Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Siemens.
Ben, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the idea of photography. I was always trying to get my hands on my parents’ camera. When I was about eight years old, we were at the zoo, and I asked my mom if I could take some pictures. She handed me the camera, and I remember taking a picture of a baby orangutan. I was so proud of it, and from then on, I took photos whenever I had the chance.
When I saved enough money my freshman year of college, I purchased my first camera and was soon hired as a sports photographer for the university I attended. I learned so much about camera fundamentals while working that job and fell in love with photography even more. I spent the majority of my free time taking photos. After a year of college, I transferred to a more media-oriented school in Escondido, where I am currently working on my undergrad for the purpose furthering my photography knowledge and experience even more.
This past Fall (2019) I had the opportunity to study abroad for four months in Austria. During this time, I traveled to 10 new countries and took photos throughout all of my travels. Now that I am back in the states, I am working on mastering the edits of those photos, as well as experimenting with film stock photography. As of right now, I do mostly freelance and collaborative work, but by summer 2020, I hope to build my own website and company with the purpose of pursuing a career in photography. I’m continuing to explore the craft, enjoying all aspects of photography, and collaborating with other photographers and models to tap into and learn from their knowledge and insight.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My journey pursuing photography has been a relatively smooth road. Family and friends have been very supportive, and I don’t have to look far to find people who are eager to collaborate. The main obstacle I have encountered along the road is obtaining new equipment. As a college student, I don’t have as much financial freedom as I would like to invest in new equipment. However, by starting my own business, I hope to obtain the money to buy new gear, which will help me expand my resources and means of capturing my art.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
As of right now, I don’t have an official business set up, but it is in the works. I plan to have it all set up by summer 2020, so stay tuned!
My focus will be oriented towards all forms of photography, but I specialize in portrait, urban, and candid shots. Something that sets me apart from other photographers is my experience traveling and photographing all walks of life. As I traveled to new places, I had to adapt my style to the new location. With this, I was able to expand my vision on what photography can be and learn new edits to match. I am very proud of the portfolio I have put together of photos both abroad and in the states.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck has not played a huge part in my journey. From the start of my career as a photographer, my main takeaway has been that it takes time and dedication to master the craft. You really are able to learn as you go along. For a large chunk of time, I was taking hundreds of photos and I never saw the results that I wanted. It was really frustrating, but looking back on it, I can see that I was learning the entire time. Eventually, by seeing what I did not like, I was able to start taking photos that I consistently loved. It all came with time and practice. Even now, I know that I have so much to learn, but in the end, it will be worth the effort.
I have been very fortunate in some of the opportunities that I have had, but I believe hard work and dedication to your craft is not luck, but passion.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 7202459117
- Email: bensiemens3@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bensiemens_photography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ben.siemens.94
Image Credit:
Kaitlyn Krikorian (1st Image)
Ben Siemens (Remaining Images)
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