Humans of Chaffey: Jason Dawes
By Miranda Morgan
The photo lab that is nestled within the first floor of the CAA building serves as a creative space for the students of Chaffey, and doubles as photo specialist Jason Dawes' over-sized office.
For Jay, photography is not just a career that begins and ends when he walks into work. It is a passion that intersects every aspect of his life.
His passion for photography began when all that was available was analog photography. Learning from his father, who was an amateur photographer himself, Dawes combined this newfound art form with his already existent passions. Skateboarding, punk music and 90s culture shaped his art.
“I will always use a skateboard reference or music reference when talking about photography,” he stated, when asked about the intersectionality of his passions. “I was sort of enamored by that music used in skate videos… they all sort of crossed over at some point, and inform everything I do every day.”
Starting at Riverside Community College, he cites Mr. Rodriguez -- a professor and retired military photographer -- as one of his biggest mentors. He gave Jay a timeless piece of advice: go out and shoot a roll of film everyday.
He took this advice to heart. By roll 100, he was beginning to see his style emerge.
“He was really crucial in helping me understand that it’s a learned practice… muscle memory. You have to do it a lot to get really good at it.” Dawes said.
Along with what he learned himself from Mr. Rodriguez, Dawes advises students to understand that failure is the key to mastering photography.
“This medium is based on failure. The more you fail, the better you’re going to get. . . Photography wouldn’t be where it is without people making mistakes, so I think the wins and losses are both equally important.”
No stranger to mistakes himself, that encouragement comes from a place of experience.
“I can remember a time where I was learning a new type of camera, and I must have gone through ten rolls of film… that was very important because I didn’t want to give up,” he stated. “Through that frustration, I have to remind myself, and I remind students, that nothing is wasted. It’s all practice. It just takes time, and you have to be willing to do that.”
While analog and digital both provide different benefits, he finds himself still partial to the forever-quality of film and the unbeatable life lessons it provides. Analog photography results in something tangible, something that cannot be deleted with the push of a button when it does not fulfill our need for instant gratification. It teaches people that there is value in relying on others to perfect the craft.
“It teaches the students patience through the process, everything is very step-oriented, and it teaches people to slow down. You get a sense of community,” he explained. “They’re all leaning on each other. It can be sort of scary to use dated apparatuses, and students help each other through that.”
Getting into analog can be scary, intimidating even. With the resurgence of love for that film-style that analog provides, he believes that the introduction of film-style filters or the use of disposable cameras is a great springboard to get people into film.
Analog photography is undoubtedly expensive, so having cheaper alternatives that can help people fulfill their interest is great. Eventually, they may find themselves moving towards the real thing, whether for a semester, or as a lifelong-love. Students who have been under his wing have oftentimes come back to the art form, missing the process that will always leave them with both tangible and mental rewards – a magic that is rare to find anywhere else.
When asked about what prints and projects were most special to him, the answer came without hesitation.
“I think the most important imagery is probably of my children. I’ll have sort of a forever memory of them. . . My kids are my biggest muses, and I’ll continue to photograph them as long as they allow me to.”
While some passions fizzle out after a few years, months, weeks or even days, there is something special to the art of film photography that will always keep him coming back.
“I’ve been doing this for 25 years myself, and find there’s still always a little bit of magic and alchemy and skill, and you get happy accidents.”