can decipher that the door once had R&R Well & Pump written on it. This angle allows us to see all of the bizarre looking equipment, as well as the rust. R&R is still in business in my home town.

The same image in B&W with a different angle has a dramatic feel.

© 2012  Michael Fiveson

If you have an interest in some really fine photography, check out Michael Glover’s blog at Justshoot.me

88 thoughts on “R&R Well & Pump”

  2. This is an awesome distraction from my search for the perfect promo package items. That truck is amazing! Both pictures are kind of fearsome. I love the angle on all the equipment and the way it looks incredibly dilapidated in the black & white.

    Brings to mind burly, dirty men who work fiercely, and love the same way. And an oil well fire or two….

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  4. This is really nice work, Michael. I love the different perspective that the black and white photo provides. This looks so like some of the depression era photo’s we see, but I believe this truck was still in service in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, even though the truck might be a 1930’s vintage vehicle. I am probably wrong, here.

    It would be nice to have a story to go along with the picture.

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  5. Read the description too quickly and thought you were trying to pass this heap of junk off as Rolls Royce (“RR”). Reminds me a trip to the opticians is overdue.

    Both are great shots but the mono swings it for me Mike.

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  7. A very interesting truck Mike and really well captured. These old trucks all had faces and this one’s face with the turned down bumper looks particularly sad and in need of someone to love and care for it. If I could afford the shipping fees.. better not go there. The black and white shot is really nice.

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  9. Cars are like people. The young ones are beautiful a beauty that shows very nicely on photos, the old ones show no longer that young beauty but instead a weathered character. In that respect both these photos are fine portraits with the color photograph being my favorite.

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  12. Pingback: Wednesday Surprise – Limericks and Images « The Blissful Adventurer

  13. Hey! I see you finally bought a truck to help you carry all those old doors into your basement dungeon, very nice! LOL. I’m kidding, very nice photos, the black and white one is awesome.

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  14. Great images Michael! The older trucks and cars always seem to exude a lot of character that newer vehicles can’t touch. Very interesting find!
    Thanks so much for the link to my blog! Your friendship and support mean a lot to me!

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  15. I love old trucks! I did a whole series of an old fire engine and another of an old pick up, but no one except me liked them! Glad I’mm not the only crazy person. Doesn’t it seem to you that they are watching you while you are shooting them?

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  16. You’ve outdone yourself (again!) with these two beauties, Mike! I really kike the contrasty B/W…but being a lover of rust, my vote is for the color…BTW, back when I worked on “The Blues Brothers”, I was mistakenly ordered to ‘rust down’ Cab Calloway’s vehicle. Did a beautiful job, with vinyl paints and sponges…looked pretty much like your color shot…and the next morning on location, I was told by John Landis, the director, to clean it up. A couple gallons of kerosene, some Tide, lots of Windex and in a few hours, it was shiny clean. That’s how I met the great Cab Calloway, who wanted to help but could not (union rules), so he hung out with me the whole time!

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    • Aren’t you the interesting one! I knew you had a background in the film industry but didn’t know about anything specific. Pretty cool!
      Yeah, I like the B&W image but had to post that beautiful rust.
      Thanks my friend.

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      • Worked them all, Mike…film, video, theatre, display. I written produced and directed videos–mostly corporate things…I worked (at his request) three times with/for the late Oliver Smith, the grandad of all Broadway designers…hard to remember how many “stars” I’ve worked with…but my favorite of all time was Itzhak Perlman, the violinist–a truly beautiful human being!

        It’s been an interesting life…and you are a contributor! Thanks, from ME, on the very last day of my 65th year on this, our beloved Earth!

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      • So that means you are either about to kill yourself or its your birthday tomorrow. I’m hoping its the birthday option! Will try to remember that, but if I don’t…..happy birthday, you, my friend with no name, but lots of heart and talent.

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      • Oh, thanks so! Yeah, the b’day is the only option!

        Taking myself down into the ‘City of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, Mayor’ (UGH!) to shoot at the Lincoln Park Conservatory (plants, flowers) and a short walk south to the Lincoln Park Zoo (animals, people–sometimes the same thing).

        As for ’66’, nothing to celebrate…moving right along!

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  17. Both are lovely shots, Mike. The B&W really is my fav though. Very nice find! 🙂

    Getting things sorted out for the trip??

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    • I take the rig in at 10 am tomorrow. If its a quick fix and I get it back tomorrow, then we decide on one of two places to go for Fri and Sat. I f not we go the following week. I was stressed yesterday, not so today. Its all good, and I am lucky to have a cyber world of blogging friends, like you.
      Thank you.

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  18. What a lovely old trucks… I loved these photographs… they are both so impressive… Thank you dear Mike, I am afraid it doesn’t work anymore… is it? Love, nia

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      • WOW! It is almost a history now… but I am glad standing there as a sculpture… No body took any part of this truck… you know nothing could have been remained after all… You are welcome dear Mike, Thanks and Love, nia

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    • I wonder if the property it was on, which is in a town close to mine, doesn’t belong to the current owner of the company. Perhaps a descendant.
      How old do you guess it is?
      The company would have a real reaction if there was a skeleton inside of it when it presents itself!

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  21. I love the fact that you developed this image in both black and white and color. If you carefully study the black and white image you can see the deep mysterious story screaming at you, where as the rusty vehicle tells a completely different tale. Both are good, the black and white immensely better. Nicely done!

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  22. hi and thanks for you like on my photographic post. I love your blog!! and your black and white pics, Im now following you and would love to have another photographer follow me…I post a photo every day that I hope brings a smile anyone who needs one…cheers chris bernasconi

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    • The tires are all flat and there are still hand tools in a bin, that must have been there for the last 50 years. Its like an outdoor museum piece. Modern art.

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  26. Hi Mike,
    Really great shots. Have you ever considered Sepia? That might work out nicely for such an old truck, too.
    Best regards from southern Texas,
    Pit
    P.S.: Here’s one of mine in Sepia [http://fc-foto.de/16167905]

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