Jason Lee's camera

[Mimsey Borogrove]

I was wondering what camera that Jason is using - it is some type of 8 x 10 view camera and he shoots Polaroid film with it. There is a company that makes 8 x 10 film that can be used in view camera.

But what interests me more is how this use of the Polaroid film represents an evolution.

When photography was in it's infancy, they put light sensitive chemicals in an emulsion on glass plates or sheets of metal, and you ended up with one single preserved image. When they could put the emulsion on transparent film, it opened the door for the making many copies of the image. Digital has taken that a step further, in that you no longer need dark rooms, messy chemicals, enlargers etc. to make multiple copies. With a digital camera the images can be processed on a computer and shared with thousands.

So, by using a view camera and Polaroid film you have gone full circle. There is only one single image shot by the artist / photographer. Sure it can be copied, but the value is in the original. So, by adopting this format, Jason is elevating himself to the level of being an artist.

Take a read of this article about him as an artist.

https://www.format.com/magazine/features/photography/jason-lee-interview-photography

Here's the start of the article:

Sometimes, when speaking with artists and creatives—musicians, photographers, graphic designers, you name it—there’s a palpable lack of excitement when it comes to speaking about their creative process. It’s totally forgivable: not every part of the process is exhilarating, and, having talked about it one too many times, they might feel they’re beating a dead horse. But Jason Lee is nothing if not excited about photography.

When I off-handedly ask about how he got started with peel-apart instant film, Lee unravels everything you’d need to know over a solid 10 minutes, including what type of camera to buy and why, battery conversions, which films to use and where to find them, the different qualities of each, and why he loves every one of them.

The way he speaks is indicative of someone with an unquenchable drive to create, but that would’ve been clear from simply looking at his multiple careers.

 

[Mimsey Borogrove]

Here is his instagram account with more of his stuff.

https://www.instagram.com/jasonlee/