Swide Magazine by Dolce&Gabbana

Ben Cornford is the latest fashion photographer I have discovered on the internet and his photography style is not something you will see often in this industry. Most of his photos are shot on location and the blue sky and bright sun has become the signature of his images.

Today, it is my honored to share my interview with Ben Cornford with you Swide readers!

Hi Ben, it’s my honor to be able to feature you on Swide and I do have some questions for you. So, what was the main reason that made you want to become a photographer?

I was born in Africa at a very young age, long before the internet, cable and television. Consequently, I read lots of books. In my grandfather’s well stocked wine cellar, I found a steamer trunk filled with art and photography books, which turned out to be a good combination (the cool air and reading), and it probably led to me doing what I do to this very day.

 

Self taught is always the best way to learn a skill and I am glad you have become a photographer! Well, which photographers do you look up to? What have you learnt from him/her/them?

Some of the photographers I like include Lazlo Moholy (surrealism), David Bryne (headshots), Ansel Adams (lighting manipulation), Herb Ritts (black and white photos), David Lachappelle, Erwin Olaf, Helmut Newton, Robert Mapplethorpe and Horst P Horst.

 

I look at vast amounts of images and learn a small amount from each. This is the way I learn about people’s styles and try to create my own. Then, I teach others, which gives me great satisfaction. I am firmly against any sort of direct copying of someone’s lighting style, shooting style, etc.  Learning from it is one thing; however, an obvious attempt to precisely duplicate someone else’s work is a little off putting.

Originality is always the key to survive in this industry and this is why I like your photos a lot. Is there a specific key element in your photography style that sets you apart from other photographers? If so, what is it?

I use very dramatic lighting and have been honing different lighting styles for years. As people copy my style, I try to change and keep ahead, which keeps me on my toes. I still work a lot with black and white, as I believe that is the truest way to look at light.

 

Your dramatic lighting and the use of the sunlight are what attracted me to see your works and I can’t wait to see more in the future! Other than fashion, I know you also shoot architectures, cars and artistic portraits. Which type of photography do you find to be the most challenging?

Due to the advent of digital shooting /printing, along with generally simpler ways to transfer an image to a substrate, the art of the big darkroom print is disappearing rather quickly, which is sad. I get a great amount of satisfaction working with old school medium format such as black and white nudes (photo enclosed). They are very artsy, and I blow them up onto 4x8 foot black and white wet printing paper. (I would definitely say that is the most challenging part of the general photographic process.)

The most difficult object to light and shoot would probably be a Boeing 777 airliner or similar sized vehicle.  I am quite used to cars and I assumed that shooting an airliner would be the same thing just different. How wrong I was….  Having a large airline company as a client has taught me to appreciate the challenge.

If I had a chance, I would love to shoot a Boeing 777 airliner too as this would be a very good challenge for me. Last but not least, If you had the chance to shoot the promotion campaign for one of Dolce & Gabbana's collections, which collection would you choose? What kind of imaginary would you want to achieve?

I would shoot anything from the Dolce and Gabbana collections. The actual type of imagery would be dictated by the art director/stylist/clothing and what demographic we were after.  If I had location choice, it would probably be Namibia.  The scenery is absolutely breathtaking.  The negative space, plant-life and climate create an otherworldly type backdrop that would contrast D&G’s designs.

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And for more of Marcus Kan's articles and other interviews click here.  

Credit: Ben Cornford

 

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