Marc Woltinger is an automotive journalist and photographer from Switzerland who recently released his first book, Lowtech: The California Issue #1. It is a body of work showcasing hot rod and custom culture in Southern California through evocative backdrops and everyday life.

Lowtech: The California Issue #1 is the “photographic travel diary of Swiss hot rod blogger, automotive journalist, and self-taught photographer Marc Woltinger. He spent an entire year in Southern California to see and experience at first hand the traditional American car cultures – hot rods and custom cars.”

The photo book features 106 pages of color photography taking readers through cars shows, get togethers, the backyards of builders, and on the strip with passionate racers.

Marc recently launched a blogspot to promote his maiden publication. In it you’ll find previews from Lowtech: The California Issue #1 and also get a feel for the tone of his photography.

His first preview is a set of photos of hot rod builder Bob Hill Junior. This set is a testament to Bob Jr.’s father who founded the Aces Car Club in 1952. The photos tell the story of how Bob Jr. resurrected his father’s car club in the 1990’s along with his friend and fellow car enthusiast Dana Harvey.

It is a beautiful representation of California hot rodding in the modern age. Whereas some might associate shade tree mechanics with front yards and a mosaic of parts strewn across a property, Bob Jr. works out of his apartment garage. It challenges the notions of Southern California as a state with nothing but glam’d up fab shops and state-of-the-art setups. Bob Jr. is your everyday blue collar working man with an undying passion for classic cars.

Marc Woltinger has a special way of catching both the romanticized and bare bones truth about hot rod and custom culture. He also has a very special way of finding the essence of California’s raw spirit with his lens. His book is a must, not only for enthusiasts on the Pacific coast, but admirers of landscapes, classic automobiles, and lifestyle photography in general.

Check out Marc’s website for more information on his work and be sure to check out his blogspot to learn more about Lowtech: The California Issue #1. You can also follow a link on his blog to purchase the book if you are interested.

Photos Courtesy Of: Marc Woltinger

The following is an excerpt from Marc’s blog that accompanied the photo below: “If this photo would need a cheesy caption, it would probably say: a night to remember. And it indeed was a night to remember. I was on the way back from a camping trip to Yosemite when I decided to do a stop over in the Orcutt area on the Central Coast of California. My good friend Mark Garza had invited us for a surf session the next day and when we arrived the afternoon before, Mark greeted us with a big smile. It wasn’t just that he was so glad to see us but he also had a brilliant idea: How about talking some friends into driving their cars to the beach?”

Marc Woltinger continues, “Well, this probably doesn’t sound too exciting to you. But when I tell you that ‘cars’ implies kustom cars and those kustom cars consist of a 1946 Ford, a 1959 Chevy Wagon, and a trio of Mercurys you’ll start to get the picture. And if you know that Pismo Beach, which is only a short drive away from Orcutt, happens to be one of the last beaches of the West Coast where you can actually drive your car on the beach – Now you know that a kustom photographer’s dream came true that night.”