Meet the Model: Ben

I am doing a new series here on the business blog called "Meet the Model." I am hoping to grow my model rotation to 10 people; I currently have five (one new one!). I hope to introduce them each to you and share some of their experiences so that you don't think I just drag people around telling them what to do....well, I sort of do that.

I met Ben a long time ago through our church. He was an instant friend. He comes to all our family functions and just loves on the littles and on our family. As I ventured into photography I knew from the beginning that I wanted him as one of my regular models. Ben has such a pretty boy face and style; but I also know after working with him that he can be edgy when he wants too.

Our very first shoot in June was very much like this. Very preppy and light. I had not worked a lot with male models at that point (they are my favorite to work with now, so easy and carefree) and so Ben was an original guinea pig on me learning to style men.

As Ben and I's friendship has grown and our partnership as a model/photographer I've learned his style, his likes and dislikes via colors, etc. When you are a photographer and you have a regular model you don't want to just have them show up. It's a team effort. I now prefer to style all of my models a few days before a shoot and Ben was super gracious in letting me style him in our second shoot that we will mention in a moment.

Our second shoot was in August. I took a mini break in July to do some events/weddings as well as catch up on editing. I also took some time this week to talk to Ben about his experiences. Check it out:

1. Have you ever modeled before working with Meg?

No. Working with Meg was my first official modeling gig.

2. Where you surprised that you were asked to model? What were you expecting from a photo shoot?

I had always thought it would be cool to try modeling but never actually pursued an opportunity to do it, so I was slightly surprised when Meg asked me. 

3. What has been your most challenging experience?

The most challenging thing so far as been perfecting my "hard" face ha ha

4. What have you learned from modeling? Would you recommend someone else to model, even if just for fun? 

I think I've learned best that I should stay on this side of the camera, ha ha. I really enjoy watching Meg's creativity come to life and helping make that happen. To me it's a lot of fun being out there laughing, trying out different ideas and watching it all come together to an amazing final product. I would absolutely recommend others to model with her or model in general. 

5. What has been your favorite/most fun experience with Meg?

I think my most fun experience so far with Meg had to be this last shoot. We laughed a lot, had so much fun, and I felt much more comfortable with the modeling aspect than I did the first time. 



Overall, Benjy has absolutely nailed his part as a model. He is a very strong model giving me both glimpses of seriousness and laughter. One of the things I appreciate about Ben is his willingness to accept my personality and silliness. When we are on a shoot that can take 4-5 hours he is light and fun the entire time; even as I'm bossing him around. He's very open to trying new artistic poses and has one of the most genuine spirits I've ever encountered.

He also has an understanding that he is not allowed to model for anyone else....ever.

Look for Ben's next spread the end of September. We are doing a fun and unique night time shoot that will be sure to knock your socks off!

Enjoy these few photos of Ben too! :)

Where I Started

I really felt compelled to share how I started in photography many, many years ago. I've always had a creative and artistic mind. I started writing in a journal when I was 10 years old. I kept many journals for years. I would always get annoyed because my mother would find them but it never stopped me from writing.

My writings were very dark. As a teenager despite my outward appearance of being joy filled I was very depressed. I also was a dark thinker. I had a lot of anger towards a lot of people and let it fester within which caused most of my writings/poetry to be geared towards hate, anger, depression or sadness.

From there, I picked up a camera. I continued to write but wanted a new and fresh way to express myself and my inner thoughts/pain. I started with my camera phone. Than I graduated to a cheap DSLR. Like really cheap. It was border line disposable. I did simple shoots, nothing serious, and took photographs as a hobby for years before even considering I had any sort of talent to do it professional. (Still debating that to this day.)

A lot of my photographs where simple. I took a lot of pictures of my sisters and my children because they were consistent subjects in my life that were willing to let me pose them, work with them, or let me shoot lifestyle shots of. I had no idea what I was doing with lighting or anything technical. I just knew what I wanted on the screen, what theme I wanted, and went with it. Easy as that.

I knew from the beginning that I wanted each photograph to represent a season of my life, my child's life (I was a single mom at the time that I started getting really serious about my hobby) and/or to represent a struggle that someone faced. My sister and I got together one time she visited and did a shoot on depression in teens. We knew it was a very relevant issue and wanted to bring it to life.

I also took lots of film of my daughter. I wanted to capture sweet and even rough moments of our life together when it was just the two of us. I rarely spent time at home during the year I was a single mom and so every moment we had together meant more to me than anything. She was always so easy to capture because she is just like me and doesn't mind openly expressing herself.

I also did lots of self-portraits. I've lived a rough life and I used my photography as a therapy piece. I believe in art. I believe that participating in art in any way whether painting on a canvas or taking a photograph can help you rid yourself of certain pain and thoughts. It's at least a tool.

Some of my previous work is too "dark" too share. Some of it I shot for myself. Some of it I shot for a purpose. I did a lot of it for practice.

I wanted to share all this because I know a lot of people give up on their dreams and passions. Starting out I never thought I'd do anything further with photography. It was a serious passion and love of mine but I never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd be decent enough or skilled enough to start a business. Nor did I believe that anyone would support me.

I learned quickly however that you always have room to grow. You won't always be the best and that's OK. You just need the passion and drive to move forward despite that fact. I also realized quickly that I didn't need anyone else to support me. I just need to know that this is where God is wanting me. This is where God is desiring for me to go.

My goal is to one day host workshops for men and woman wanting to use their photography as a means to express themselves. With art, there is no limit. And when you press on through the challenges and into your dream you change not just your own life but many others around you. I also believe that if more people who feel inclined to be an artists in any way would pursue that dream than art would be more alive today than it ever has. Creativity would be revived. I see it coming back and my prayer is that many more artists will embrace it.

I also hope that those who are holding on by a thread to a dream will live it. Sometimes you just have to take the first step. It won't be easy, but if you fail while trying, you aren't really failing. Because so many people never even start.