Jan 13, 2014 8 Questions with: Ben Clark
Disclaimer: Ben Clark is one of my best friends, who actually played music at my wedding as part of the Ray Barbee Band. And he also shot many of my favorite articles that I wrote for Giant Robot mag. Coming from a punk rock background, we carried the barest of gear and never had makeup or wardrobe like other publications yet he always came up with amazing photos. I secretly loved taking Ben to the worst environments (filmmaker Stephen Chow in a posh-but-non-photo friendly hotel, director John Woo in a dull corporate office, Mick Jones from The Clash and Tony James from Generation X with their new band in a pitch-black venue) and seeing him figure out a way to come up with something great. We’ve collaborated on some pretty cool articles, and we still go to shows together pretty often just for fun.
Some of you may remember the videos he made for last year’s Long Beach: Work in Progress Imprint event, as well. So why has it taken me so long to ask him 8 Questions? Do you recognize any of the subjects in the photos above or below? (Above, clockwise from top left, are images from my personal archive of Ben shooting portraits of Ponytail, Tony Tave, DragonForce, Mike Relm, Rich Mulder, Abe Vigoda, King Khan, and Fuck Buttons.)
How would you describe your job?
Photographer, although these days I think you’ve got to wear a few different hats. So I do a little video, too, but mostly prefer to work in the still image.
Can you tell me about some recent gigs?
Well, I’d have to say the highlights of 2013 have been my editorial gigs. Shooting Tom Petty live at the Fonda was great and The Stones at Staples Center was an awesome experience, too. Also got to shoot Moby in his home and recording studio. He’s got a lot of awesome synthesizers that I got to geek out on. Chris Shiflett, who plays bass for Foo Fighters, was fun to shoot. I went to their studio and saw the sound board from the Sound City documentary. To see how many guitars a band at that level has–it was like an arsenal. Probably 150 plus. There were a few other notable producer types and chefs with really awesome guitar collections, as well. Oh yeah, there was also this Christian death metal band that hired me for their publicity photos. They were really nice guys and their music sounded pretty good for the genre. I was kinda surprised by that job. It turned out to be a really fun shoot.
What does an average work day look like?
Well, unfortunately shooting is probably a small percentage of the work one does as a professional photographer. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely the payoff to hold your camera and shoot a job. But acquiring the jobs takes up most of your time. Marketing and promoting yourself is probably the biggest and most important part of the job if you want to keep busy.
Also, keeping your relationships with clients and co-workers. There is a lot more competition these days because of digital photography, and clients are always looking for a different look and style to suit their needs. So it’s really great if you can keep someone coming back to hire you.
As for shooting, I’d say most jobs are different because I’m usually on location. Sometimes you’re not even sure what kind of scenario you’re in for until you arrive at the job. Some locations are amazing and it’s easy to find shots there. Others are bleak, and you’ve got to problem-solve on the spot to figure out shots with very little to work with. But I think that’s a plus. Constantly being in different environments tests your abilities and talent.
Is it difficult to keep photography fun when it’s your job?
Sometimes. It depends on how often you pursue personal projects. I think its important to just go out and shoot stuff. Anything, really, but most of all something you’re interested in. You have to remind yourself why you started shooting photos in the first place, as well as keep your chops oiled, greased, and ready to go. The minute you stop shooting personal stuff, it’s easy to find yourself falling into a hole or slump. It can be tough to think of things to shoot, so it’s best to not think about it too much and just get out there and do it. If you do, you’ll probably find yourself happier with your work.
Where do you find inspiration? Not just photographers but other influences…
My number one inspiration has always been music and things that relate to music in some way or another. Even if I’m shooting something that isn’t music related, I’m usually listening to music as a soundtrack. Or I’m wondering if the photo would make an interesting album cover or something. That’s just where I come from and how my thought process works. I can’t help it.
I don’t really pay much attention to other photographer’s work. I probably should because there’s a lot of great photographers out there. Digital photography has made it lot easier to get better at it, and faster too.
Actually, I feel like even my own work has benefited from digital because I can quickly adjust and adapt the way I shoot. I know there are naysayers–and I probably used to be one myself–but since you can take a lot more images and have access to them more quickly, you are able to correct your mistakes faster. I don’t think there are as many errors with digital. When shooting film, a whole lot of things have to line up to create a great pic. For jobs, digital is better and makes more sense.
But for personal stuff, I still shoot film. There’s something about loading film into camera and shooting until you run out of frames that feels really good. And what’s on the roll is a mystery until you process it. I like both digital and film, but I think shooting the latter is the way I most enjoy it.
Reading anything at the moment?
I love well-written sci-fi and fantasy. I just finished the Game of Thrones series and I hope it isn’t a three-year wait for the next book. And then there’s supposed to be a seventh after that. Going to read some sci-fi classics next.
Also trying to read up on and polish up my Photoshop skills. I’m pretty good with the software but when you start to dig into it you realize how little you actually know. I’ve been seeing a lot of amazing stuff being done with the program and would like to learn more. Not sure how or even if I would adapt it to my work, but I definitely want to learn.
It’s always good to be a student of your interests because once you’ve gotten to that place were you think you’ve mastered something, that can really hold you back. Where do you go from there?
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grow up?
Early on, I wanted to be an animator. I always loved cartoons and the fact that each frame was hand drawn really tripped me out. I used make flip books with stick figures, although the farthest I ever got was a Mickey Mouse head that looked from left to right with his eyes. I didn’t have the discipline to cultivate my drawing, and I think that’s why I gravitated toward photography. I still love animation, though, whether it’s 2D or 3D, and it still trips me out how much work goes into it. I watch new animated features with my daughter, and some of it is just mind blowing.
What’s your favorite post-work destination?
Well, if I’m not working I just want to hang with my daughter. Anywhere she wants to go is fine with me. Rediscovering the world and having my eyes and ears open up to the things that she digs is really cool. I think you tend to lose sight of how interesting the world is with experience and it’s nice to be reminded that it can be new to someone else.
I still enjoy playing music whenever I can, too. I caught the bug a long time ago and it’s impossible to put away. Mostly the drums, because it’s such a physical instrument. I can’t quite keep my body in shape to keep skateboarding the way I’d like to, so drums are my replacement for that. In a weird way, it’s kinda like skating. There’s a lot of tricky stuff that makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something when you pull it off.
But mostly, I hang with my daughter. That’s the most valuable thing of all because our time together is pretty fleeting and I don’t want to miss a breath of it.
Check out more of Ben’s work at benclarkphotography.com
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