Capturing Americana with Jason Lee

By Polaroid Oct 26,2016

1. What sparked your interest in photography?

Back in the early 90s, in my skateboarding days, I played with Super 8 movie cameras because we decided to incorporate that film into our skate videos. So I used film a little back then, and some Polaroid cameras, too, but I didn’t really get into dedicated film photography until 2001 while on a movie set in Canada. For whatever reason, one day I started looking around the set, paying extra attention to the camera and the lights and started picking the brains of the camera guys. After that, I got really interested in photography and started buying film cameras. It just kind of stuck from there and now it’s been 15 years of me shooting film and not stopping.

2. What are some of your first experiences with Polaroid and instant photography?

Polaroid has been a part of the way I shoot, how I like to shoot and what I like to shoot for over 10 years now. The first camera I bought was a Mamiya RZ 67 and I had a Polaroid pack for it. Those were the days before digital when you used Polaroid film to determine what a shot would look like, and then you would shoot conventional film through the camera. I started really liking the Polaroid 664, the 100 speed black and white film. I was mesmerized by it. It was just so smooth and had a charcoal-like quality to it. It was unbelievable.

3. What’s your favorite Polaroid camera/film?

Polaroid 804. And I shoot a lot of expired Polaroid 690 film, too, the pack film, and it’s got a very cool look to it. I use a Polaroid Land Camera 250 for the smaller films.

4. Can you describe your shooting process and aesthetic?

I’m most content and inspired when I’m just out there shooting. I do a lot of road trips. I like to document the backroads, but at the same time, I like going into the city. I’ll go from 4x5 or 8x10 rural Polaroid photography, and then I’ll walk around a city with my Polaroid Land camera 250 shooting pack film. I like to shoot what’s there and be in it; just documenting life as I see it. Sometimes it’s more steady and focused on something like an object or location, and sometimes I like to be in the mix and shoot people.