Kaj Jefferies with the Lomo'Instant Wide

We talked to photographer Kaj Jefferies about her love for film photography and she shared some instant shots taken on the Lomo'Instant Wide in her day to day life hanging with friends, at various fashion shows and on the road with Rita Ora.

I’m Kaj Jefferies I’m a 24 year old director, filmmaker, photographer and artist. I grew up in the West Country then moved to Brighton to go to university and am now based in South East London. I travel a lot with my job and I’d say that is the biggest influence on my work. My job is mainly focused within the fashion and music industries, but my personal projects include art and documentary based films, portraiture and lot of street photography.

Where did your love for photography start?

I actually never studied photography or learnt how to use a camera, I'm completely self-taught, through a lot of trial and error and experimenting when I was growing up. I started shooting 35mm almost 10 years ago. I bought a Pentax MX from a car boot sale as my first film camera and after that I think my camera collection just grew from there really.

I do remember asking the photography teacher at college to teach me how to process my own film in the dark room, she was pretty willing, as at that time photography curriculum was focused on teaching digital over analogue (i think it's almost gone back full circle now), but I was pretty hooked on it, spending days experimenting with different exposures etc. I think that pinpoints the time I really fell in love with photography on a much deeper level, for me it has always been about the process. Even though I do shoot digital now, my preference is always to shoot analogue. That transfers over to moving image too, the last two years I’ve focused a lot with experimenting with super8 working closely with Kodak on projects too.

How did you get on shooting with the Lomo'Instant Wide?

I love taking instant photographs because it's really satisfying to have the physical aspect straight away, and gives a textural depth when scanned in which i love. Also they are quite unpredictable which can be fun (sometimes), light leaks, colour clumps, over exposed flash, slightly off centred compositions; all of these things create an aesthetic which isn’t for a perfectionist - but I find them really fun. It's a shame that Instax can only fit 10 frames in a pack really because I get through them so quickly, I have hundreds and hundreds of them in a shoeboxes under my bed.

Tell us a bit about these photos?

Documenting personal life, self portraits, friends, memories, fashion shows, on road with Rita Ora. Just life really.

What's coming up for you in the new year?

What's coming up for you in the new year?

2018 has been super busy so far, I can see myself spending a lot more time in airports this year. I shot a campaign in Cape Town for Jigsaw & Kodak, instore & online that just went live. Lined up next I have a few projects on the go, shooting editorials, music videos, collaborating with like minded artists and going on European tour with Rita Ora in May, as well as planning a solo show at some point this year. I have also been making a film to go alongside Rosie Matheson portraits in an exhibition in London in the Summer called ‘Boys’. So there is a lot to keep me busy!

To see more of Kaj's work visit her website www.kajjefferies.com or follow her on Instagram iamkaj

2018-01-05 #people #uk #lomo-instant-wide #kaj-jefferies #rita-ora