Yuki Rikui Profile (21 years old)
Based in Kobe, a senior university student. A lifelong car enthusiast, by the time he was in the third year of junior high school, he started photographing sports cars and supercars spotted around town. His photos, which beautifully capture the charm of cars, quickly gained attention, and now he receives requests to shoot beloved cars not only in Kansai but also from owners in Tokyo.
Currently, he is in high demand with increasing offers from companies, making him a popular car photographer. His Instagram followers exceed 7,500.
* Twitter: @V12_SCL
* Instagram: @V12_scl
* For shooting requests, contact: kugatti.photo@gmail.com

1) Shooting Cars He Loves

A Glimpse into Rikui’s Daily Life

What’s a typical day like for Rikui?

On weekdays, he leads a fairly normal student life, working part-time and attending university classes. Of course, if a shooting request comes in, he changes his plans and heads out even on weekdays.
On weekends, he often takes car photos in front of Kobe Daimaru, and almost every Sunday morning, he goes to Royu Driveway to photograph cars of owners he knows and those visiting the observatory.
While he now receives more requests for shoots, he originally started as a typical car spotter, asking owners on the street, “May I take a photo of your car?” before shooting.

Cars have so many different designs. Isn’t it really hard to capture each beautifully?

That’s true… The atmosphere of the same car can change a lot depending on how you shoot it. For me, it’s mostly about taking photos from various angles first and then selecting the best ones later.
If it’s a rare car you hardly ever see, I take quite a few shots, but usually, I take about 10 photos per car.

How much time do you spend editing your photos?

Editing can take anywhere from 5 minutes to about an hour, depending on the photo. I work intuitively, so if I start to hesitate, the results usually aren’t good. It’s like falling deeper and deeper into a trap…
So when it comes to editing, I value intuition over spending too much time.

Why did you choose the pen name “KUGATTI”?

Back in junior high, my cram school friends called me “Kugacchi”, and when written in Roman letters, it looks a bit like “BUGATTI,” so I thought I’d make it sound like a car brand (laughs).
Also, my memory is a bit fuzzy, but before settling on KUGATTI, I used “KUGANI” for a while. Then it became “Y.KUGATTI,” and finally just “KUGATTI”.
As for my Twitter and Instagram ID “V12_SCL,” it comes from my love for V12 cars and my early Twitter ID “@SuperCarsLOVE,” from which I took the initials SCL.
I arranged “V12_SCL” because I admired a similar style on a UK license plate (laughs).

You live in Kobe but even go to Tokyo for shoots?

Yes. Once, an owner I know asked, “Can you come to Tokyo tonight to shoot my car?” I took a day off from my part-time job and went.


I always keep in mind to “grab opportunities as soon as they come!”, so I immediately said “I’m in!” without hesitation.
If I had hesitated and missed that chance, I would have regretted it later. So I live by “Cars always come first, no matter what!”
I really, really love cars (laughs).

It’s amazing how you maintain relationships with owners after shooting their cars!

I’m very grateful. I take photos of cars I love, edit them as I like, get the owners’ contact info to send them the photos, and upload them to Instagram…
I’m just doing ordinary things, but it makes people happy, which is very rewarding. One owner once told me:

“Kugacchi’s photos have value. He’s one of the few Japanese who can take truly captivating car photos.”

That made me very happy and at the same time motivated me to keep pushing myself even harder.

Passion for Car Photography

What do you think makes your photos so special?

Honestly, I’m just taking photos because I love cars, so I don’t really know (laughs)… But I think my genuine love for cars and the joy I get from shooting them probably shows in my photos.
I started shooting cars in junior high, but I wasn’t good at first. Initially, I just wanted to record cool cars, so I used my smartphone.

(*A very early photo from when Rikui was in junior high)
But gradually, I wanted to capture them looking cool.
I bought two compact digital cameras over time and used them until they wore out. Then I borrowed a DSLR from a friend, got used to it, and finally bought my own DSLR. After about a year and a half, I upgraded to a new DSLR, which I use now.
I’ve taken countless photos. At events, I sometimes shoot 1,000 to 2,000 photos at once, so I’ve probably taken hundreds of thousands or even millions by now (laughs).
After seven years of shooting so many photos, I think I’ve gradually grasped how to shoot cars attractively.
(↓By the way, comparing old and recent photos shows how much my quality has improved)

Case 1 (↑Old, ↓New)

Case 2 (↑Old, ↓New)

What drives you so much to keep photographing cars?

Simply put, I just love cars (laughs). But more than wanting to take great photos, I want to see amazing cars.
When I see a great car in front of me, I think, “Wow, that’s so cool!” and enjoy taking cool photos of it.

Which do you like better, taking photos or driving?

Hmm… That’s a tough one. They’re totally different things, so I can’t really compare. But in the future,

“I want to buy a car I love, drive it myself, go to my favorite shooting spots, and take as many photos of my car as I want.”

That’s my dream (laughs).

2) The Path to Becoming a Car Photographer

A Love for Cars from a Young Age

Did you become a car lover because your family was into cars?

No, actually, no one in my family is into cars (laughs). But I think most boys like cars and vehicles when they’re young, and I was no different.
From a young age, I was very interested in trucks, trains, and cars. But I rarely had the chance to see cool cars in real life or knew where to find them.
Then, after playing car racing games with friends, I learned about various sports cars and supercars, which fueled my passion.
Later, I had my first chance to see a supercar in person in Kobe — I think it was an orange Lamborghini Murciélago — and it was a huge shock.
The sound was totally different from the game, and seeing the car move right in front of me was thrilling. That’s when I completely fell for cars.

What do your parents say about your love for cars?

Hmm… I think they’re a bit exasperated (laughs). Even when they told me to “study,” I’d go off to take car photos instead, so they probably think “Nothing can stop this kid.”
But recently, when I asked them what they think about my hobby, they said, “When you master something, you meet all kinds of people!” So maybe they’re starting to accept it a bit (laughs).

Where did you take car photos when you were in junior high?

I often went all the way to Osaka’s Midosuji. There used to be a famous spot where supercars would park, and I shot there a lot. But now, with stricter police enforcement, supercars are rarely seen.


I was basically a car spotter, but personally, I felt uncomfortable with taking photos without the owner’s permission or posting photos with visible license plates or faces on social media.
Since I was photographing precious cars, I always wanted to observe basic manners like asking the owner first and blurring license plates and faces before posting.

Seizing Opportunities

When did people start asking you to shoot their cars?

That actually started only recently, about two years ago. The first serious request was from a tuning shop in Osaka asking me to shoot photos for their used car sales website.
I had been visiting that shop for about three years, taking photos of cars they handled and sending them the pictures afterward.
Though I was just doing it for fun, after several visits, they officially asked me to shoot for them. Slowly but surely, I got more and more chances, leading to where I am now.

Is there a difference between shooting for fun and shooting on request?

Yes… When shooting on request, I make sure to always capture certain key angles first.
When I was shooting just for fun, I was so excited I didn’t think much, and later I’d wonder, “Why did I take that photo? Why didn’t I shoot from that angle?” and reflect on it.
But when shooting professionally, I have to be thorough and not miss anything.

What’s the one angle you always shoot, no matter the car?

I always shoot from the front diagonal. It shows the front well, the side body line, and is a natural angle you often see on the street.


(Photos from a shooting trip in London)
I also always shoot from the rear diagonal. Since upgrading to a better camera and lens, I’ve been able to take even more beautiful photos.

How is it to interact with successful luxury car owners at a young age?

It’s interesting. I don’t know if I’ll become like them, but there’s a lot to learn from successful people.
Since we’re connected by our shared love of cars, we mostly just talk about cars. So even though I meet them often, I don’t actually know what kind of work they do (laughs).

Are you nervous asking them to photograph their cars?

I was nervous at first. I met one owner at Royu Driveway three years ago and have been seeing him almost every week since. I first found him on Instagram.
Then I asked someone close to him, “Could you introduce me when I come to Royu?” and was introduced.
When we first met, his aura was incredible — he seemed untouchable and intimidating (laughs).
But he turned out to be very friendly, and since then I’ve asked to shoot his car again. Now I even visit his home to photograph his cars, and sometimes get to drive rare cars.

You really take initiative and seize opportunities!

Yes, I do. I think taking action is really important.
For example, the owner who asked me to shoot in Tokyo — I actually sent him a DM on Instagram saying, “I’m in Tokyo now, would you like me to take photos of your car?” when I happened to be there.
I was very nervous and needed courage to send that first DM, but when he said “OK!”, my network expanded.
Of course, some owners say no to photos, but after meeting many people, I’ve developed a sense of who might say yes or no.

Next page → Famous cars spotted on the London shooting trip, and dream cars for the future…?