In The Passengers Seat: Through the Camera Lens with @carspotsg

(Photo Credit: @carspotsg)

In this episode of In The Passenger's Seat, we take a peek into the life of a local photographer and car spotter, Dillon (@carspotsg). He shares more about car spotting and tips for better car photography.

Being enamoured with cars, especially rare ones, is something most people fail to wrap their heads around, much less go through with the effort to photograph cars. 

However, automotive photography is a legitimate career that can spark from the hobby of car spotting. Today, Dillon (@carspotsg) will explain the ins and outs of car spotting, his love for cars and share some insights on car photography.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

(Photo Credits:@carspotsg)

Hi. My name is Dillon or Snorlax (yes, the Pokemon), and I'm currently in my 2nd year of Polytechnic.

For those uninitiated, what is car spotting?

(Photo Credits: @carspotsg)

Car spotting is literally what it means. So what we do is we go to places that we know these cars will most likely show up and try to spot them. So places like Millenia Walk or Leng Kee as well as industrial areas like Kaki Bukit are where you'll see the majority of us roaming around, trying to find rare cars. There is no real way to go about doing this and it's mostly based on luck.

What are some challenges that you face?

(Photo Credits: @carspotsg)

I have yet to face any real challenges so far but a few problems that spotters do face in general are:

1. Luck. Sometimes spotters would walk around the popular areas for car spotting and find nothing. After a long day of walking all sweaty and tired, it does get a little discouraging. So car spotting is definitely a hit-or-miss kind of situation.
   
   
2. Technical problems. The worst thing I have seen happen to my friend is their cameras malfunctioning, SD cards getting corrupted, batteries dying or shutter flaps stuck open in cameras. Those are things you do not want happening when you are spotting.

Tell us about your very first car spotting experience

(Photo Credits: @carspotsg)

Alright, I'll be real here. The first time I tried car spotting, it was a little awkward. I was 15 at the time and it was a random day in August of 2018. People were going about, doing their thing, and out of nowhere, they would see me on a bike holding a phone and taking pictures of a car that zoomed past on the main road.

I can still remember the first car I spotted, it was a red Evo X near my estate. It was a little weird for pedestrians to stare at me taking photos of a modified car they associate with ah bengs. But after 3 years of doing it, I think people got used to it already.

Name one car that you are always on the lookout for. Why?

(Photo Credits: @carspotsg)

Of course, most spotters would have a dream car and mine happens to be a Nissan Skyline GTR (BNR34). Yes, I know, the R34 can be a little overrated but it was love at first sight.

My first encounter with an R34 was in 2019 when I was spotting on a Sunday morning and I saw it from the corner of my eye. I stopped my bike, walked up to it, and slowly admired the car, taking pictures of it and stuff. 

I probably looked at it for over an hour and but I did not want to leave.

Have you encountered any difficulties when shooting cars?

(Photo Credits: @carspotsg)

Of course. Most photographers would tell you that they have faced issues. From the weather to shoots not going as planned, it requires proper planning and analysing every detail so that it does not ruin the shoot.

The weather would definitely be the biggest problem all photographers face, especially with how crazy the weather has been these past few months. 

Another might be security. There are a few locations that have security on patrol and we do get kicked out sometimes so that is definitely something to think about when choosing shoot locations.

How do drivers usually react when you're taking pictures of their car?

(Photo Credits: @carspotsg)

Honestly, most drivers are ok with it. I have yet to encounter an owner who does not like pictures taken of their cars. I have met a few people who even smiled and stop for a short chat before driving off. 

So drivers, in general, are quite nice but I think there are a few who don't like the attention.

Could you share with us your creative process?

(Photo Credits: @carspotsg)

Instagram would definitely be the best way to gain inspiration. Seeing how other photographers shoot in the UK and the USA specifically teaches you how to play around with camera situations and shoot pictures with sunset lighting.

Locations, angles, and style of edits are what I love the most so I would see where they shoot, how they shoot, and how they edit through YouTube videos and try to replicate them in real life. It's really all about trial and error, no shortcuts.

Looking back, how have you evolved as a photographer?

(Photo Credits: @carspotsg)

I guess I would dare say that I have improved and progressed a lot. I started @carspotsg when I didn't have a camera to shoot cars and I've always dreamed of shooting cars when I was younger.

Of course, with time anyone can improve and get better so I guess, skills-wise, it is definitely expected.

Do you own a car? If not, would you want to own one in the future?

(Photo Credits: @carspotsg)

As of now, no but of course I would want to own and modify a car in the future.

What photo are you most proud of?

(Photo Credits: @carspotsg)

I don't exactly have a photo that I'm most proud of actually. I'm proud of my work and what I've put out but all of that doesn't matter to me if the owner of the car doesn't like the photos I shot.

So I guess I get more satisfaction in having an owner post my picture and credit me rather than putting my own work on my own page.

What is one thing that you love or hate about Singapore's car scene?

(Photo Credits: @carspotsg)

I love how most of the community is very close and generally quite friendly. I have had experiences where owners that meet me for the first time treat me like they've known me for years.

They are also happy to chit-chat with me during shoots and share more about their personal experiences which benefit me so I would say the car community is quite caring if you will.

Check out Dillon's photos over on his Instagram!

Read More: In The Passenger Seat: Motorist's mReview Host, Jackie!

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