To be honest, I can't say I know for certain how my work influences the world around me. How does photography affect you as a person and as an artist? This is the kind of art I'm attracted to, whether it's literature, music, or even the way a mesmerizing girl provocatively eats a messy taco–I'm drawn to anything that burrows itself in our minds when we're left alone with our thoughts.Īs an artist, you get to see how your work influences the world around you. The psychological debauchery only becomes palpable through repeated exposure, like radiation beams on a tumor. Maybe the feeling revisits them as they're sitting alone eating an afternoon sandwich, or while they're standing in line waiting to pick up their medications at the pharmacy, or maybe when they're brushing their teeth in the shower while the hot water’s pelting the back of their head. I want the feeling to linger in the viewer’s memory long after they've encountered my work. It's more of an uneasy, lurking feeling I try to convey through the juxtaposition of my writing and photographs. When I say “psychological debauchery,” I don't exactly mean from an explicit sense–I think that kind of work is too evident and easy to do, and the world has enough of it already. When did you become interested in psychological debauchery? What attracted you to explore it throughout your photography? "Photography is no longer a metaphor for my life. BUT, what they’ll never be able to replicate is the absolute joy of the film workflow and experience, and that's why I'll personally shoot film until I die. And if we’re honest with ourselves, many Photoshop plugins out there can replicate the film look pretty damn good. Neither film or digital is better than the other–they're just different. digital debate is so irrelevant is that ultimately it’s always the image that matters, not the tool used to shoot it. I like the “imperfections” and serendipity of film. However, I like a little grime under my fingernails. It has a certain look, texture, cleanliness. I’m not an analog purist, and I don’t think there’s anything inferior with digital photography as a method and tool. Change is inevitable, and technology brings about new tools and ways of doing things. I've shot with many cameras, but my weapon of choice is a medium format Mamiya RZ 67, and her name’s “Bronson.” You’re right, we do live in a digital era, and there’s nothing wrong with that–it’s just the age we're living in. I then moved onto learning medium format and large format. My first analog camera was a 35mm Canon Rebel–it was a good camera to learn on. In your opinion, what makes analog photography so unique? What was your very first analog camera? It's safe to say we live in a digital era. And this idea of overcoming lies at the heart of my namesake–overcoming not only obstacles without, but also overcoming and mastering the false self within that threatens to hold us in bondage and from reaching our greatest potential as individuals.
In fairy tales, the hero must inevitably face and prevail over the evil fire-breathing dragon standing in their path toward greatness. Historically, the dragon archetype has come to symbolize many themes in the human psyche that I resonate with, such as mystery, the self, the sublime, alchemy, creation, transformation, death, terrible beauty–the list goes on and on. People often assume I’m some Dungeons and Dragons freak, or a degenerate BDSM master or something, but in reality, the genesis of The Dragon Master moniker has nothing to do with any of these ill-informed presumptions. Hello, thanks for having me Lomography! Who am I? I’m the psychological puppeteer that pulls the strings of my impish alter ego DragnMastr13. Hey, Lee! Welcome to Lomography Magazine! Can you tell us a bit more about the creative person behind the lens? Why Dragon Master?