By Clayton Moore | Photos by Fernando Barragan
Budding entrepreneur Fernando Barragan spent his COVID-19 pandemic downtime making YouTube videos based on a pastime called car spotting, looking for interesting cars in and around Carmel. The fifteen-year-old’s favorite to date is a Mercedes-Benz AMG-GTR sports car that can reach 60 miles per hour in three seconds.
You have 1,500 subscribers on YouTube. How did you get started?
I was already watching car videos from places like Los Angeles, but in the back of my mind, I knew Carmel could be just as good. Because I’m too young to drive, I’d have my brothers drop me off in Carmel for the day, and I spent that time photographing cars and making videos for TikTok and YouTube. That’s how it started.
You don’t have any training in videography or filming. Are there any challenges?
The most challenging parts are editing the videos and talking to the camera in front of other people. I didn’t know anything about editing at first, and there are still hard parts about it, but thankfully, it’s getting easier. The talking in front of people still gets to me, but that’s getting easier, too.
What do you love about cars and these experiences?
Honestly, cars are way better than live-streaming videogames. I’ve gotten to take a few rides, and it really boosts your confidence. This weekend, there was a charity event for the Make-A-Wish® foundation, and they brought down nearly 100 million dollars’ worth of cars. I made it out to Quail Lodge, Laguna Seca, and Ocean Avenue in Carmel, just having fun and recording my YouTube videos. You learn so many different things.
What would you tell other young people about chasing their dreams?
First, don’t care what other people think of you. When I first got started, I had zero subscribers, but I knew eventually I would get to the point where people noticed me. Once you stop caring about what other people think, that’s the moment you really start doing things.
View Fernando Barragan’s videos on YouTube at “BayAreaExotics.”
