Expanding to the Great White North - Introducing Davis

With less than a few months before we turn the page to another new year, there is still plenty of time for us to work on new projects and continue to thrive. 

That being said, the HiddenPalmTree has been making moves to expand our presence - bit by bit. While I have been unable to travel anywhere for a year and a half now, I have been doing my best to deliver interesting content. 

And now I’m excited to announce we’re making moves to explore the car culture in a new region. Where if you want donuts and coffee, you don’t go to Dunkins or Krispy Kreme: you go to Tim Hortons. Where it isn’t weird to put cheese and gravy on french fries. 

A land where you will not be hard pressed to find a certain sweet condiment. A part of the world where you can speak some French, without having to travel to France itself. And it’s where a certain TV show, setting out to find the ‘worst drivers of the worst’ took place for 10 years before its cancellation. 

In other words, Canada? We’re setting foot on your side of the world. 

So I’ll just cut to the chase then.

I am excited to introduce the latest addition to the contributor team here at HiddenPalmTree - meet Davis Wu. Aka @carsrickharrison. 

(Note his name is not actually Rick. Nor does he own a pawn shop in Nevada. Or have an old man called Big Hoss.)

If you have been reading some of my features from earlier in the year, chances are you might have seen some of Davis’s photos pop up among my words. Usually at times, when I have been either too lazy to photograph or I never thought of shooting a certain angle/car etc. when I had the chance.

It is more often the latter. 

Originally from Hong Kong like myself, Davis has recently relocated to the Great White North - specifically in Halifax, Nova Scotia. With him being based in Canada, this presents an exciting opportunity for us and HiddenPalmTree as a whole: we can now cover some of the Canadian car scene and when the time’s right, do some dedicated features on Canadian-based builds and automotive personalities! 

But enough from me. It’s about time I let our newest member introduce himself.  Just like I did one year ago, I’ll let Davis talk about himself and what he hopes to bring to the table. Lightning round style, go. 

What got you into cars? 

I think it was the first Transformers movie, weirdly enough.

When did you start photography? What is your current setup? 

 Around four years ago. Started with nothing but my phone. Then worked my way from there. 

Currently I use a Nikon D7500. I’ve owned it now for 3 years. I know it's not the best camera out there, but it does the job fine for me. As for lenses, I mainly use two Tamron lenses: a 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8, along with a Sigma 35 1.4 that I acquired right before I moved to Canada. I love all the glass I have at my disposal. 

It’s kind of obvious what your dream car/s are (check out Davis’s side project @fd2hk by the way), but what is your dream car? 

A Honda FD2 (Civic) of course. But now that I’m in Canada it’d be the EM1 coupe. 

As for why a Honda Civic? Definitely a lot of influence from the Hong Kong scene. Hondas are a cult favorite among the city’s car enthusiasts and my primary subjects for photos  have been Hondas. They’re not the fastest, but the sense of speed you experience driving one; that more than makes up for the lack of power. Combined with how Civics are basically the most affordable out of Honda’s range, and are relatively light, I’ve heard they are a blast to drive - hence my attraction to them, and why I want to own one myself. 

"They’re not the fastest, but the sense of speed you experience driving one; that more than makes up for the lack of power."

My dream spec for how I would build an EM1 would be one in electric Blue Pearl, with a set of Enkei RPF1s (they’re my favorite wheels). And a not so loud exhaust. That would be it: I’d keep it clean and modest. 

Since it has been a good month since you’ve relocated to Canada, feel free to share some of your thoughts on how life’s been treating you there!

Life has been good. People are the nicest here. Weather at the moment is not too cold; definitely not as hot and humid as I’m used to in Hong Kong, it’s perfect! Once leaves start to turn red shades, they look great in photos. 

Speaking of photos, I’ve just shot for some enthusiasts I happened to meet at a local parking lot. So overall, my Canadian experience has been really cool. 

What do you hope to do or accomplish while based in Canada? 

Finish my education. Learn how to be independent as a grown-up.  And get my name known within the car community here.

Is there anything in Canada - car-related or not you hope to achieve within the next year? 

Have my own car here. It’s quite hard to get a car here right now due to the ongoing car shortage.

As part of the HiddenPalmTree brand and the newest addition to our team, what are your thoughts of being given this exciting opportunity to represent us? 

I’m very excited to be a part of HiddenPalmTree. It's a great way to show the world what the Canadian car scene is like. From what I’ve seen in the past couple of weeks it’s very different from what you might find in Hong Kong. Definitely psyched to be able to show my work to the world too.

Please give a very warm welcome to Davis as the newest member of our content team!  And for any Canadian-based readers, now’s your chance to connect with one of us in your part of the world.

Oh..and when the time is right yet again, I reckon we’ll be open to more contributors to our team. After all, Canada, Hong Kong, parts of the United States, and Hawaii are just the first steps for us. You are more than welcome to always drop me a message. ;)

"..Get my name known within the car community here."

Photography Credits

Davis Wu (@cars_rick_harrison)