From the Archives: Austin's Celica Shoot II

A long, long time ago, I took more photos of my friend Austin's Celica. I say "more" because an even longer time ago, I took some photos of his Celica. Anyways, I took these additional photos of his Celica, but I never got around to editing and publishing them because school got super busy. But, here they now are.

Just because they're old photos doesn't mean they're useless. In fact, I found going through them enlightening on how much I've grown with lighting, composition, color, etc. Also, Lightroom and Photoshop don't care when the photos were taken, meaning I had new canvases to experiment with different editing styles. I experimented with more washed-out/lighter colors plus gradients to give more mood to the photos and to convey the heat and feelings of a summer sunset. Furthermore, I experimented with color, using warming filters and brown colors with gradients to enhance these effects. I definitely liked how these turned out, so hopefully I'll start doing more of this to broaden my styles.

I also got to see how I had no idea how external lighting worked, as seen in these next few photos. I relied on the little light in the day I had left for them, and when that disappeared, using the flash but not very well.

I think it's great to go back and look at your older work. You can see what worked, what didn't, what you still do, and how you've improved. Even though I felt like I've stagnated over the past year or so, I've seen that my efforts to try new things, and my overall photography skills, have actually improved. Hopefully this will also be the start of going through old photos (hence the "From the Archives" title), mainly because I do want to eventually get to my Monterey Car Week 2016 photos....

Matt's Scion FRS

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. 

Harrison's TT

In 1995, Audi unveiled a new concept, a slickly designed, small, two-door sports car called the TT. I remember how there was hype over this car as it was a small sport 2+2, and later roadster, a class that did not have too many entries in. People were polarized by the design; some loved it, others thought the front and rear looked the same (to the point that I remember in a car magazine, I think it was Car and Driver but I can't remember for certain, someone photoshopped a TT picture so the rear had headlights instead of taillights). However, the TT is definitely a fun, small car, as this 2002 TT's owner, Harrison, can attest to.

Harrison is a mechanical engineering major at ASU. He loves the AWD of Audi's quattro system, as well as the very respectable 225 hp the turbo 4 puts out. However, interestingly enough, the TT was not Harrison's original first choice, nor even close to what he was originally thinking of as a first car. He originally wanted something with power, so naturally he was looking towards American cars with V6 or V8 engines, but with the cost of fuel and insurance for them, he looked towards turbo 4 engines. He says he was sold on the TT on the test drive, which, although he was too young to drive at the time and his dad drove it, he knew he had to have it when his dad said it was too fast for him.

Harrison's main concern is to keep the car in the best shape possible, meaning he stays ahead on maintenance and fixing any issues the car may have, such as recently with his power steering pump and turn signal relay. The care and attention to the car shows since even though it's over a decade old it still feels and looks amazing. While there are no performance mods on this car, Harrison has it riding on Drag DR-33s for the red-and-black aesthetic, an aesthetic I love. He also had the original grey interior replaced with black, as well as painted the brake calipers red. 

Harrison says his goal for this car is to keep it running smoothly as a reliable daily driver in hopes of a project car in the future. While he'd love to have a GT-R, for the sake of variety he'd still love to own an American muscle car, like a Challenger, because as he says, "there is something undeniably sexy about having more horsepower than your tires can handle." However, before any of this occurs, he says "I should probably get a garage that I don't share with 300 of my closest friends...". 

But, regardless of what dream car is bought, there will always be the original, the first car. And for Harrison, it's this wonderfully taken care of Audi TT.