Jason's JDM Spec CRX | Blog 4

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Having got a feature as well as a meet shoot behind me I feel way more confident about shooting cars, so next up was Jason’s imported Japanese spec Honda CRX. I have a fair bit of experience with these cars and I’m very familiar with their shape – if there was an essential Honda to own, this would be the one for me.

My initial wait for the shoot made me excited, I got to the meet spot pretty early (always good practice) and got the camera set up for the conditions. Light for the day was fantastic once again; Stoke has been really good to me for photography since I started this project. So with the sun on my back I waited.

Jason arrived right on time, the little Honda’s chorus was singing its way down the road chirpily. As he pulled up I directed him to the newly named ‘Honda Spot.’

Thankfully the weekend made the spot lovely and empty, and with space not being a premium we could plant the CRX wherever looked best. Prior to its outing Jason gave it a wash and polish so it popped beautifully against the green corrugated metal fence in the car park.

Compared to the shoot I did prior the light wasn’t as strong, the cloud made for lighter and darker situations so being able to switch my settings up accordingly was a must. The conditions made for a nice tone about the area, and with the car being harsh black it made for a nice block of colour in the images, especially amongst the different styles and colours of buildings surrounding us.

I heeded my own advice this time and brought along a tripod, also anticipated that it probably wouldn’t get used, it didn’t – but it was good having the option. This time round there was way more of a flow to the shoot, I work my way around the car and then go in for the detailed shots and cap it with some fancy stuff if it warrants it. The hoodie Jason brought along, courtesy of OsakaJDM, was also a cool little touch for some shots – he was a good sport about it as I ushered him into frame.

I think that Jason’s involvement was probably the biggest separation from UJ’s shoot, speaking comparatively, I hadn’t worked with a secondary focal focus and it was really interesting to have to consider that when taking the picture. Obviously fleeting light and working with different colours made a difference to the outcome but I was working with that form the git-go.

Getting back to the car itself, the sacristy of CRX’s to begin with is extreme – being a cheap and cheerful Honda saw a lot of them gracing hedges and ditches back in the 90’s and early 00’s. Since then seeing them would only happen rarely and even then they’d be tatty, which isn’t a bad thing, I’m drawn towards a driven piece of history rather than a show queen.

Jason’s CRX is a bit more special, instead of being shipped over on release year matching British spec’s, this one was built to stay in Japan. So this makes this a JDM spec gem, meaning it came with an array of different features and other parts to make it adhere to Japans strict emissions regulations; bronze tinted windows, power steering and no under sealing (No grit on Japanese roads). These are really understated unicorn cars already; this one is more so, and being a boxy hot hatch they just ooze cool.

Being a 27 year old car Jason’s had to do more to keep it on the road than modify it, old Japanese cars are especially prone to rust but he’s getting it undersealed as soon as he can, replacing panels where he can and just generally maintaining it. CRX’s were from a different time in Honda’s life, economy was the name of the game then, but their engines are pretty bulletproof. Tuners went crazy with old Honda’s, being a lightweight platform to begin with, tightening the chassis and adding power only did them favours – modified numbers rocked the Kanjo and caused havoc since the 90’s.

The shoot went great, and it was genuinely humbling being around such a retro piece of J-tin – it’s even shifted my desires slightly given how much they go for these days. Jason is a great guy too, was nice indulging in some Initial D natter and chatting about keeping the oldies on the road still.

Whilst I don’t think I’ve made lots of steps forward in my technique, my preparation and on the job preparedness feels great – connecting with the owner especially. This is my second shoot though, so I’m not expecting massive improvements overnight, but I can continue to refine my process as I go out and meet more cool people and snap dope cars.

Thanks again Jason for this opportunity, and we’ll be shooting it again soon!