Photos by Vlad Shurigin.

For most of us, when we think about Transformers, we think of the toys we played with as kids. However, an entirely-new generation thinks of a yellow Chevrolet Camaro from the movie Transformers. For Vlad Shurigin, seeing the Camaro in the movie sold him on wanting a Camaro of his own.

Besides the love he feels for his Camaro, Vlad also has a love of photography, and practices with his Camaro quite often. He has many more images of the car posted on his Instagram account, which is @zuumy. BlackList is also an IG account dedicated to automotive photography, and that’s where you can see more of Vlad’s work.

Of course, he started by finding a yellow 2012 Camaro,  just like the one from the movie. Although the yellow Camaro delivered almost everything that Vlad wanted in a Camaro, the small V6 left him wanting more power. Once he heard about the reintroduction of the Camaro 1LE model, he knew that was the one he wanted.

The original Camaro 1LE actually debuted in 1989, on the third-generation model, before Vlad was born. Even at that time, the 1LE was a special car, built to make the Camaro Z28/Iroc-Z more competitive in the SCCA’s Showroom Stock category. The 1LE package brought with it, larger brakes with PBR calipers, an aluminum driveshaft, a specific baffled fuel tank, unique shocks, stiffer suspension bushings, and elimination of fog lights. Many dealers didn’t know the 1LE existed, so the early ones are few and far between.

These days, the Internet makes it easy for enthusiasts to stay in touch with what the manufacturers have to offer, and even the manufacturers get in on the Social Media act to make sure everyone sees the new offerings. It’s a win-win for both parties. Enthusiasts get to see what the manufacturers have to offer, and the manufacturers make money off of the sales of such vehicles.

The current Camaro 1LE draws on the same thoughts that went into the original. The 1LE uses lightweight ZL1 wheels, a multitude of suspension upgrades, and ZL1 aero treatments. Chevrolet’s intention with the 1LE is that you can have your street car, and race it, too.

For Vlad, he simply wanted a car that not many other people would have. He liked the exclusivity the 1LE offered — not to mention the performance, obviously. As good as the 1LE is from the factory, he hasn’t left it in stock condition. He’s added lowering springs to the car, a harness bar to secure the racing harnesses, and rear window louvers. He has more modifications planned as well. Vlad told us, “For next year, I hope to upgrade the exhaust, change the wheels, and add some other custom parts.”

With a car built to handle the twisties, racing harnesses are a good idea to keep you in the seat during spirited driving. Of course, the Go-Pro is on board to record such exploits.

What gets in the way of quickly adding the aforementioned mods when it comes to Vlad’s situation, is that he’s also a photographer, and buying photo equipment uses up much of his budget. He took these photos, so he has the perfect canvas on which to practice his craft, but those of us in the photography field know that buying tools adds up.

At least Vlad bought the car that already has the right equipment.

Since we have started the Homebuilt Heros segment, we have received a few candidates, but we need more. Send us a few pictures of your car with all of the pertinent information, and we’ll make you Internet famous. You can send your submissions to [email protected].