Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Draper.
Hi Ben, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Everything started when I borrowed one of my dad’s point-and-shoot cameras while on a trip with him through Scotland. I had no idea what I was doing other than thinking to myself “oh that looks cool” – pointing the camera at it, and pressing a button.
A few years later my dad bought me an entry-level DSLR, and the rest was, as it’s often said, history.
I fell in love with the medium and it changed my life entirely. I studied work which I admired and ultimately felt something from, networked, practiced, practiced, practiced, and never gave up (and still haven’t) on always searching for how to see in new ways.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not a smooth road at all. Incredible highs, dramatic lows. Such is life.
I’ve learned to allow that rhythm, and I understand that nothing in life is ever a constantly smooth and happy path. The great thing about failing though is how much there is to learn from the failure. You don’t learn much or grow if you’re always comfortable.
Some of my struggles have included personal circumstances affecting my professional in heavy ways, getting too confident at times which causes awful productivity and zero creativity, and every now and then letting fear get the better of me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love portraiture. There’s something very rewarding about being trusted to make a photograph of someone’s honesty, and I’m fortunate in that I get to photograph a lot of very compelling and interesting individuals. It makes for a unique experience every shoot.
I’d say I’m most proud of my relentlessness. I refuse to give up (though sometimes it feels like that’s the only thing I should do).
What sets me apart? I’d have to say my personality.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I think what stands out to me most is the abundance of kindness. Everyone seems genuinely happy to meet / briefly chat with new people and share their time.
Not sure I have anything negative to say.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bendraperphotography.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/bendraperphotography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-draper-0640733b/
