There’s a certain kind of California morning that hits different — concrete, the smell of metal warming up, and a radio humming somewhere in the corner. That’s where Photographer Collier Ott planted himself for his ongoing series Garage Days — a raw look at the people and parts behind the bikes that shape West Coast garage culture.
His lens doesn’t chase perfection. It chases truth.
This outtake follows Dayten Likness, deep in the thick of the real work — the kind that demands patience, invites chaos, and rewards the ones willing to see an idea all the way through. Sparks fly and fade. Molten metal finds its form. Fresh castings line up on bare concrete, still steaming from the pour. It’s loud, and honest.
Somewhere in the mix, there’s an 805 waiting to clock in — a reminder that craft isn’t just about the finished piece. It’s about the rhythm of the shop, and the hands that build.
Garage Days isn’t polished. It isn’t staged. It’s a nod to the builders, the tinkerers, the weekend fabricators, and the late-night thinkers. Real people doing real work because something in them insists on it.
A project by Collier Ott.
