Q&A with Larry Chen, Author of Life At Shutter Speed
Over the past two decades, Larry Chen has been on the scene for the most iconic moments in car culture — Formula Drift, SEMA, Pikes Peak, the Baja 1000, Gymkhana, and Luftgekühlt, to name a few. Now, for the first time ever, his book Life At Shutter Speed collects them all in one place. In the interview below, Chen explains his motivation behind the project and what he hopes it accomplishes.
Why is this the right time for your book?
A Honda Civic EG, photographed by Larry Chen for Life At Shutter Speed.
Larry Chen: I love that there are so many round numbers associated with this book — 20 years, 400 pages and 2,000 photos. After two full decades the project serves as a bookend, in a way, to this period in my life and career. It’s something I’ve wanted to accomplish for many years, but the right partners and the right time to do it never came around. Until now.
How did it feel to revisit your early work?
A Porsche 910 during Luftgekühlt, photographed by Larry Chen for Life At Shutter Speed.
Larry Chen: It was eye-opening, and changed the perspective of the project. I realized I wanted to take people through my career in reverse chronological order, to end with where it all began. Sifting through those photos brought back a lot of incredible memories and I was able to relive so many moments that became iconic in car culture.
What changes have you noticed in car culture?
Matt Field drifts his C6 Corvette at Formula Drift, photographed by Larry Chen for Life At Shutter Speed.
Larry Chen: Car culture has seen a very steady growth since my career began. And of course the rise of technology has fueled a lot of it, whether that’s improvement in cameras and smartphones, or the way social media and YouTube have helped us reach new audiences. It’s bigger and bigger every year and that’s very evident in the book. You can see how my storytelling changes over time, and how my image quality improves as I’m always searching to bring fans the best possible content so they can enjoy it as if they were there with me.
What was the photo selection process like?
Larry Chen: Super difficult. Especially when it came to digging into the earlier years. Part of it was my fault, of course, because I could have organized them differently. But also, I kept stopping to reflect on things I uncovered that I hadn’t seen in a long time. It’s important to look back and see how far we’ve come as a culture, so you can take a step back and refocus on the future. This book is like an archive for our generation of enthusiasts — you can refer back to and see the moments that shaped us. If you’re into cars, from all walks of life, it’s a book that should last a lifetime.
How did different gear affect your work?
A Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R, photographed by Larry Chen for Life At Shutter Speed.
Larry Chen: Gear played an incredibly crucial role. We always tried to use the best tool for the job, no matter what. That meant we gravitated toward the latest and greatest Canon cameras and lenses. It gave us an opportunity to push the boundaries of what was possible with car photography. We made a point to mention in the book when a new Canon body came out and was integrated into our equipment, and you’ll notice the change in image quality aligns perfectly.
About Life At Shutter Speed
Life At Shutter Speed is a 400-page hardcover coffee table book by Larry Chen, published by Carrara Media. It spans 20 years and over 2,500 images across Formula Drift, SEMA, Pikes Peak, the Baja 1000, Gymkhana, Luftgekühlt, and car culture events on six continents. Chen is the official photographer of Formula Drift and was named the SEMA Show’s first-ever Featured Artist photographer.
Reviewed as “thrilling” and “jaw-dropping” by BookLife (Publisher’s Weekly), “an immersive experience” by Foreword Reviews, and “captures the excitement of racing in all its forms” by Kirkus Reviews. Featured in the Los Angeles Times, Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, NPR, Forbes, and Jay Leno’s Garage.
Available now in Standard Edition ($125). The Limited Edition (1,000 signed copies) is sold out.
Order Life At Shutter Speed → Full book details →
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