Driven 2015

The last time Driven took place in Calgary was back in 2013. Since then, it seems like the car scene has changed quite a bit. Compared to 2013 this year was definitely better, especially in terms of quantity and the overall quality of the cars as well.

Usually at an event like this, I don't spend that much time taking photos. For this year I've decided to change all that. I never posted photos from Driven 2013, so I thought I'd make up for it this year.

Anyways, here's my coverage of Driven 2015. Enjoy!

First time I saw Trung's S2000 was at the Show & Shine last August. This time around it's sporting a new color.

Derrick's K-swapped Integra + JDM front. This car definitely sounds just as good as it looks.

If you haven't met me in person, then you probably don't know that I'm a Honda fanboy. Sorry! Can't help it haha.

Jacky's newly acquired iTR.

These pictures definitely don't do this car justice. One of the few cars that you need to see in person to truly appreciate.

Errol's Amuse S2000.

I've seen this car go from stock all the way to this! Definitely excited to see what's next in store.

 This one caught my eye pretty quickly. Regamasters + S2000 = Killer combo.

Clean TSX, both inside and out. Very nice.

Haven't seen Daniel in a long time. Still rocking the RE30s!

 

My second time seeing this in person. Looks gorgeous.

LS power!

Alpha GTR.

Mike's boxer swapped Ghia.

This was my first time seeing the car up close and personal. It definitely deserved the "best swap" win at this year's Driven.

Can't forget about the rotary.

Saw this last week at Grey Eagle's Wild Wednesday meet. Makes me want a Miata even more haha.

Believe it or not, Zach's Volvo has 400,000 km on it and it still looks like it's brand new.

Not sure if anyone else noticed, but if you looked inside you could see anime being played on the monitor. This Chaser has more than enough power to whoop my civic...

The trend is here...

Rims caught my eye at first. Then the engine bay... then that turbo...

... that valve cover though.

One of my favorites of the show. Mugen front, RPFs, and a super charger. The yellow tops it off for me.

 

Kanji's BRZ.

Up until now, I've only seen pictures of this on Instagram, but I'm glad I was able to see it up close in person.

(And this is why I hate wide angle lenses... distortion is not my best friend)

Haven't really seen any other Integras rocking RGIIs, but boy do they look good... Those Wilwood calipers along with the rotors and meaty sidewall make this car look mean. 

Another favorite of mine.

If I were to build an EK, this would be it.

Dat turbo doe.

I wish I had my 50mm to shoot with, but I couldn't help myself.. I had to take this shot. These rims look amazing.

 

Old school, Turbo D16.

Alex's Integra, featured in Honda Tuning last year.

Honda Inspire, J32 supercharged.

Punit's GS.

Jason's FRS. Check him out @ lifewithjson.com

... and that wraps it up! Hope you guys enjoyed the photos. I'll see you guys on the next post.

Wild Wednesday 2015

It's been a while since I've been to Grey Eagle, especially for a car meet. It was nice to see a different side of the local car culture here in Calgary. I'm used to seeing imports all the time, so being able to see a handful of American muscle and automotive classics was definitely a nice change in pace.

Apparently the meet started at around 6 but we ended up showing up at around 7:30 and by that time around a quarter or so of the cars were already gone.

So in advance... Sorry for the lack of pictures guys! I only had half an hour before something else came up but enjoy!

Started at the back of the lot and found these two tucked away in the corner. I've seen pictures of these two on Instagram, but never in person. I love the wheel choice and how flush they sit.

One of many examples where the paint is absolutely flawless. I love the attention to detail these cars retain.

You don't see this everyday. An older Corolla chassis swapped with the heart of an American muscle.

Massive rear tires on this Camaro. I can't even..

You definitely don't see this everyday either. It was cool seeing the owner crank the motor to get it started and to see him slowly drive away. I'd definitely pay good money to buy one of these... even if it meant I could only go down the street to grab the mail.

Jaguar, E-Type. One of the best at the show in my opinion. Smooth body panels paired with the chrome trim. This screams old school perfection to me.

One of the disappointing things that I usually see is spectators putting their hands all over the display cars. Of course, this is to be expected and can't be avoided. This meet was no different... except for the fact that I saw a group of LG's open someone's car and proceed to sit in it. Not cool.

Worst thing was, the boyfriend was leaning on the car at the same time. Shame on you. Don't let me catch you teeny boppers doing that shit at Driven.

Anyways...

A few imports were there was well. I spotted this Stagea in the back corner and I couldn't help but take a picture. Also noticed the change in rims too, very nice.

Couldn't help myself, I had to take another shot of these two.

It was cool to see so many different types of cars all in one lot. This past Wednesday was the "first" Wild Wednesday of the season so one of the local drag teams brought out their dragster for display. When they got the motor going, all you could hear was revving and back fire going off all in the span of one minute. Needless to say, I might need hearing aids now.

Hope you guys enjoyed, and if you've somehow figured out who I am and know what I look like. Don't be afraid to say hi to me at Driven!

Stay tuned for Driven 2015 coverage.

Toyota Chaser, JZX100 - Part Two

It's been a while since I've actually gone out to light paint. Looking back on previous sets, I realized this is only my 3rd time light painting. I remember the very first time I went light painting, It was just me and two other friends running around with a work lamp looking like idiots. I'm sure from a far we looked like coked out ravers lost, running around with a giant glow stick.

Ever since then, I've learned a lot.

For this set, it was just one of those nights where there was nothing better to do than to shoot pictures. It's always good to flex that creative muscle once in a while.

Setup for this set was a Canon 5Dc, 50mm f/1.2, Vagabond battery, and an elinchrom strobe with the soft box attached.

Despite it being a full moon that day, the location we were shooting at was close to pitch black. Of course, shooting at night comes with it's own perks. Such as, security driving by every 10 minutes giving you funny looks and then police showing up asking what the hell you're doing at midnight running around with a battery and strobe.

Besides that though, it was smooth sailing.

If you've seen the previous post, then you already know that this Chaser used to look like a Camry. Believe it or not.. the time between then and now was only a matter of weeks. Within a week or so he already had CR-Kai's sitting in the shop waiting to be put on.

Next mod was coil overs. As it sits right now, it looks gorgeous and I personally wouldn't have it any other way.

 Possibly one of my favorite shots out of the whole set.

I love the body lines of the car and how it flows nicely to the rear. This shot feels a bit incomplete, but that's because we only had two shots to go off of.. otherwise, we would've been run over (literally).

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the set. 6 shots may not seem like a lot, but I assure you... each one is a composition and NOT a single shot. If I could show you guys the process I would, but that's for another day.
Hopefully I can go out and light paint some more this summer.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next post.

Toyota Chaser, JZX100

Recently, I got the chance to shoot some photos of a new car for a friend of mine. As you can all probably guess from the title, it's a JDM Toyota Chaser.

We always joke about this car looking like an old Camry driven by a grandpa with it's Camry rims and all.. but in all honesty though, for what it is, it's fast as hell.

Since the car is currently stock, I thought it would be fitting to take some generic stock photos. Nothing flashy and special here, just regular old photos. It's a nice change in pace from what I usually do.

Anyways, enjoy!

After a quick ride along and a few pulls in the Chaser... I'm already hooked.

Anyways, keep your eyes open for the next set! (Coming soon...)