LEANNE SILVERNAIL
MEDIA COVERAGE APPLICATION
& EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT PROPOSAL
PASSING THROUGH
LUFTGEKÜLT TOKYO
PROJECT OVERVIEW
& NARRATIVE INTENT
Passing Through is a narrative visual study aimed to document Luftgekühlt’s inaugural show in Tokyo. Embedded in the Tokyo skyline, air-cooled icons and their enthusiasts gather as participants in an ongoing dialogue between German engineering and Japanese reinterpretation.
The Air-Cooled platform became a catalyst for conversation, reverence, and shared identity. Across cultures, wide-body adaptations and deeply personal craftsmanship revealed a common language that emerges through passion and enthusiasm. A reminder that devotion to craft bridges geography, language, and difference. The 911 was given a second cultural life and has embedded itself within Japanese automotive identity in a distinct and expressive way.
The event itself is transient; the city moves, the cars arrive, the environment transforms, the public converges, and then the space returns to stillness. This photographic documentation will follow that arc; foundation, anticipation, immersion, and quiet restoration.
In keeping with the project’s conceptual through line, the work will be created in part using a German camera body paired with a vintage Japanese lens. This is a deliberate pairing that mirrors the cultural exchange at the center of the story. The tool itself becomes a quiet reflection of the dialogue being observed.
At its core, this work is a study of impermanence. It explores how automotive tradition travels, integrates, and continues its evolution. This project invites viewers to slow down by observing the gathering not as social spectacle, but as a quiet rhythm between cultures already fluent in discipline and design.
CONCEPT
& VISUAL NARRATIVE
There is a palpable rhythm unique to Tokyo, where the contrast of modern life and enduring tradition coexist. This cadence is mirrored in the inherited form of the 911 and the evolving rhythm of Luftgekuhlt itself. The visual narrative of this project will guide the observer through four distinct transitions allowing them to feel the city breathe, embrace this phenomenon and ultimately return to itself.
01. FOUNDATION
Tokyo in its native state. Capturing the commuters in transit, the architecture and the quiet discipline of daily life before interruption.
02. ANTICIPATION
A shift in atmosphere. Witnessing the arrival of vehicles infiltrating the Tokyo streetscape and people taking notice of this presence. Capturing the load-in from both an energetic and artistic standpoint true to the design directive and legacy of Luftgekuhlt.
03. IMMERSION
The primary focus on the day of the event is the people whose presence activates the space. Where architecture and community inspire conversations and the vehicles become vessels of memory, connection, and shared identity.
04. RESTORATION
The thinning of crowds, the dismantling of structure, and the quiet release of tension that inevitably follows the conclusion of the event. Luftgekuhlt departing Tokyo, leaving behind only a subtle imprint of what briefly passed through it.
DISTRIBUTION
& DELIVERABLES
Passing Through: Luftgekuhlt Tokyo is an independent photographic study intended for long-form digital and print publication.
Coverage will include multiple formats, balancing real-time engagement with project production and presentation. Selective moments shared through primary social platforms will offer immediate access to the anticipation and experience of Luftgekühlt Tokyo. This approach invites viewers to engage mindfully with each stage of the project’s documentation, reflecting both the rhythm of the city and the shared experience of the gathering. This approach fosters a continued interest in the completed editorial release.
DELIVERABLES
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Appropriate real-time social coverage shared during the event to support audience engagement and awareness of Luftgekühlt Tokyo.
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A curated editorial image set published post-event, with clear attribution and contextual framing aligned with the project’s narrative.
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A long-form image and editorial essay presented through portfolio publication outlining the relationship between the event and the living rhythm of Tokyo.
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Development of Passing Through: Luftgekühlt Tokyo toward a limited-run magazine or book-format release.
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Images available for editorial or archival consideration by Luftgekühlt upon request.
Coverage will be conducted with respect for participants, venue operations, and the natural flow of the event. The completed work is intended to contribute to the broader visual archive surrounding Luftgekühlt while acknowledging the shared role participants and enthusiasts play in shaping the event’s collective memory.
Usage & Rights: All images remain the copyright of the photographer. Editorial publication rights are retained by the artist and coverage is non-exclusive. Any commercial or extended usage by Luftgekühlt may be arranged through a separate licensing agreement upon request.
BACKGROUND
& CULTURAL APPROACH
Photography has been a quiet constant that has walked beside me even on the days I’ve lost awareness of its presence. For me this practice has become a way to live in the present moment and to observe the rhythm of a place and its people. The first decade of my adult life was dedicated to correcting and preserving the natural rhythm of the human heart. It was during this time I became acutely aware of the Porsche 911. My first sighting was in a grocery store parking lot, after a long shift, and it sparked an obsession. Afterwards I put a photo of a 911 on my fridge. Some months later, despite never driving a manual transmission, I bought a 1986 911 Carrera. I was just 24 years old and I still remember the distinct smell of the air-cooled interior. This made me the only Porsche in a friend group of purely JDM enthusiasts.
The sudden tragedy of losing a young friend permanently shifted my perspective on time, life and career. This ultimately lead to me leaving the medical field to pursue entrepreneurship in his honor. That decision brought me even deeper into the automotive community where craftsmanship, persistence and attention to detail became a daily mantra. To this day, my husband and I own and operate an automotive detailing studio specializing in paint protection film, window tint, and Japanese ceramic coatings. Through my relationship with Modesta I have observed first hand the Japanese ethos surrounding craftsmanship and the preservation of tradition. This is something I hold in high regard and aspire to emulate in every aspect of my art and life.
Along side years of automotive study, travel and track days, I have developed a broader photographic archive much of which has remained private. Following a recent period away from social media, an independent art challenge, and the experience of additional personal loss, my perspective has shifted once again. This brought clarification to the direction and intention behind my art, inspiring the development of this project and renewed my commitment to visual storytelling.
Entrepreneurship demanded much of my focus for many years. A formal portfolio is currently in development and remains intentionally unpublished. I am thoughtfully sequencing a large body of work spanning automotive, landscape, architectural, and travel studies created across the alps of Japan, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This website exists to present the concept of this project cohesively and to communicate my intention to observe the event not as social spectacle but to capture the intersection between craft, culture, and the environmental rhythm that gives it life.
Through travel across multiple prefectures in Japan, I have developed firsthand familiarity with cultural etiquette, transportation, and the awareness required to navigate Tokyo both respectfully and independently. Coverage will be approached with restraint and attentiveness. Documentation will remain unobtrusive while prioritizing attendee experience with respect for the venue and safety operations overseen by Tokyo Authorities.
METHOD
& TOOLS
This project will be captured using a Leica Q2 & SL3 system paired with a Vintage Nikkor Japanese lens. Much like this event, it is a deliberate technical dialogue between German engineering and Japanese precision.
I tend to work simply and move lightly. Most images will be made using available light and observation rather than staging or interruption. The goal isn’t to direct moments, but to notice them.
The work will move between wider environment frames and quieter details. Capturing reflections, gestures and the small interactions that often go unseen during busy gatherings,
More than coverage, the intention is to slow down and pay attention to how people and place shape each other throughout the event.
CLOSING STATEMENT
& GRATITUDE
Thank you for considering this proposal and for the care invested in bringing Luftgekühlt Tokyo to life.
The intention of this project is not only to record an event, but to observe the quiet dialogue between cultures, craftsmanship, and community that unfolds within it. If approved, the work will be approached with discretion, respect, and a deep appreciation for the environment and its participants.
I am grateful for your time and consideration,
Leanne Silvernail
Arigato gozaimasu
ありがとうございます
