Freshman Amir Othman pictures a road ahead

Surrounded by cars of all kinds, freshman Amir Othman stands outside under the searing sun. As he focuses solely on his camera lens and the car in front of him, his surroundings fade away as he lines his lens up to get the perfect shot. 

Automotive photography is the art of capturing cars from various angles to highlight certain aspects. Attending car meets and photoshoots, Othman showcases his work by uploading photos and videos on his Instagram, @amir_spotts. 

“In automotive photography, we have a great community, and you’re always having fun doing it. You can always connect with other car enthusiasts and car photographers,” Othman said.

Othman usually photographs foreign and exotic vehicles, with some of his favorites being German cars. He often travels to Newport Beach and City of Industry to find new subjects. 

“What motivates me to take more photos is meeting new people, interacting with other people, and just really putting myself out there,” Othman said.

Aside from personal enjoyment, Othman also feels that photography helps him learn and prepare for the future. 

“It’s good for experience with other jobs, I would say. I’m getting experience in that kind of area and seeing other nice cars,” Othman said. “That influences me to keep going because that could be me one day.”

He joined multiple group chats on Instagram filled with like-minded automotive photographers, asking others for advice to improve his skills, particularly with editing and photo composition. 

“Since then, my photography has improved through the roof,” Othman said. “I think these people really made a big impact on my photography journey, and I really appreciate them. I’m super grateful.”

Although Othman’s friends and classmates don’t share his hobby, those close to him continue to support and follow his journey. 

“His photos are fire. I like all of them on Instagram,” freshman Eric Francis said. “I thought it was cool that he hangs around people with expensive cars and takes pictures of them.”

Othman began automotive photography in April of his last year in middle school when his parents gifted him a Canon M50 II camera. 

“I was scrolling on Instagram one day, and I saw some car photography videos and photos. I thought, ‘If they can do it, I’m pretty sure I can too,’” Othman said. “I decided to try it out, and I fell in love with the passion and decided to continue.”

In the future, Othman plans to continue automotive photography as a hobby, and he is currently considering working as a part-time photographer. 

“My favorite part about automotive photography is going out to car events and doing car photo shoots with other car enthusiasts and car owners,” Othman said. “It’s nice getting to know new people and getting out there.”