The Hamilton Hotel’s second annual Rods & Rockabilly Festival is privileged to have special guest photographers Mitzi & Co. Photography from San Dimas, California attending this year.
Renowned pin-up photographer with 11 years of experience, Mitzi Valenzuela captures stunning shots of hot rods, customs and bikes for various publications and events all over the world. As part of the festival she will be taking a limited number of bookings for the day, while running photo shoots with the dolls from the pin-up pageant. Having travelled the globe with a camera in her hand, these are a few of her special photographic experiences:Viva Las Vegas Car Show
As a photographer in the rockabilly scene just about everyone has heard of Viva Las Vegas. It's one of the biggest all around events to attend. I pretty much started my career at this show back in 2004. It's hard to pinpoint one shoot that I have done there as my favorite. However there are several that stand out in my career. One of my most memorable photo shoots was back in 2007.
I had arranged to do a shoot with my friends car that was ready to put one one hell of a flame show on for everyone. Those were the days that you could actually get away with something like that at Viva Las Vegas. I must have had the largest crowd around me that year. Talk about crowd control. I had four of the most beautiful pin-ups in one photograph. Kim Falcon, Dayna Delux, Jasper James and Bettie Nice. I was being filmed for a hot rod documentary and shooting for Car Kulture Deluxe. I had already started to make a name for myself in the industry so this was the icing on the cake. By the time I got done with the shoot everyone knew who I was. I created one of the most iconic photographs at Viva Las Vegas. The following year I went back and had one of my friends do an awesome burnout for me. That year they decided to take action and stop anyone that was out there causing any trouble. Well we did it anyways and got kicked out of the show. My friend was banned from ever having his car at Viva again. But was it worth the shot.? He says yes every time!
Black Sand Beach, Hawaii
As a photographer I have grown up loving photographers like Ansel Adams for the amazing landscape photography he created. I love to travel and see the world every chance I can. One of the only places I get to take time off and enjoy my life with my husband is Hawaii. We have been to both the Big Island and Kauai and both have some spectacular views. I always take my camera on all my adventures and one of my favourites is still the Black Sand Beach. The hike was amazing and reaching the destination was far more breathtaking then any photo could ever portray. We were the only ones on the beach at the time so it made it even more surreal. Nature has some amazing visuals to offer and the Black Sand Beach was truly unique and quite the sight to see.
Australia
This will be my third visit to Australia. I love everything this beautiful country has to offer. I feel so lucky to have been invited back every year to attend so many wonderful events. My first two trips out were for GarterBelts and Gasoline Festival put on by Paul and Amanda Biagini. This year I was invited by the promoters over at the Hamilton Hotel that are putting on the Rods & Rockabilly Festival in Brisbane. I am lucky to have spend enough time in Australia and gotten to see some of the amazing sights. I visited Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on my first trip and hope to get back to seeing more of the country on a later adventure.
Mooneyes, Japan
I love to travel international and this was by far one of my favourite trips overseas. I have a great relationship with the folks at Mooneyes and have always supported them. I attend there L.A. show every year but the show in Yokahama was the icing on the cake. The magnitude of the show was quite astounding. There were so many beautiful bikes and customs that filled one room. The people were so polite and welcoming. I wish I had more time to spend there but I got to enjoy Tokyo, Yokahama and Kamakura during the week I was there. I hope to make it out again to support my friends at Mooneyes.
Bonneville Salt Flats
I got salt fever. I heard this term from so many friends and didn't know what it meant till I went to Bonneville and experienced it for myself. I am hooked! This will be my fifth year attending Bonneville. My first trip out was in August 2010. I have seen some amazing views in my lifetime but nothing beats Bonneville at sunrise. The lighting is so breathtaking. The calm before the storm. The peace and serenity it has to offer just to be there and experience the landscape in itself. And then you have the racing. Meeting so many people from all over the world all there for one reason. To break a land speed record. To see and witness that is part of history in the making.
My first trip out I met a woman that was 85 years old and broke the 200mph record 3 times in her life. And it was in her later part of life she said she did it in. Now my goal is to have that little red cap that everyone gets to wear when you break that record. I've always been told I have a lead foot. I love to drive fast and I got to drive my friends Model A on the salt and I knew I was heaven! Mitzi & Co. Photography will be attending the Rods & Rockabilly Festival at the Hamilton Hotel, 21 March.
