A while back I was fortunate enough to be sent on photographic assignment, with behind the scenes access, at the Nissan car design centre in Hon Atsugi, just outside of Tokyo, Japan. Car design centres are not usually the types of places where photographers can wander at will snapping away, too many secrets waiting to be told and sold I imagine. And whilst this was a controlled visit, obviously, it was still rich with photographic opportunities. Before I went I dared hope for a couple of small clay models of cars, perhaps some sketches on a wall. Fingers crossed.

The design centre was a modern place, all white walls, glass, shafts of light, long corridors, funky graphics painted on the walls to illustrate the area or room you were in. And then a door was opened, a grey door, non descript, and the light flooded out. Inside was a clinically clean model making room, with workers putting the finishing touches to a lifesize clay model of the Nissan ‘Fairlady Z’ (admittedly a design which was already on the streets, but hey, it was big and right there) , and workers operating large computer generated sketch pad (that’s my technical term for it), all which I was allowed to shoot. An enjoyable visit, interesting, educational, and pretty good for photos. And the type of job that on your journey home, drinking your express train coffee,  your mind is already thinking of the resale potential as a feature, and as stock, after your first client has used it.

You can see my photographs of Nissan car design studios here. And above a tear sheet spread of the images just published in a business magazine.