Palace videographer Jack Brooks has been at the heart of London’s skate scene for over a decade, capturing raw and unfiltered imagery of the community that keeps the subculture alive. Brooks’ latest series Triger Happy has been shot entirely on a Polaroid camera, capturing the likes of Ville Wester lying by the banks of the Thames smoking a cigarette or close friends getting in on the action despite broken limbs. The British photographer’s philosophy focuses on unplanned moments that define the experience, revelling in the happy accidents which are born from the use of Polaroid film.

Name: Jack Brooks

Age: 35

Location: London

Camera of choice: For photos a Polaroid I-2 and video a Sony VX-1000.

Preferred subject: Skateboarding lifestyle.

Favourite time of the day to shoot: Golden hour.

Most recent photo you took: Photo of Southbank empty on black and white Polaroid i-Type film.

How you first became interested in photography: Over 10 years ago when I first started filming skate videos for Palace, I started wanting to have photos other than on my phone of the people I was meeting and places across the world I was visiting. There’s something about shooting on film that has a more nostalgic feel when you look back on it years later.

Biggest influence: Mike O’Mealy. He’s fearless and throws himself into any situation headfirst which shines through in his photography, he has a way of really connecting with people. You’ll be with Mike then realise he stopped to talk to a shopkeeper three streets back and is taking their portrait. He’s unpredictable and keeps you on your toes constantly, but that only pushes you to up your game when you’re around him.

Favourite photography series/book: ’93 Til by Pete Thompson

Current project/s: Trigger Happy, an exhibition of my Polaroid images since summer 2023, which is working with Polaroid and the Museum of Youth Culture. It’s a collection of photos of I’ve shot over the past year or so showcasing the in-between moments I’ve come across when filming and skating in London and abroad.

Check out Jack on Instagram here.