CARRTOONS on Discovering Analogue Photography and Documenting his NPR Tiny Desk Performance with the Lomo'Instant Camera
5Ben Carr, also known as CARRTOONS, is a musical artist based in New York who recently developed a fascination with film photography.
With an interest in Lomography's classic lo-fi aesthetic, he picked up the LomoApparat and Lomo'Instant Automat Glass cameras to document his creative lifestyle.
Drawing musical inspiration from the analogue visuals, Ben took his Lomo'Instant Automat Glass camera along with him to capture the memory of his performance for NPR's Tiny Desk.
Hi Ben, welcome to Lomography Magazine! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your music?
Hello! I’m Ben Carr aka CARRTOONS, and I’m a producer and multi-instrumentalist from Beacon, NY. I’ve been a touring bass player in bands for many years, but more recently have been traveling the world playing my own original music.
Can you tell us a bit about your background with analogue photography?
I actually have a very little background in photography until recently. It’s become my new obsession and I’ve been really enjoying diving into a new hobby that I’m not very good at.
How did you discover Lomography?
The drummer in my touring project, Diego Ramirez, saw me using a Fujifilm disposable camera, and recommended I look into Lomography. I was instantly sold once I saw the LomoApparat, and ordered one right away.
What have you shot between your LomoApparat and Lomo'Instant cameras?
I’ve mostly been using the Instant Glass camera recently. It’s so fun to have the instant camera at events and live shows. I shot a handful of shots at NPR Tiny Desk, and captured the weekend around it as well. These pictures really mean the world to me, and it’s so great to have them in physical form.
How does shooting with the LomoApparat and Lomo'Instant Glass compliment your musical aesthetic?
There’s certainly a connection between my love of vintage sounds and vintage visuals. I find these vintage and lo-fi images fit with my musical aesthetic way more than an iPhone, and often inspire new sounds for me.
Do you have a favorite shot taken with either camera? Is there a story behind it?
My favorite picture in here is the one I took of the great guitar player Charlie Hunter, with drummer Nate Smith in the background. It really captures Charlie's infectious positive energy and spirit.
Do you have any tips or tricks for those unfamiliar with film photography, but who want to get into it?
If you have access to film, just get started! Be curious and open to learning, mistakes are going to happen.
Do you have any upcoming projects or shows that you can share with the community?
I recently had an NPR Tiny Desk performance, which aired on February 5th, and is very exciting to share. I’ll also be on tour with my group this April, and with drummer Nate Smith in May. Tickets are available at carrtoonsmusic.com
If you're interested in keeping up with CARRTOONS, make sure to check out Ben's Linktree where you can find him across all socials and keep up with his upcoming performances!
written by eloffreno on 2024-04-18 #gear #culture #people #videos #music #musician #live-events #multi-media
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