If you want to root for an underdog, head over to the Carrara Media website. The fledgling publishing company is bucking all the trends by focusing on print media, large format photography, and original storytelling in a time of AI and short-form video. Author Ryan ZumMallen started Carrara in 2019 initially as a way to self-publish his own stories that didn't fit in the increasingly consumer-leaning landscape of automotive media. "Publishers kept telling me there was no audience for cars," ZumMallen said at a launch party for Carrara's 10th book publication. "I said, 'I don't believe you.' I want to serve this culture."
With an attitude like that, it's little wonder that photographer Larry Chen chose Carrara to put out a compilation of his automotive photographs, Life at Shutter Speed. Chen, who first caught the attention of automotive fans for his early work with Speedhunters and Formula Drift, and later for his stunning shots of Pikes Peak and behind-the-scenes work with Ken Block and Hoonigan, has transcended the role of photographer to become an automotive celebrity in his own right. From building and piloting a drift camera car to get new angles on track to hosting video touring car cultures around the globe, Chen immerses himself in every car community he can find. It's something ZumMallen called out in his introduction, saying the secret to Chen's popularity is his connection and his desire to give back to the community by capturing their moments of triumph and tragedy, and providing that record through his photography.
I can vouch for Chen's ability to connect with every audience. We've worked together since we were both new in the industry, and I've seen him win over drag racers in the deep South on one weekend, and Kaido racers in Tokyo the next. He's always willing to learn new equipment and new techniques to ensure that his images stand out, but in the end, it's not his good cameras or trick lighting that sets his work apart, it's his genuine interest in every kind of build, every kind of automotive competition. It's never too cold, too dirty, too sleepless, or too weird for Chen, and that physical and mental commitment comes through in his work.
His book, available now for preorder, and scheduled for deliveries in Summer 2025, highlights his work from the past two decades, with a chapter devoted to each year containing everything from portraits to action shots. There are a grand total of 2700 images in the book, but since Chen says he's shot upward of five million photographs in his career thus far, winnowing it down to fewer than 3000 seems like quite the accomplishment.
During his brief speech before the party, which was held outside the street circuit for the Long Beach Grand Prix before the Formula Drift race, Chen joked that it was weird to look out at the crowd and know that he had photos of most of the attendees. However, since that audience was made up of race car drivers, automotive journalists, hot rod builders, and car collectors, it's hardly surprising that we'd all been on the business end of Chen's Canon. He went on to say that he hopes customers for the book will view it as a kind of yearbook for the car community. "There are photos in there of people who are gone now, and I'm glad we can remember them through the images," he said. "When I'm gone, it's my hope that my photos live on."
Elana Scherr
Senior Editor, Features
Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver’s license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews. In 2020, she received a Best Feature award from the Motor Press Guild for the C/D story "A Drive through Classic Americana in a Polestar 2." In 2023, her Car and Driver feature story "In Washington, D.C.'s Secret Carpool Cabal, It's a Daily Slug Fest" was awarded 1st place in the 16th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards by the Los Angeles Press Club.
