Locals: John Kimbell and his 1976 Chevrolet C10

As I write this, there is currently a huge shake-up happening in the online automotive entertainment space as several long time creators have announced that they are stepping away from the channels where they made their name, or quitting altogether. While there are a litany of issues surrounding each of those departures that I won’t pretend to be privy to as any kind of insider (I’m certainly not), they all essentially boil down to the tension of art versus commerce.

For any creative endeavor, there exists a sliding scale of “I’m doing this for fun” and “I’m doing this for money”. What begins as a personal project, gains steam, becomes popular, and perhaps at some point, crosses the line into monetization. The hobby becomes a side gig (or THE gig). “I can do my favorite thing, and get paid?!”, echoes through the mind of every hobbyist. This is the dream right?

Don’t worry, this isn’t going to turn into another exhausted Youtuber rant. We’ve heard that story over, and over, and over. The content that gave them success is what locks them into a cycle of never-ending creation, that ultimately leads to burn out. Or, and maybe this is harder to stomach, the content was so successful that it draws the attention of investors, the creator takes the payout, and then ultimately finds themselves in a situation where they aren’t able to create in their original way because it simply isn’t as profitable as what the suits expect.

While I’m not a full time creator, I’ve found a couple of niches in the automotive space that allow me to use my skills professionally. I’m eternally grateful for those opportunities, and would happily take on more. I’m not at the burnout stage. That being said, as I’ve chased those gigs, I’ve sidelined the type of art that I enjoyed making. When I’m engaged in commercial work, there are expectations, and requirements, and shotlists to meet and fulfill.

At some point, your focus turns from “Man, that’s a great patina”, to “Man, that truck has the right tires for the sponsors.” And that doesn’t mean that the gallery will be bad, but it does mean that the gallery will be different. The sliding scale of art and commerce doesn’t exist in a vacuum. What you create will be affected by its purpose. And that’s a huge deal. That’s what leads to burnout. One is work, one is play.

John Kimbell is an avid enthusiast of classic GM cars and trucks living in Fayetteville, GA. We got connected through a Nitto Tire shoot with his Corvette C4, but he’s around the community. He’s at the local Cars and Coffee, he’s at the big meets, and he even took the Vette down to Radwood at Amelia and did the whole thing. He’s having fun.

He found this 1976 Chevrolet C10 earlier this year on Facebook Marketplace and has since made it his own. In a world where squarebody C10s have exploded in popularity, this particular example still really just feels like a farm truck. It’s “honest”. It’s got unfinished bodywork, overspray, dents, dings, rust, the not-cool side mirrors, the utility-spec rear bumper, and a whole lot of character. The kind of character where you maybe should just not touch anything for fear of erasing it.

The only things that John has done are to lower it, mount a set of wheels (He still has the original rallies with tall, white letter tires), and add the Orange Crush vinyl decal. It’s a good balance of personal flavor, and respecting the age on the truck. Currently, its his daily driver. With no working AC. And it’s been 100+ on the regular this summer. When he says he’s about classic GM, he’s not kidding.

This is the first vehicle I’ve photographed for myself in over a year. We chose the location, and we chose the time, not because it was convenient, but because it was the best choice for the best photos. I wanted that because I cared about how these photos came out, more so than just “Are the photos correct” or “Do they show what they need to show”. And I’m proud of these.

No, I’m not stepping away from paid work. In fact, please sir, I’d like some more. But it was important that I took the time to do this with John. This truck doesn’t fit anywhere in my professional portfolio, but it’s too rad to ignore. This is the type of vehicle that made me fall in love with automotive photography. If your scale has tipped towards commerce, maybe just try art for a bit? Fun was why we started, and it’s what will keep us here.