Blog Feed - SHIRAKIPHOTO & DESIGN LLC

AVENTADOR S // BTS

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 03:59:00 GMT

STEP 1 // Tech Scout.

-Get your crew vehicle (X5M for our team pictured here) and scout the track for interesting locations. Any suntracker app will work but I like "Sun Position" by Stonekick because it allows me to overlay the sun so I know exactly where it will be in relationship to the vehicle and shoot location.

STEP 2 // Mock Lighting.

-Using our sun map reference, we were planning to shoot this dynamic rear 3/4 shot around 8am.

Client called for the Yellow and White Aventador S's so of course, I brought out the appropriate colored Sesto Elemento models :) Next, we position the two cars in that turn, shine a flashlight on the lighting position at 8am, check the shadows and envision what the final shot will look like.

STEP 3 // Shot List.

-The next step is to make a mobile-friendly shot list for everyone involved. The producer, everyone on your team, and especially the stunt drivers find this extremely helpful. It doesn't have to be fancy to be effective. I'll call out "SHOT 3" in the walkies and everyone involved knows exactly what turn to go to, which cars are being used, the arrangement, and time.

STEP 4 // Shoot. This is the easy part. Everything has already been figured out and I'll take multiple exposures with different lights and overshoot everything to insure I have all the assets I'll need.

STEP 5 // Edit. Virtual Rig, Lightroom, and Photoshop are all used in conjunction to make a pixel-perfect final product.

COUNTACH // Childhood Dream Becomes Reality

Mon, 28 May 2018 22:21:00 GMT

MAKE // Lamborghini

MODEL // Countach LP400S

YEAR // 1981

OWNER // Clark Allen

Words By Clark Allen // Like most early adolescent boys in the 1980s, I fell in love with cars through the movies. Most of us at that time were in awe of the Lamborghini Countach that dominated the wall posters of the day and charged onto the big screen in the Cannonball Run movies. The name Countach evokes an exclamation of excitement in a local Italian dialect and the angular form is not lost on the eyes.

Scene from the 1981 hit, The Cannonball Run

Classic 80's Countach Poster

My quest to acquire a Countach began. Unfortunately, the cars were not acquired initially by Coinsurers but by those prone to be unstable and impulsive. Just over 2000 examples were made in the 16-year production run. For the particular car I was in love with, only 105 were made and far fewer were still in existence.

Clark's first photo of his newly purchased Countach.

This particular 1981 LP400S had a quite sordid start with her owner being incarcerated for many years but that also gave opportunity as she sat idle avoiding modifications and further damage. After a half-hearted cosmetic restoration by another, I finally had my car, bought sight unseen and on an impulse like all great mistakes . . . or great triumphs.

Stripped and ready for a top to bottom full restoration

And then comes the question? Full restoration or let your work of art stay worn and frozen in time. All collectors must decide. One must exhibit, ask questions and give this great thought. Years went by and then the answer was clear – return her to her former glory. It took 3 years and countless heartache and wallet ache for the project to be finished. These photos capture her right at the end of this process, in her most pristine state.

Fresh coat of paint

Installing the heart of the beast

The body of the Countach is art handmade by man. Timeless and angular but also sexy and soft from a lower angle. Sitting still, the Countach looks as if it is traveling over 100 MPH. The car evokes emotion that is timeless, a classic, like watching Sofia Loren light a cigarette in a period movie. As is common in all classics, many simple things about the Countach are elegant.

Making it's public debut after restoration at Pebble Beach 2017

Concorso Italiano 2017

Jordan Shiraki has captured in these images what the word “Countach” means. A word of exclamation but also one of beauty, admiration and love. The manmade lines of the car and road blend beautifully in these photos with those of nature complimenting each other’s form and passion.

Lamborghini created the supercar and at genesis the most beautiful work of art on the road. Jordan Shiraki has put into photography the power of the word and the car, COUNTACH!

-Clark Allen

Journey to ShirakiPhoto: My Story Told for the Very First Time

Sun, 06 May 2018 00:57:00 GMT

Not many people know my real story. The story of me at the age of 13 taking my very first picture with a vintage 1960's SLR. Or the story of my pivotal decision to abandon a career in dentistry to instead pursue ShirakiPhoto. I recently told these stories for the very first time in a UNLV publication featuring some of their prominent alumni.

I definitely felt out of place and out classed as the other individuals included a gold medal Rio Olympian, a CTO that sold his company for $96 mil and two different CEO's with companies worth hundreds of millions. And here I was, just a simple car photographer. It definitely was a humbling experience being along side such incredible individuals.

I have the magazine version here and the text based version below it for your preference and convenience. Enjoy the read and if you have any questions you want me to answer leave them below :)

Career In Overdrive

How alumnus Jordan Shiraki's degree in biology fueled his career as a commercial photographer for Lamborghini and Dodge.

BY MATT JACOB

Rare are the moments in life when pure joy intersects with paralyzing anxiety on the human emotional spectrum. There’s childbirth, of course, when the thrill of creating a new life is simultaneously matched by a feeling of, “Oh, crap — now what?”

Another? When cap-and-gown-wearing college students waltz across a stage to receive a degree. At that moment, graduates are justifiably filled with a profound sense of accomplishment and personal pride. Then they exit stage left and … again: “Oh, crap — now what?”

Jordan Shiraki experienced this reality back in 2009, when after four grueling years as a biology major — “My partying happened in the library, where I studied for my next exam,” he said — the Hawaii native received his bachelor’s of science degree. That degree was supposed to lead Shiraki right back to UNLV and its School of Dental Medicine, which would lead him back to Hawaii to take over his father’s orthodontic practice.

But as he pondered this next challenging stage of his life, Shiraki was overcome with another emotion: dread. “I knew I would be a good dentist,” Shiraki said. “But I wanted to be great at something.”

That something was photography — or more specifically, exotic car photography, which blended two of Shiraki’s longtime passions.

“I thought I could be one of the top 25,000 dentists in the U.S., but I’d rather be one of the top 25 car photographers in the country. I wanted to be the leader in my industry. And there was just no way I was going to be able to do that in dentistry.”

So barely a month after graduating — and after being inspired by the recommended book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … And Others Don’t” — Shiraki called a life audible: He put aside his application to dental school and picked up his camera.

He did so much to the horror of his mother and father back home in Hawaii. “Telling Asian parents that you’re going to become an artist is kind of crazy, because when you’re Asian, you only have three career choices: a doctor, an engineer, or an accountant. Being an artist is definitely not in the mix, and I really felt I needed to prove myself.”

Prove himself he most definitely has: In fewer than six years, Shiraki has become one of the most sought-after automobile photographers in the world, with two of his biggest clients being Dodge (he shot its 2015 international ad campaign) and Lamborghini.

To understand the origins of Shiraki’s affinity for both exotic cars and photography, you have to travel back to a pair of seminal moments. The first occurred at age 8, when he received a die-cast model of a Lamborghini as a Christmas gift. “It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. I remember being blown away by its aesthetics; the design was beautiful yet aggressive, with utterly insane proportions. It looked like it was going 200 miles per hour just sitting on my desk. From that moment on, I’ve been a Lamborghini fan.”

Five years after falling in love with Lamborghinis, a 13-year-old Shiraki got his first peek through a camera lens while visiting the tiny Hawaiian island of Lanai. “I saw this beautiful landscape and I wanted to capture it, so I grabbed my parents’ point-and-shoot camera” he said. “But when we developed the film, it looked nothing like what I had originally seen. And I’m like, ‘What the heck? Why can’t I capture the scene that was in my mind?’”

Later, Shiraki got his hands on a 1960s Nikon camera that his grandfather found in his attic and immediately began experimenting with it. “All of a sudden,” he said, “I could print a picture of what I saw in my mind. I’ve been fascinated with photography ever since.”

Shiraki had his camera gear in tow in 2005 when he arrived at UNLV, which he said he selected because the school was part of the Western Undergraduate Exchange program, which lowered his costs as an out-of-state student. He had never previously been to Las Vegas, but quickly fell in love with the city. “I like modern and shiny things, so when I first came to Vegas, I saw everything was new and contemporary, filled with glitz and glamor.”

Preoccupied with the heavy course load required of biology undergrads, Shiraki didn’t have much downtime to pursue his hobby. But whenever he did pick up his camera and go in search of a car to shoot, he did so with a philosophy. “When I was about 16 and first started out with car photography, I told myself that every photo shoot I performed, the car had to get better and my photos had to improve as well,” he said. “This was to ensure that I would be taking steps to better my art on a never-ending staircase so that I wouldn’t become stagnant.”

By his senior year, Shiraki said he had some of his work picked up by the online magazine J-Tuned, a site for automobile photography. Soon after, while still finishing his studies, he said he was hired to run the photography portion of the site, which was how he secured his first big commercial job: shooting photos for the national debut of Lexus’ LFA supercar.

Shiraki’s next big break came not long after graduation. Desperate to lock up some work, he attended the Saturday morning Cars & Coffee gathering for owners of vintage cars, trucks, and exotic rides on Eastern Avenue in Henderson. His goal: to convince some of the owners to pay him to take high-quality photos of their vehicles.

When a Lamborghini drove past him, Shiraki flagged down the driver, who happened to be in charge of the marketing department for Lamborghini Las Vegas that had recently opened.

“I gave him my business card and said, ‘If you can find a better car photographer in a 300-mile radius, call them instead. But if you can’t, give me a call on Monday, and I’ll do some free photos for you,’” Shiraki said. “Lo and behold, he called me on Monday and said, ‘We just got one of the latest and greatest Lamborghinis in the country — the Murciélago SuperVeloce. Come out and shoot it, and let’s see what you can do.’”

Not only did Lamborghini Las Vegas love what Shiraki produced, but once the folks at headquarters feasted their eyes on the photographs, he began receiving corporate gigs. Ironically enough, one such gig called for Shiraki to travel to New York and photograph the life-sized version of the dye-cast model he received on Christmas morning some 20 years earlier. “It was the exact same color, model, everything — it was like I came full circle.”

Shiraki has since partnered with a former high school classmate, Johnathan Walk, who is a producer and director. Together, they can execute photography, video, and design for marketing campaigns.

Asked to share the secret to his relatively rapid success, Shiraki credits an old-fashioned American ethos.

“Hard work and being a good person,” he said. “I know it sounds cliché, but eventually you’ll rise to the top if you do those two things. I see a lot of talent (in my industry), but also really big egos. I also see really big egos and not too much talent. It’s hard to find big talent and small egos. I’ll outwork just about anyone, and I refuse to throw in the towel no matter how bleak the circumstances may seem.”

As his photography career continues to flourish, one can’t help but wonder about that biology degree he earned. “It is nice when people think that I’m just an uneducated artist, but in reality, I have a degree in biology from UNLV that I’m extremely proud of.”

While he may not spend his days treating patients and encouraging them to floss, he nonetheless acquired a great deal of knowledge from his time at UNLV that’s applicable to his career.

“Some people argue with me that college was a waste of time, that I should’ve just gone into photography [instead of going to school],” he said. “And I tell them that, even though I don’t use my degree directly, I learned so much about persistence and fortitude. I gained this sense of tenacity from struggling through really difficult courses like organic chemistry.

“Had I quit school, I don’t think I would’ve made it through a lot of the adversities that I’ve encountered since then. That regimen, and those classes, had a tremendous impact on me and really helped to develop my character, which enabled me to get to where I am today.”

Aventador vs Murcielago SuperVeloce Shoot

Sat, 05 May 2018 23:04:00 GMT

Update: Lamborghini Portfolio

Sat, 05 May 2018 01:08:00 GMT

BLOG // coming soon

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 09:36:00 GMT

- Coming Soon -

Ken Okuyama x ShirakiPhoto // KODE57 Enji World Debut

Thu, 25 Aug 2016 01:16:00 GMT

WHO// KEN OKUYAMA Being Japanese and an absolute gearhead, one of my automotive heroes has always been Ken Okuyama. Okuyama has been one of the most prolific and influential modern car designers overseeing the creation of the Ferrari Enzo, Ferrari 599, Ferrari P4/5, Acura NSX, Maserati Birdcage 75th, Quattroporte, etc.

WHAT // KODE57 Enji $2,500,000 | 6.0-litre V12 | Novitec-tuned 700hp | 472lb-ft | Carbon Fiber Body | Reverse Butterfly Doors | Modified 599 Chassis

WHEN/WHERE/WHY // Monterey Auto Week We were hired to shoot the KODE57 for it's world debut during Monterey Auto Week

HOW // Gear Listed Below Sony A7RII, A7SII, Nikon D4, variety of lenses, natural light. Couldn't have done it without the support of my best friends who also just so happen to be some of the most talented photographers out there: Karissa Hosek | Linhbergh Nguyen | Alex Wong

5. 6.

10.

2015 International Dodge Ad Campaign: Final Layouts

Thu, 31 Dec 2015 01:17:00 GMT

WHO// ShirakiPhoto X Dodge

WHAT// Complete collection of the finalized layouts for the 2015 International Dodge Ad Campaign (Dodge Adrenaline)

WHY// As this year comes to a close, I'm incredibly thankful for all the opportunities and blessings that have come my way throughout the year. The highlight was having my work displayed around the world for the duration of 2015 in the form of an international ad campaign for Dodge featuring the Challenger, Charger, Durango and Journey.

Finally Made it into Lamborghini's World Wide Publication

Thu, 17 Dec 2015 01:25:00 GMT

WHO// ShirakiPhoto X Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.

WHAT// Issue #17: Arancio Borealis // Lamborghini Magazine

WHY// Ever since laying my eyes on the beautiful $90 Lamborghini coffee table books, it's been my dream to be published in it. Finally after 5 years of waiting, I was called by their publisher to be featured in their upcoming issue.

16,500 Units Distributed World Wide// After the success and tremendous distribution of my calendars I'm humbled to be blessed by the opportunity to be in this years Lamborghini Magazine. It's an amazing way to end 2015.

WHERE TO PURCHASE// $90 at an Authorized Lamborghini Dealership

1. My collection of Lamborghini Coffee table Books from 2009-2015.

2. These books are beautiful and recently won the coveted Red Dot Design Award which is an international product and communication design award.

3. Issue #17: Arancio Borealis

4. 16,500 units distributed world wide.

6. Featured Image used in the publication that came from the Storm Trooper set found here. I just wanted to thank Rene Sueltzner of Lamborghini ALA for letting us tag a long and Karissa Hosek and Jimmy Ton for assisting.

ShirakiPhoto Calendar

Tue, 24 Nov 2015 01:29:00 GMT

WHO// ShirakiPhoto X Motorbooks Publishing

WHAT// 2016 SuperCar Calendar

WHY// Motorbooks, one the world's leading transportation publishers is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year. They approached me and asked if I was interested in working together to create a calendar featuring some of my favorite pictures over the past few years.

HOW// We proceeded to work out a deal, and over the next few months we were able to produce a beautiful calendar featuring 13 of some of my most memorable automotive images.

10,000 UNITS WORLD WIDE// I'm happy to announce that the publisher sold out with over 10,000 units distributed world wide! The calendar was featured as the #1 Best Seller in its category on Amazon with it dominating the international markets having sold over 4,500 units in Australia and Great Britain.

WHERE TO PURCHASE// Below are the most popular 3 options in acquiring a calendar of your own.

-Limited Edition Numbered & Autographed Calendar: Please send an email to orders@shirakiphoto.com. We only made 50 of these and already sold 32 so we have 19 left. Order yours today before we run out.

-Online: Amazon.com (hyperlinked for your convenience)

-In Person: Barnes & Noble (sold nationwide at B&N retailers)

2017 Lamborghini Aventador SuperVeloce Roadster LP750-4

Wed, 08 Jul 2015 02:27:00 GMT

Marshawn Lynch

Tue, 22 Jul 2014 15:43:00 GMT

STORMTROOPERS: Unleashing the Huracan SuperTrofeo

Tue, 22 Apr 2014 03:04:00 GMT

$4.6mil Lamborghini Veneno Roadster | Monster Audio Collaboration

Wed, 08 Jan 2014 14:03:00 GMT

Britney Spears Work B*tch & Lamborghini

Tue, 15 Oct 2013 00:40:00 GMT

Who: Britney Spears

What: WORK BxxCH Music Video

When: Early September 2013 (filming) | October 2nd 2013 (debut)

Where: Las Vegas | LA

How: I was fortunate enough to be brought on board by Ben & Mazik as the Assistant Creative Director. I also utilized my close relationship with Lamborghini to acquire a 2014 Aventador Roadster that is featured throughout the video.

Masterminds Behind the Video: Ben Mor (Director) & Mazik Self (Creative Director) are both artistic geniuses. Between them they've directed the latest and greatest hits from Will.i.am (Scream and Shout), Justin Bieber (That Power), Katy Perry (Part of Me), The Black Eyed Peas (I Gotta Feeling), as well as other artists that include, Cee Lo Green, T.I., Nas, and Matisyahu.

1. Ben Mor (Director)

2. Mazek Self (left) with Cee Lo Green (right)

3. A few of Ben & Mazik's most recent work.

My Fearless Assistant: I couldn't think of anyone more well rounded than Karissa Hosek to assist me on this shoot. She's one of the best female automotive photographers in the US and I was completely covered if something were to go wrong, as she's a professional car electronics installer as well as a mechanic (her weekend toy is a 550hp FD RX7 she built by herself).

4. Karissa getting a feel for the Aventador

Featured Automobile: 2014 Lamborghini LP700-4 Aventador Roadster | $525,000 | 700hp V-12 | 0-60: 2.9sec | Top Speed: 217mph

Britney Spears mentions a number of cars in the chorus of "Work Bitch" and we all know the best of them, is of course, Lamborghini. Because of my close ties with them I was able to pull some strings and acquire one of the very first 2014 Aventador Roadsters in the US.

5. I performed a quick photoshoot of the car prior to taking it out on set and here's the final result.

I Apologize in Advanced: for the horrible quality pictures due to everything being shot with my cellphone. There was a very STRICT no camera policy on set where cellphones were even taken away at the entrance to ensure no one would leak teasers of the video.

6. First day on set bright and early, Karissa and I started prepping the car to ensure it was absolutely perfect for its first scene.

7. On set at an undisclosed location.

8. Me staging the car for its first drift scene around Britney and her dancers.

9. One of our main goals was to show the beauty, power, and grace of this amazing Lamborghini while seamlessly incorporating it in to the music video as seen here in one of the opening scenes.

10. For all of the Lamborghini desert shots, we used an ultra high speed camera called the Phantom.

11. These specialized cameras are used for high speed photography and videography slowing the subject down so much that you can see the little intricacies that would normally be missed with a regular camera.

12. This is also the phantom at work with this still shot grabbed from the music video.

13. Despite it being a bright clear day, the crew created an artificial sun pictured here to get the really hard directional shadows seen in the stills/video.

14. The Lamborghini looking pretty epic driving behind Britney and her dancers

15. A BTS (BehindTheScenes) look at the same scene above.

16. For the second scene involving the Lamborghini, we wanted to use its sharp angular creases to direct the viewers eye toward Britney while still incorporating the car's beauty.

17. Pictured here is the lighting set up and prep using Britney's body double posing on the wall so we could get the lighting absolutely perfect before Britney was called in to the scene.

18. Again the Aventadors sharp angles accompanied with a relatively shallow depth of field,created a nice focal point on Britney while still incorporating the car.

19. BTS shot of the exact same scene above.

20. Ending the last day of filming with a blast, the final scene we shot involved pyrotechnics and exploding mannequins!

21. Instead of sitting in our chairs, we stood a couple feet back when the explosives went off.

Special Thanks: I just wanted to thank Ben Mor & Mazik Self for bringing me on board, Automobili Lamborghini LLC for providing the beautiful car, Karissa Hosek for all her help throughout the process, and the cast and crew of the music video.

Future Plans: Ben, Mazik, & myself have a few things cooking in the pot at the moment so hopefully you'll see another collab between the 3 of us sometime soon. Also, this probably won't be the last time you see me involved with Britney Spears as she'll be headlining a show at Planet Hollywood. In addition, I already spoke to her manager about having Lamborghini's incorporated into some of her future appearances. So definitely stay tuned!

Support Britney: by buying tickets to her show, "Piece of Me" available for purchase HERE.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my most recent work. I really do appreciate all your support and time.

best,

Jordan ShirakiPhoto

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[APA] Automotive Photography Awards Winner

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Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 Roadster

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:04:00 GMT