Night Import: Photography and Words by
William Lee
It's been around a year and 3 months since the official release of Night Import to the public. Starting out with knowing the basics as an automotive enthusiast, I've studied cars as if I was reading a medical book, trying to memorize every single make and model out there, along with its pros and cons. On top of that, getting to know the aftermarket companies in the US and Japan to see what they brought to the automotive table. I've been to more than 250 meets/events last year to learn and understand the community, and throughout those times, cars became a permanent part of my life.
Getting to know cars was obviously a priority as a blogger, but what I realized through those busy times of doing coverage and going to events was not only the cars but the importance of people. It's the people in the scene today that makes this car scene enjoyable and memorable. I started out without knowing anyone.
Just Stance was the first blog I started as a photographer, but even back then, I didn't know anyone because the site's main traffic source was from the east coast. After deciding to have my own blog, it's then when things changed tremendously. The random people I came across at meets/events became friends and through those friends, I was introduced to various things in the automotive world. Last year, my blog had its first meet at
JIC Magic. With only 2 weeks of notice, the company's lot was filled with cars. It was a small gathering of enthusiasts and I couldn't be any happier.
This year, I wasn't planning on doing a meet or an event. The pressure and stress one gets by organizing one is something I observed last year and I didn't want to go through it. I mean..it's all good if you have a good turnout or just a few of your close friends showing up and have fun, but having to find an area where cops won't bother you is like the worst task to deal with. Long story short, I came across an underground parking structure that belonged to a close friend of mine in the car scene. If you guys went to my meet, then you should know it was a part of
Descanso Spa. If you didn't come, it's in a small town called Tujunga, CA. When I first saw this place, I was speechless! The lot was pretty dam big and had great lighting. The owner and I had like a 5 minute talk and he said I was more than welcome to borrow the lot for a day. Even after hearing the good news, I was still undecided about having a meet, but because many of you guys asked for it, I made it happen.
