The First Photographers Posted On 1st April 2025 To Magazine & Stories
Pushing The Limits
Hello, my name is Jaylon Cooper, but I go by “Quality Lenz”. I am a photographer from St. Simons Island, located off the coast of Georgia, but based in Atlanta, Ga. I moved to Atlanta to attend college at Georgia State University. I started doing photography in 2019, when I was given a camera by a relative. In 2021, my passion began to fade, so I took a step back to study renaissance painters. Those are the ones I call, “The first photographers”. After seeing the way these artists captured people, landscapes, color, and lighting in various works inspired me to figure how to apply their attributes into my own style. After about 3 months of research, I bought a 35mm camera, but it wasn’t long until I moved into 120. At first I started shooting color to learn the basics, but after a short time, I wanted to challenge my skills as a photographer. So, I bought my first roll of ILFORD HP5+, and began to explore the colorless side of photography. Since then, I have been pushing the limits of black & white film in different scenarios. Whether it's in-studio, outside at night, or even during the day time. I have developed a style that has me shooting more in-studio rather than outside. This is due to being able to control the environment to my liking, unlike using the sun. As I continue this journey as a film photographer, I will continue to experiment and push the limits of my talents and black and white film until I am able to become a master. Not only in photography, but an ILFORD Master as well. Until then, “I keep my head down and my camera up!”
Crispy Clean
When it comes to crispy clean cut images on film, my go to are ILFORD Pan F 50 & Delta 100. The contrast I’ve been able to capture while experimenting with different lighting setups. Also the texture of these film stocks gives me a nice crispy image! It’s almost like shooting with a pristine bow and arrow. My goal with my images and style of shootings is to tell a story with each shoot I orchestrate! If I had to put a name to my style, I would call it “Culturally Artistic”. A lot of my work is based around my own culture. Whether it's in a studio or on location, I aim to create art no matter the setup or situation.
My Style
Over time my style of shooting has been heavily inspired by Black Culture, and all that resides within the culture I was raised in. I get fueled specifically by the crafts of my culture, and those who go outside the box to produce works in different variations. Music, painters, designers, and even hairstylists! All of these different crafts give me a creative spark to ignite the thoughts of new concepts! A new way to potentially bring these crafts together to collaborate and create art never seen before. Or, new ways for me to pay homage/respect to the culture that has taught me so much! A goldmine of history, lessons, and statements used to inspire others is the roots of my style as a photographer!
All images shot on ILFORD PANF+
Images ©Quality Lenz
About The Author
Quality Lenz
Hey, nice to meet you! My name is Jaylon “Quality” Cooper, and I am a freelance photographer based in Atlanta, Ga. I have been shooting for almost 5 years and it’s been a life changing experience! Mainly humbling to say the least. I am always willing to learn, and will make sure the job is done not only artistically, but correctly. I have been blessed to travel across the country doing what I love, and meeting amazing creators as well. I am from a small area on the coast of Georgia called Glynn County. I moved to Atlanta to further my education in art. From there there the sky was the limit! However, my grandmother always told me to never forget where I came from and that is what I stand by. As I continue to meet many creatives, my love for the arts lead me to create using a new kind of medium, photography. After that the rest is history! Hopefully, I may have the privilege to create with you as well!
Website || www.qualitylenz.com
Instagram || @qualitylenz