Automotive Photography with Larry Chen
Summary
TLDRLarry Chen, a self-proclaimed 'speed hunter' and car enthusiast, shares his journey from autocross racing to becoming a passionate photographer within the car culture. He emphasizes the importance of hard work, dedication, and the pursuit of capturing the essence of various car communities. Chen's philosophy is to appreciate every form of car culture, from lowriders to high-performance vehicles, and to document these with a community-driven spirit. He also highlights his work with Speedhunters, a collective of photographers and journalists, and his personal goal to create a lasting legacy through his photographs.
Takeaways
- 📸 Larry Chen is a photographer and self-proclaimed 'speed hunter' who is passionate about capturing automotive culture.
- 🏁 He got into cars and photography through his love for driving and racing, which eventually led him to realize his talent for photography over driving.
- 🔧 Larry values the dedication and passion in all forms of car culture, believing that if someone is committed to their craft, it deserves respect and attention.
- 🤝 He has collaborated with notable figures in the car industry, such as Magnus Walker, and appreciates the opportunity to work with talented individuals like photographer Matt Bishop.
- 🌟 The 'Outlaw' mentality in car culture, characterized by doing what you love and not caring about others' opinions, resonates with Larry's approach to photography.
- 🌐 'Speedhunters' is a collective of photographers and journalists worldwide, documenting car culture, which is supported by Electronic Arts/Need for Speed as a passion project.
- 📈 Larry's dedication to his craft is evident in his work ethic, aiming to take and edit a large number of photos daily, pushing for continuous improvement.
- 📱 He has proven that high-quality photography can be achieved with just a smartphone, gaining 100,000 followers on Instagram by sharing photos taken with a Samsung Galaxy phone.
- 🚗 Larry's aspirations include driving at Pikes Peak and Bonneville Speed Week, and he dreams of having an airplane hangar full of cars, like Jay Leno.
- ⏳ He is conscious of the limited time we have and wants to make a lasting impact through his photography, ensuring his work outlives him.
Q & A
Who is Larry Chen and what does he do?
-Larry Chen is a self-described speed hunter who is passionate about photography, particularly in the automotive industry. He considers himself a photographer who pretends to take pictures but actually creates 'clicking language'.
What is Larry Chen's background with cars?
-Larry got into cars as soon as he got his driver's license. He grew up around friends who liked cars, and they would fix up and drive them. He was particularly involved in autocross for eight years.
Why did Larry Chen shift from driving to photography?
-Larry realized that he was a better photographer than a driver. He loves both driving and racing, but also has a strong passion for shooting, which allows him to maintain his connection with cars.
What is Larry Chen's philosophy towards different car cultures?
-Larry believes that if someone is pouring their heart and soul into their car, regardless of the type of car culture, it deserves respect and attention. He encourages looking at and appreciating every form of car culture.
How did Larry Chen meet Magnus Walker?
-Larry met Magnus Walker in 2012 at the SEMA Show. He was impressed by Magnus's passion for cars and later had the opportunity to work with him on various projects around the world.
What is the significance of the number 96 for Larry Chen?
-Larry was influenced by Magnus Walker's passion for the Porsche 911, which led Larry to buy a 1996 Porsche 911 GT3.
Who is Todd Hentschel and how does he relate to Larry Chen?
-Todd Hentschel is a photographer who is described as super talented and compatible with Larry Chen. They have driven and worked together, creating high-quality images.
What is the Speedhunters collective?
-Speedhunters is a collective of car photographers and journalists from around the world who contribute to a single outlet, documenting car culture. It is owned by Electronic Arts/Need for Speed as a passion project.
What is Larry Chen's approach to photography and how does he strive for improvement?
-Larry is always striving to improve his photography. He believes in the saying that the best shot is the one you haven't taken yet, and he constantly seeks to capture better images.
How does Larry Chen prove that high-quality photography doesn't require expensive equipment?
-Larry used to shoot exclusively with Samsung Galaxy phones, growing his Instagram following from zero to 100,000 followers, demonstrating that good photography is about being in the right place at the right time, not just having the best equipment.
What are Larry Chen's future aspirations in the automotive world?
-Larry aspires to drive at Pikes Peak and Bonneville Speed Week, reaching speeds of 200 miles per hour on the salt flats. He also dreams of having an airplane hangar full of cars.
Outlines
🏎️ Passion for Cars and Photography
Larry Chen, a self-proclaimed speed hunter, shares his journey into the automotive world, which began with obtaining a driver's license and being surrounded by car enthusiasts. He pursued autocrossing for eight years and eventually discovered his talent for photography over driving. Larry emphasizes the importance of appreciating all forms of car culture, as he believes that passion should be celebrated regardless of the specific niche. He also discusses his philosophy of photography, which is to document and showcase car culture without judgment, and his work with the Speedhunters collective, an outlet owned by Electronic Arts/Need for Speed, dedicated to sharing car culture globally.
📸 The Art of Car Photography and Collaborations
In this segment, Larry Chen delves into his experiences working with other photographers and car enthusiasts. He recounts meeting Magnus Walker at the SEMA Show and their subsequent collaboration, highlighting Walker's passion for cars and his influence on Chen. Larry also discusses his work with photographer Todd Bishop, emphasizing their compatibility and the efficiency of their collaborations. He touches on the 'outlaw' car culture, which is about personal expression and enjoyment,不受他人意见影响。Chen also shares his commitment to improving his photography skills, viewing himself as his own harshest critic, and his desire to document car culture authentically through his daily work.
📱 Mobile Photography and Aspirations in the Car World
Larry Chen talks about his foray into mobile photography, proving that high-quality images can be captured with a smartphone. He shares his journey from zero to 100,000 followers on Instagram, using only Samsung Galaxy phones to make a point about the accessibility of good photography. He stresses the importance of being in the right place at the right time to capture compelling images. Larry also expresses his aspirations to participate in prestigious car events like Pikes Peak and Bonneville Speed Week, and his dream of having an airplane hangar full of cars, akin to Jay Leno's collection. He concludes by reflecting on the impermanence of life and the lasting impact of his photographic work.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Photography
💡Car Culture
💡Speed Hunter
💡Autocross
💡Passion
💡Creativity
💡Community
💡Photographic Equipment
💡Hoonigan
💡Legacy
Highlights
Larry Chen, a self-taught photographer, emphasizes the importance of dedication and continuous improvement in his craft.
Chen's passion for cars began with obtaining his driver's license and grew through involvement in autocross and car modification.
He transitioned from racing to photography, leveraging his love for cars to fuel his photographic pursuits.
Chen's philosophy is to appreciate all forms of car culture, regardless of differences in style or approach.
He met Magnus Walker in 2012 at the SEMA Show, and their collaboration has been influential in his career.
Chen admires Walker's passion for Porsche and his ability to captivate audiences with his car shows.
Working with talented photographers like Todd Bishop has been a rewarding experience for Chen.
Speedhunters, a collective of car photographers and journalists, is a platform that Chen contributes to, showcasing car culture globally.
Electronic Arts/Need for Speed owns Speedhunters, viewing it as a passion project to document car culture.
Chen's work ethic involves shooting approximately 750 pictures daily, aiming for continuous improvement.
He believes in the importance of being present and actively seeking out opportunities to capture compelling images.
Chen's early success on Instagram was built on a commitment to shooting with Samsung Galaxy phones, proving the importance of skill over equipment.
His aspiration is to drive at Pikes Peak and Bonneville Speed Week, showcasing his enduring passion for cars.
Chen's ultimate goal is to have a legacy of photographs that outlive him, capturing the essence of car culture.
He emphasizes the importance of making a mark in the world through one's work and the impact of photography as a lasting art form.
Transcripts
[Music]
I don't really consider myself any
better than any other photographer in
the industry or my peers I just put in
you know as many hours as I can and I
try to really push myself to shoot the
best I can pretty much any event that I
go to or our future if I'm following a
race team I really try to push our
photography just I guess our culture in
general I'm Larry Chen I'm a speed
hunter I pretend to take pictures I
don't actually take creatures I just
make the clicking language
[Music]
[Music]
would be you
I got into cars pretty much as soon as I
got a beverage license I just grew up
around a bunch of guys who liked bars
and we kind of got our first cars you
know started fixing them up just started
driving them and I picked up auto
crossing and auto cross for eight years
straight just 240z whatever Nissan
Maxima and this one time for anything I
can get my hands on we pretty much just
started from a love for driving I love
her being behind the wheel love for you
know fixing them up and just tinkering
this vigil so after driving cars I
quickly realized that I'm a much better
photographers and a driver I love
driving and I love racing
but I also love shooting and it pretty
much still allows me that you know have
my love affair I guess his cars I could
take pictures I could drive the cars
that I want to drive so it pretty much
is a dream job for me when it comes to
cars in general like you know there's
there's always going to be haters there
always always going to be different
kinds of groups you know you got their
site on air you get the lowrider guys
you have to you know form over function
function over form all that I always
think that if these guys if anyone is
pouring their heart and soul into what a
life then I should kind of take a look
at it - you know I should love it - just
as much as they do because they really
put their heart and soul into it and
that goes for every single form of car
culture I mean it could even be dogs
whatever you know but if they love it
then I should take a close look at it
too and you know kind of showcase what
it's all about it really is it's a
community effort to keep just the
passion going
and you know even if it's just like a
little niche or whatever I always try to
try to find it and just kind of shock me
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
hey I met Magnus back in 2012 at the
SEMA Show it's funny he actually snuck
in and then just this last year he did
the keynote for the entire SEMA Show
just to open up the whole show in front
of the whole show
I've met him at the show and then
afterwards I went to his shop for the
first time and it really just blew my
mind his passion for horse shows put on
a good show what God is he's headed to a
nine nine seven I guess I kind of got
bit you know by the bug
I bought a 96 first and then eventually
he bought a 96 gt3 but ya know he's
awesome he's he's just a great guy I'm
so lucky to be able to work with someone
like him over the years all over the
world to caught along with where I'd say
my most favorite photographer touch
Bishop where these super talented were
compatible we've driven quite a bit
together driven by cars I've driven his
cars but working with him is just a real
treat because it's super efficient get
stuff done really quickly and the images
are just killer bang this is pretty much
just the outlaw like do what you want
build for yourself just enjoy them and
drive them really hard
he doesn't really care about anyone
elses opinions he just cares about what
he likes and that's what kind of
attracted everyone to him I guess I
could I guess I could say that I kind of
have the similar mentality when it comes
to photography because I really just do
what I want to do I really point my
camera at things I don't want to point
in that you know I really shoot what I
want to shoot speed hunters is a
collective of car photographers slash
journalists all across the world that
just contribute to this one outlet and
we have really known rhyme or reason of
why we do things we just kind of go out
there and then we just document car
culture for the map it's actually owned
by Electronic Arts / Need for Speed and
to them it's just like a passion project
that they wanted to exist they wanted to
create something greater we're trying to
keep that whole thing going like just a
place where you can check out car
culture anytime for free all around the
world
just this one destination
[Applause]
we totaled that night all of our photos
so far we're at 25,000 so we're going to
hit 35,000 this weekend and we'll
probably publish I averaged about 750
pictures a day every single day
I mean I'll probably go to three days
without shooting and then I'll make that
up and I say so I'm always at home
editing in a behold that's just cooking
through pictures one by one candlelit
you know just so Lewis has been working
for me full-time for over three years
now I pretty much can't do anything
without that back yeah
he pretty much does everything for me I
actually don't do anything I pretend
like I shoot I pretend like I go to all
these events but it's actually Lewis I
just come here just to hang out eat free
food you know make some friends like
some noise you fight a lot like I mean
like talking about me all day I really
don't know why I'm story
cyclist yes times are you're firing
everybody happy farming it it's tough
for me because I'm always looking for
that better shot you know I it's kind of
the whole old photographer saying like
the best shot that you've ever taken is
the one that you're you haven't taken it
or the one that you're always looking
out for me you know
so we're here at the hoonigan donut
garage I just wanted to kind of check
out what they're doing
[Music]
[Music]
yeah for sure that the I'm always
shooting and I'm always striving to be
better you know this is there's always a
way to get better it's photography is
such a subjective thing but for me and a
lot of other photographers you know
we're our own worst critic you know I
always feel like if I can't improve if
I'm not getting better than I'm getting
worse and that's that's not good I
really try to shoot every day living in
SoCal it's too easy to do that you know
there's just so many cool builds all
over the place if I'm not editing I'm
out there shooting to prove a point when
I started doing Instagram I stuck to
only shooting with Samsung Galaxy phones
from zero followers to 100,000 followers
I just posted photos that I shot with my
phone just to prove a point that you
don't actually need a good camera to to
shoot well you know you basically have
to just put yourself into that situation
put yourself in front of something cool
in order to take particular
and you can't just sit on your couch
hoping even with the best lenses left
camera and you just can't take good
pictures if you don't go out and
actually do them and who knows you know
I want to drive to Pikes Peak too one
day I want to drive Bonneville Speed
Week and go 200 miles per hour
you know on the salt I want to do all
that stuff is that too much that just to
have an airplane hangar full of cars you
know can I be like Jay Leno the Asian
Jay Leno that would be so awesome you
know I just want to enjoy card just hang
out with my family
hang out with my wife enjoy my
employment here both because Drive event
you know take pictures I am pretty much
over at that hole just grinding trying
to appease other people you know I just
want to shoot the part that I want to
shoot do the best I want to do
it's just we just we really only have so
much time
all this world I have to make my mark
you know and when I'm long gone these
pictures are going to live on
[Music]
you
you
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