Artist's Statement:

Throughout many years of wandering with a camera by my side, I always find myself drawn to the same things...

I seek out those little gems; a forgotten place, a decaying metal structure, a pattern in splintering wood, the fuzz left by a caterpillar..

These things can be overlooked, regarded as an eye sore; but I am often amazed by their quiet beauty.

I aim to capture their voice through photography, through the perspective I saw... I can only share with the world through my eye...

Tamara Lee

Tamara Lee finds her inspirations in her hometown of Vancouver as well as the many far away countries and cultures that she visits. About a decade ago she studied photography through high school and various post secondary courses at Langara College and Focal Point. But she has been passionate about the craft since she was a child with a toy camera.

The biggest influence to her work was a movie she saw when she was very young, called Koyaanisqasti (1984). This movie is a motion picture essay highlighting western civilization's lifestyle and effects on the planet. Drawing from its amazing images, she frequently seeks to shoot beauty created by mankind; things that may otherwise be regarded as dirty or ugly.

"I can only continue to express myself the best way I know how; though my photography. It means so much to me that you have come to look at my work. I hope that you have made a connection and enjoy all the amazing things I have seen!"

The Process:

Remember when people used film for photography, and dinosaurs roamed the earth?

Though digital has won the popularity contest, there is still much to be said about the quality of film. Photoshop has opened up a world of technical possibilities, from adding lighting enhancements to erasing parts of the photo you didn't like. From this there has spawned a whole new craft and pool of talent in graphic design. 

Opposite to that, a photo shot and printed from film must be carefully planned out. The moment is a true account of what was, and requires skills to know how to capture it before hand in any certain way. Shooting with film can require good reactions and patience in waiting for that single moment... 

All my eye photography is shot on 35mm and medium format film. It is also all hand printed in the darkroom, leaving final touches to be made by the artist and not a lab. For this reason, each print is perfected with slight amendments to the tone, colour, contrast and exposure, making each print a unique work of art.

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