The introduction I want to give you about James Lai is this quote from the lion himself: “I’m really good at multiple choice.” It feels important to me. It could be because the first time I met James, he pulled out multiple, maybe four cameras loaded with different film and took photo after photo of Nina Escalante. It could be because when visiting him to do this interview I had to open the lid of a box full of polaroids. When it comes to slicing and storytelling, shooting on film means you take a risk that a digital photographer doesn’t. James is so casual about it.

ALEXIS

JAMES

What is the last place you went with the specific intention of taking a photo?

I’m trying to think… Sometimes I do that, but usually, I have my camera and I only take pictures when I feel like it. There are times when I need to go outside because I’ll have to find the right time for the light and stuff. But the last time I remember is the financial district.

What were you chasing for a photo?

I want to take photos that represent different people in Toronto and I feel that Bay Street is something interesting to take photos. Also, the light is pretty good there.

How do you explore photography as a medium beyond taking a photo?

I usually go to the library and look at books. For me, I suppose that beyond taking the photo there is also looking at the photos. So I shoot efficiently, which means I can’t see what the photos look like until they’re developed. I usually don’t develop until I put away at least eight rolls. It means I end up with a library of photos that I can take care of. So I think another good way to explore photos is to recognize that 99% of your photos are bad. So what you want to do is try to find the good ones. That is really very difficult.

One of the artists whose work you showed me last time I was here was Araki, and you said that what you liked about him and many other Japanese photographers was that they are prolific in their work. What does it mean to you that an artist is prolific in his art?

What impresses me the most is its volume. Let it become an excess. Much of the Japanese mindset and design is actually based on minimalism. But then when separatists like Araki or DaidÅ Moriyama release hundreds of books or things like that. It’s interesting to me because it becomes a stream of consciousness. It becomes something else. It definitely showed Japan very well.

When you exhibit your photos, what is it like to exhibit the work and have the people who are the subjects of the photos actually be in the exhibit and see your photos?

James laughs here. So I haven’t done too many shows, but I realized that the trick is to get really drunk. So you don’t really remember anything about the show and it’s usually a positive thing.

One subject that you seem to like to explore together with people is flowers. What do flowers have that you are interested in studying?

So it’s actually more of a growing interest. What interests me about flowers is that I feel that many other photographers have explored flowers. A lot of photography is trying to figure out how to take pictures. The way you as an individual take pictures. If you look at Maplethorpe flowers or Araki flowers or there are many other photographers; they all look very different. They have found something of their own in flowers. What I try to do is find my thing in flowers. I don’t know, I just like to do these exercises.

As a photographer who is always taking photos, have you ever felt that there is a greater risk in not taking a photo than in doing something physically extreme, like climbing a tree to get an angle?

Yes, I would climb a tree! If you needed it. There are many different ways to approach the moment of taking a photo. Some people are very measured and like a tripod and all that stuff. I like to run around like an idiot and press the shutter, trying to get it at the right time. So if I need to, I’ll climb trees or run with my head cut off.

Do you usually take a photo and feel confident that you have captured that moment?

So I’m a very bad photographer. I need to take a lot of bad photos to get a good photo. For me, I try to keep taking photos until hopefully I’m done.

You mentioned going to the financial district and being interested in that type of person. In fact, you have a background in economics. Do you think that this will influence or has influenced your experience with artistic creation?

There is some experience there. I think about what is most compelling about me. Because I’m pretty cool is that I get along with so many kinds of people. I’ve always seen myself as someone who goes in circles. That includes when I worked as an analyst, energy analyst. So you have your circle there. I realized that there are stories in each circle that are quite interesting. I try to find photos in all the different places.

Do you have a favorite photo you’ve taken?

Uh… No, I think they could all be better.

See the work of James @thejameslai

Article originally published on Alexus Projects

June 2, 2018