By the time he was in his pre-teens, he was experimenting with it, taking shots of his skateboarding mates during the early 90’s. It wasn’t until 2011, when his wife became pregnant, that Ben purchased his first DSLR – and the obsession was instantaneous. His revelation that he’d be able to experiment with artistically capturing his passions (his kids, winemaking, skateboarding and people) in a wa
y that actually showed how his peculiar mind was interpreting an object or situation, was awe-inspiring - “I try to capture the ‘vibe’ that I feel when seeing something beautiful – I want to somehow convey the way I see its brilliance. Showing beauty in perceived ugliness, finding the art in lines, wood and rocks and winemaking. I really love trying to put my obscure thoughts through the lens.”
Ben is without formal training but his unbridled experimentation; drive to capture his unique interpretations and constant hunger for knowledge teamed with an almost non-existent sleep-life means that his skills and style are continuously evolving. His work as a winemaker means he has access to fascinating mechanical subjects as well as dream-like vineyard vistas. Oh and access to wine. He’s modest about his passion “I get ideas in my head and then I just have to see if they’ll work. Often they don’t but the experimentation process is the best part, it never gets boring and it makes you feel really alive. The mental stimulation in the lead-up to getting the right shot, then the end result that follows hours later leaves you with a permanent reminder of that moment in your life when beauty, adrenalin, creativity and passion were all flowing around you.”
Over the past two years, Ben’s photography has been sought out and published in a number of wine and skateboarding publications, utilised for large wine marketing events and trade websites. He has produced a calendar for his employers, which sells in the Patritti Cellar Door and his online fans are many.