Rick Cline
When I entered the creative world of photography, auto-focus and digital was unheard of; everyone was using 35 mm film, and all were struggling with manual-focus cameras. And there were countless photography-related issues to deal with back in those days. Some 20-years later, I made the monumental transition, replacing all my 35 mm camera gear and moving into auto-focus, professional, digital capture.
My first experience in photography came at a young age, using an antiquated 8mm movie-film camera while in the sport of surfing. A native Californian, I have since earned several awards for professional photography and photojournalism. In addition to photography, I have written three books on World War II (AllNavyBooks.com) and enjoy many outdoor activities such as boats, camping and motorcycles. My introduction to drag racing came as an impressionable pre-teen, at Lions Drag Strip (NHRA) in Wilmington, California, around 1963. Many years later, once I owned my own car and obtained a drivers license, I found my way back to the drag strip and entered my first event. Driving my ’55 Chevy I made my way to the starting line at OCIR, Orange County International Raceway, in Irvine, California.
Above: Lions Drag Strip, Wilmington, California
Above: Water skiing at Bass Lake, California
Raised in a power-boat family who spent nearly every summer water-skiing, it seemed almost second-nature to take interest in drag boat racing. Now outfitted with newer Canon 35 mm camera gear, I set out for my first drag boat race in February 1981, when I attended the NDBA (National Drag Boat Association) Season Premier at Lake Ming, Bakersfield, California. It only took one race, I was hooked on the exciting sport and quickly became involved.
For nearly 15 years, I was the unofficial historian for the IHBA (International Hot Boat Association). Many of my race stories and photographs appeared in countless publications including; National Race Boat, Hot Boat Magazine, Trailer Boats Magazine, Powerboat Magazine, National Drag Boat, IHBA’s the Liquid Quarter Mile and others. I also covered circle boat, K-boat and Unlimited Hydroplane races, and did various work for the APBA (American Power Boat Association). Following the 1986 drag boat season I produced a high-quality full-color drag boat poster, “The Liquid Quarter Mile.” Five years later in 1991, followed it with another classic, “The Liquid Quarter Mile – Part 2.” Both can still be purchased right here on this website.
Above: My all-time favorite 35mm film, Kodak’s legendary Kodachrome 64. Much of my archival film is Kodachrome. The results of using this film was so spectacular, in 1973 singer Paul Simon wrote and sang a song about it, appropriately titled “Kodachrome.” Today, Kodachrome is no longer produced.
Above: With Powerboat Magazine photographer Jim Welch (left), at the IHBA World Finals.
Above: Drag boat photography from a crane/basket.
Above: Inside the cockpit of Dean Kirchner’s, top alcohol hydro, “Blown Crazy.”
As an independent photojournalist, my work has been published around the World, in Europe, Australia, Germany, Japan, the UK and many other countries. Here in America, I’ve worked for and sold photographs to UPI (United Press International), the AP (Associated Press), The National Enquirer, The Star, The Globe, more newspapers and magazines than I can remember including; the southern California based Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register. In the early 1990’s, I had the pleasure to work with ESPN as a technical advisor for their drag boat TV productions.
Above: Photographing Firebird Lake, from a helicopter.
Above: With the late drag boat photographer Jack Cool (left).
Working in boat racing, I simultaneously owned and operated a full-time photography studio in Anaheim Hills, California, servicing many non-racing clients with studio, and industrial photography. For a number of years, I was affiliated with the Yorba Linda (Ca.) Chamber of Commerce, and served on their executive board. In 1997, I decided to leave boat racing and turned my attention toward a new book publishing career (AllNavyBooks.com). During these absent years from racing I was still doing the occasional commercial photography job with studio and location projects. As the year 2000 passed I had slowly equipped myself with digital photography gear. Eventually the urge to return and photograph a drag boat event materialized and (in 2007, 2011, 2017, 2018 and 2019) I was back testing the familiar surroundings. In late 2021, I decided to resume a full schedule of drag boat racing, and it’s been an amazing experience. My work as a professional photographer is not over, I am now located in sunny, Yuma, Arizona, and will continue with this exciting adventure as long as God allows me. Countless places and things I still want to photograph, including more drag boat racing.
A special thank you, to all the wonderful people who posted and shared their kind thoughts on social media. See Customer Reviews page. Your gracious words help keep me going strong, God Bless each and every one of you!
