I've been trying to get back into doing photoshoots again. Unfortunately, this summer was busier than I intended, between getting sick, working, FSAE, starting my honors thesis, and moving out of my old apartment. Admittedly, I also haven't been aggressive enough in trying to secure photoshoots, but alas.

However, when my friend Matt said he was looking for photos, I was down for them. He told me that his Scion FRS is at a steady-state. He'll leave it like this for now until he's ready for the next stage, so he figured he should get photos of it now since he'll be able to use them for a while. The highlight of this stage is the Rocket Bunny spoiler, wrapped in carbon fiber. So, naturally I had to showcase that. Of course, he has a good set of other mods as well, both internal and external. Internal upgrades include the intake, Agency Power headers, front and rear sway bars, and an Invidia exhaust with midpipe. Externally, a diffuser, side skirts, black roof wrap, and Autodipped wheels complete the look.

Matt's FRS is a workhorse. He's put on thousands of miles on it from daily driving and trips. He actually recently came back from California and 86 Fest before this shoot, and the rock chips on the front show.

Matt wanted to take shots at Tempe Town Lake since he never had any shots here. If you've seen my previous photos, you'll see that this is a main spot of mine since I'm usually in Tempe. This shoot also let me discover that the lake security that usually shows up and kicks you out of the ramp at nights/the evenings aren't present during the afternoon, something I'll be taking a note of for later.

The cloudy, monsoon weather made for a perfect backdrop of the lake. It also made for some interesting lighting situations. When the clouds covered the sun, I opted to go for a cooler temperature to capture the relaxed mood of the weather at the time (this being an Arizonan summer, the fact we could be outside and enjoy the weather says a lot). Being next to the approach path for Sky Harbor also allowed for some cool shots with planes in the background.

Meanwhile, when the sun came out, since we were approaching the evening, I went for a warmer color temperature to capture the vibrancy of the desert sunsets that we get treated to when the monsoon clouds roll in.

I also have been experimenting more with HDR. The D750 has what I think is faster continuous-high speed shooting as well as more increments than my D5300. Plus, now that I'm using my tripod more and Lightroom having a built-in HDR function, it's been a no-brainer to try using HDR more.

I definitely have the itch to shoot some more. As time consuming as it is, I still love taking photos, and having a photo shoot is a great chance to get to catch up with people. It was certainly great to get to talk with Matt for a while, since we're both usually busy and can only exchange a few pleasantries when we see each other.

Arizona State University, with its over 83,000 students, makes for a great place to find cool people with awesome cars. Two weekends ago I got to have a photoshoot with two of these people, Tanner and Griffin.

I first met Tanner through the car club on campus, Street Refined. Tanner, a marketing major, drives this Scion FRS, sitting on Parts Shop Max coilovers and 18x9 Cosmis XT-005R wheels, wrapped in matte mint by Bourbon St. Wraps and sporting an Invidia exhaust. As you can see, it makes for an incredibly clean looking car. The Toyobaru twins were marketed as an enthusiasts car, an answer to the call for affordable, fun, RWD driver's cars echoing the Miata and AE86 Corolla. Thus, it was the perfect car for Tanner, who wanted a sporty, fun to drive enthusiast's car with tons of potential and can turn heads (in fact, as we were taking photos, passerbys would stop and look at the car; it seems no matter where we go at least two or three people stop to take a look at the car). In fact, when it comes to potential, Tanner has thought about boosting it, as well as add a Rocket Bunny kit someday. You can bet when that day comes there will be more photos. Until then, keep an eye out for this amazing looking FRS prowling the Tempe streets.

I also met Griffin, a business management major, through Street Refined. Griffin's ride of choice is this bug-eye Subaru Impreza WRX. As I've said before, Imprezas are a popular choice of car for those who want to have some fun, and for good reason, since there are so many Subaru owners and cars floating around. For Griffin, he chose this car as a daily that would be fun both out in the canyons and the track. With this in mind, Griffin's WRX has been modified for sportier purposes than just city street driving. It has an Injen Performance Intake, HKS catback exhaust, Cusco top mount intercooler, and an open source ECU tune, all of which sits on Megan Racing coilovers and 17x9 Konig integrams wrapped in Falken Ziex tires. That beautiful color comes from the 3M Matte Blue Metallic coating the bodywork. However, he has bigger plans in terms of performance, whih is an EJ25 STi JDM swap sometime in the future.

The two cars made for excellent subjects in the city night. We originally wanted to take most of our shots on the Mill Avenue Bridge over Tempe Town Lake, but a cop passing by changed those plans. But still, nothing an stand in the way of art.

After leaving the bridge, we headed for a parking garage to take some more shots to wrap up the night.

I have to say, these two wrapped cars, headlights glowing in the dark, were as striking in person as they were in real life. So, if you're ever around ASU, see if you can find these awesome vehicles.