With a background in both industrial and graphic design, as well as learning firsthand what it takes to design a car from the ground-up, it was only a matter of time before automotive photography took a firm hold of avid petrolhead Johan Lee. We find out what other influences have inspired his time behind the lens.
Johan, give me a rundown of your background. What got you started with photography in the first place…
“Well I started getting serious about my photography back in 2000 with a camera that my uncle gave it to me. It was 1978 Nikon F2 film camera with 50mm f1.4 manual lens. And it was fun, taking pictures of the people around me, friends, family, etc. Shortly after that I went to a design school after that, majoring in industrial design.”
Industrial design? Seems an interesting albeit unusual way to improve your photography…
“It doesn’t sound like it would, but actually that course really helped boost my creativity and vision. It helped me to understand art in general, and also helped keep my eye on details for a higher standard of image, which has proven really important.
“After graduation, I got a job in the US so I moved from Korea to the States. It was a small industrial design firm and I learned basic skills with graphic tools, such as Photoshop, illustrator, etc. After I’d been there for a while, I bought my first DSRL: a Nikon D200.”
A notable difference using the D200…?
“Yes, it was a very different experience using a DSRL compared to my F2. Actually it was easier because I didn’t have to worry about developing films, but it was hard at the same time because the more photos I took, the more I understood just how much I still had to learn. A few of the basics I still hadn’t perfected at that time. Since then I have been trying to improve my photography skills.”
So, was it the interest in photography that developed your interest in cars, or have you always been a petrolhead?
“Oh I’ve always loved cars. I went college to study mechanical engineering to understand cars better, and after that took another course to learn how they are designed. It was just natural that I was into cars as I grew up.
“So yeah, being a car fan comes first, but I only really started capturing cars when I started my own aftermarket business. I was in charge of marketing, so there was a lot of work required but I also wanted to compete with other automotive photographers to get better.”
Interesting you mention a background in the aftermarket sector. Does this mean you shoot a lot of tuner cars as well?
“Yes, it does. I had to photograph customer and project cars for the business, and quickly realised that I wanted to do a better job every time, which basically led me where I am right now. The aftermarket sector has been big for my career, and in fact I started my own media business last year. I left the company that I worked as a marketing director and started a media company called Driven Media. I am doing commercial automotive photography as well as marketing consulting and graphic design.”
Interesting you mention graphic design there. Does that, like the industrial design course, help ‘your eye’ in photography…?
“I think it does, yes. I don’t actually consider them two completely different subjects. Sometimes, I come up with ideas for graphic design after thinking about an idea for a photoshoot, and vice versa. It’s just fun and keeps me inspired.”
You mention yourself that you’re still learning with each shoot.
“Whatever I shoot, it helps improve my skills. I find a new technique every time. It doesn’t really matter if it’s commercial car photography or not: sometimes I find good skills for automotive photography from fashion photography. So you never really know where inspiration will arise. It’s just important to learn from it when it does.”
– Shots courtesy of Johan Lee Photography
