“I’m a photographer and a writer from Orange County. And I actually work for a car magazine, Super Street magazine.
I actually started as a writer first. I just got into photography because it would help me get more writing jobs. And then it just kind of grew from there. I don’t like writing at all. It just comes naturally to me, so I do it. Just like photography’s fun, and writing is more of a job. So there’s a lot of photographers out in the world but not a lot of writers.
I’ve always been into cars. Photography just helps me get around more cars. I kind of like all cars. Even as a kid. Anything car-related. I don’t know. I was just born that way, I guess. I have an Infiniti. It’s like a luxury car. I’ve had it for a while now. I haven’t lately [purchased mods for it] because photography stuff is expensive. I don’t do that many race events. I want to, next year, but mostly car show stuff.
I mean Japanese Classic Car Show is really good because there’s a lot of variety. And classic cars appeal to everybody, so it’s always good to be out here. It’s mainly just because of the different styles. I mean, you get to see people’s different personalities in their cars. I have a lot of Japanese influence, so I guess [my style]’s more like traditional Japanese. I don’t use any parts that are made here in America. It’s all pretty rare stuff. It’s expensive, but being in the industry helps. They know people that can get pretty good prices.
I always like Japanese styling. Japanese car culture. I get hired to do car shows out there. People are very polite over there. They’re very reserved. It’s just how they were raised. They usually get out of the way, whereas here, they just walk through your photos.
I guess the first thing you notice is the wheels. The wheels is a big thing ’cause there’s a lot of counterfeit stuff out here. I mean, just like with handbags and stuff like that for women, there’s a lot of counterfeit stuff. You have to have an eye for it. If it has counterfeit stuff, I usually don’t look at the car anymore. ‘Cause I’m in a competitive industry, so I have to look for the best stuff.
I do a little bit of everything, so I guess I’m pretty proud of that. I’m in the industry. I’m doing something that I love. Especially out here in California. I mean, I just work hard. It’s easy, once you get the hang of it. With photography, you can be creative and kind of do whatever you want. There’s no restrictions to it, really.”
Excerpt may be edited for clarity.