Author Topic: Ray the Rat  (Read 285571 times)

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Offline Freud

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #180 on: February 27, 2015, 10:49:14 PM »


”Climb the ladder of your lifes experiences and look back and try to remember all the things that you saw. It's impossible to remember every single detail.  So it is with my recall of how I first came to know Ray Therat. I know how his name evolved. Perfectionist and realist Bret Kepner was the feature speaker at the Bonneville NW Reunion. As he was speaking he said, “Ray Therat.” The document did not have Ray the Rat, the writing ran together and Kepner read what was written. At that moment Ray's name evolved from the image of a rodent to that of a tongue rolling impression of a highly educated scholar. No doubt “the Rat' came from Ray's  respect for Big Daddy Ed Roth and his counterculture  Rat Fink who would bully Mickey Mouse, steal his lunch money, snatch his homework and hold his head under water in a rancid mud puddle. 
Yielding to his own mistake and acknowledging the interpretation of an accomplished master of ceremony he willingly accepted his new identity of Ray Therat. (pronounced “there at.) He changed and used his new moniker in unusual places but it was of his own choosing.
I still don't recall how we met but I do remember some things that drew us close together. The cover of the Speed Week program with the blurry roadster picture was one of Ray's contributions. It had to be sold to the person that was responsible for the appearance of the program. It seemed to me that the mountains were the subject of the cover. They had been there longer than the roadster, they were in focus and colorful, not colorful as was the roadster, but as in life with a  presence more related to eternity. That's the story and we were prepared to defend the cover but the program was already printed. During a following event Ray was posting pictures on Landracing.com as the event was happening. Repeat performance: background in focus and the car not in focus. Can't let this go on. An easy instant fix is available but it must be brought to Ray's attention. I called him on his cell phone. Had him study the posted image.  Yep, he saw it. The mountain was in focus and not the car. These cameras have selective areas of focus on the viewing screen. His selected area was above the top of the car. Drop the focusing area down to the car level and everything was fixed.  That was the event that bonded Ray and I.

From then on Ray and I talked frequently. When I told him of my inability to post pictures on the Target550 website he offered to “have a look at it.” Not only did he look at it, He fixed my problem. He altered the site to use only the portions that we needed and junked the rest. Then when needed he was available to do the photography wherever an event was happening. Ray the Rat, prior to his rebirth, put Target550 in the internet with authority, His last posts were as Ray Therat.
He worked tirelessly not only on the website but also on other individual personal computers. He set up a small net work in Marlo Treit's hanger. He educated all of us relative to our computer needs and he did it on very limited sleep. The man was an underpowered giant. His physical system was junk. His heart was handicapped by bad vessels and his lungs were like a wheeze box. That handicap caused him to work when he had enough energy to do it and when he started to sputter he went to bed. When he awaken he was right back at it. That's part of  what took his life. He floated the valves and redlined too  many times. He just didn't know quit.
Of my  friends he was one of a uniquely talented group that achieved beyond our usual standards. Along with that drive he also loved with the same intensity. I feel that love and loss every day. It's difficult to explain but if you are fortunate enough to have experienced the same fellowship and had it yanked from under you  you have a chance of knowing how much I miss Ray Therat.
His sabbatical started February 27, 2014.



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Offline Elmo Rodge

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #181 on: February 28, 2015, 12:04:44 AM »
Bye Ray. Wayno

Offline Freud

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #182 on: February 28, 2015, 01:23:27 AM »
bump
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Offline Peter Jack

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #183 on: February 28, 2015, 06:09:20 AM »
Freud, those of us of a certain age who have been regular readers of motorcycle magazines are more than familiar with your abilities with a camera. Your ability with the written word matches that skill.

Thank-you very much for putting that skill to work to offer more remembrances of Ray. I think all of us on this website miss Ray greatly. His contributions were generous and amazing.

Pete

Offline PorkPie

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #184 on: February 28, 2015, 08:54:51 AM »
oh yeah....Ray asked me a hole in my stomach about photography at the salt....photography at the salt is tough...the light is extreme...and the most professional camera's are getting in trouble to calculate the right numbers for a proper picture....the other issue at the salt...with the big "empty" at the salt....just white surface and mountain contours in the far back with a small object...means racer...to frame them not only but also creating a message and artistic picture you need some experience...that isn't that easy....

Doc Freud was long enough on the salt....I'm too, so Ray found the right persons to ask....and he learned very quick without loosing his own style....

Ray and I had a lot of fun, after the meets, back home at his place, when we went through the picture we done during the race days....Wow, Yeah, Great, How you done that.....

D..amn, How I miss him.....there is a big hole where he had his place....R.I.P. Ray
Pork Pie

Photoartist & Historian & 200 MPH Club Member (I/GL 202.8 mph in the orig. Bockscar #1000)

Offline Freud

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #185 on: February 28, 2015, 12:36:40 PM »
Fordboy I couldn't figure out how to reply to your message. I appreciate

your message. You do understand.

THANX

FREUD
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Offline Freud

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #186 on: February 28, 2015, 12:49:39 PM »
Pork Pie's last post has so much in it. People can buy the same equipment

that the professional shooters use but the cameras need special adjustment

to get quality images. The instruction books have the information that defines

these needed adjustments but most people do not know when those changes

are needed. The pro can also adjust a poorly exposed image but in the interest

of time savings he can not afford to adjust every image. That's where the

knowledge gained by experience comes into use. Ray was blessed to have

Pork Pie as an "on the spot" consultant. When PP stayed with Ray they could

critique their images together and Ray gained so much information from

PP.  PP was so willing to share with Ray. The points that PP made regarding

shooting on the salt were so relevant.  Many people were aided by Ray

and PP and I were indeed fortunate to be close to Ray. We helped him

establish a level of photography from which the public benefited.  His

images were even used on two covers of the Speed Week program.

That confirmed his level of excellence.  It goes without saying, WE MISS HIM.

Pork Pie, thanks for your comments and guidance.

FREUD

« Last Edit: February 28, 2015, 01:07:40 PM by Freud »
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Offline Stan Back

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #187 on: February 28, 2015, 01:07:01 PM »
I still like the mountains as sharp as they were.

The roadster was just passing thru -- like Ray.

I consider it was part of his artistry.  No complaints here.

Stan
Past (Only) Member of the San Berdoo Roadsters -- "California's Most-Exclusive Roadster Club" -- 19 Years of Bonneville and/or El Mirage Street Roadster Records

Offline Freud

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #188 on: February 28, 2015, 01:16:25 PM »
Thanks Stan Back.  It was your resolve that allowed that cover to be used.

It could have been your  b u t t  that would have been chewed on.  You

too needed the experience gained from years of dedication to Bonneville

to have the feel that made that cover work.  When we are alone on the salt

we still do images of the mountains.  Many photos of the cars that isolate

the car on a white surface could be duplicated in a studio. Put the mountains

in the background and instantly the picture takes on a new meaning.

Good call, Stan Back.

FREUD
Since '63

Offline Texican

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #189 on: February 28, 2015, 08:20:55 PM »
  Regarding Dr. Freud's last post: I once heard a quote from a very good landscape photographer who once stood next to the Great Ansell Adams in Yosemite.

He did every thing the exact same; yet his pix had about half the quality and depth.

Some guys have the "magic touch" and the other 98% of us are just a klutz.
Might as well use a brownie box type.

Just my opinion.

Regards,
Jim

Offline SPARKY

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #190 on: February 28, 2015, 11:10:59 PM »
 Your ability with the written word matches that skill.----wow what an understatement!

 :
Doc you and PP are such great bookends to all of our combined losses ---your words recalling "the journey" and PP's heart felt--- "reliving the joys"    :cheers:

I couldn't bring myself to read this thread until today---you two friends made me so happy to have done so

To all three of you  :cheers:  :cheers:  :cheers:
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

We are going to explore the racing N words NITROUS & NITRO!

Offline Bobby c

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #191 on: March 15, 2015, 01:59:18 PM »
I am so sad to hear this...I had the privilege to meet Ray and shake his hand....God speed Ray.....And thank you  for everything you did.   

Offline Freud

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #192 on: March 18, 2015, 08:57:59 PM »
I remember him EVERY DAY.

FREUD
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Offline SPARKY

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #193 on: March 19, 2015, 10:45:37 AM »
Wore my Salt Talks T with "Salt Happens" on the front and Ray on the back yesterday to pick up my truck at   LIBERTY GMC   in Peoria  yesterday.  The lady in the cashier office where I paid, asked me about SS1's liner on the front and about the "Salt Flats" .

I said "This T depicts two of my friends,  the one on the front survived a violent wreck and the one on the back didn't survive a hike in Death Valley because he caught "Valley Fever"

Both, depict their passionate pursuits, in Ray's case he loved both the camera and the racer!
« Last Edit: September 23, 2015, 08:27:06 PM by SPARKY »
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

We are going to explore the racing N words NITROUS & NITRO!

Offline PorkPie

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Re: Ray the Rat
« Reply #194 on: March 19, 2015, 01:26:57 PM »
I'm glad that you folks like the picture (and way as they are done) which I prepared for Jon for this Salt Talk Shirt

Especially Ray's memorial picture need me a while to get the right picture and the right arrangement to bring the message of the tribute in the right way...Ray deserved it
Pork Pie

Photoartist & Historian & 200 MPH Club Member (I/GL 202.8 mph in the orig. Bockscar #1000)