{"id":7818,"date":"2019-03-29T06:01:45","date_gmt":"2019-03-28T20:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ezramagazine.com\/?p=7818"},"modified":"2019-03-29T06:01:45","modified_gmt":"2019-03-28T20:31:45","slug":"billy-bennet-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ezramagazine.com\/?p=7818","title":{"rendered":"Billy Bennet | Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Originally published in our second edition of Ezra Magazine<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was something I was more than happy to do because I knew it would one day pay off. The amount of knowledge I gained about studio photography, networking and customer service truly made it worth it. I knew I had to work hard if I was going to succeed in the industry, and if working for free meant that I would be one step closer, then this was something I was happy to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jumping into the world of photography at age 16, Billy Bennett began interning at a photography fashion school to hone his skills and dedicated \u201cevery single Saturday\u201d to intern there for free. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople usually think that there are two sides of the camera. You\u2019re either in front of it as a model or behind it as the photographer. I spent a lot of time on the side of the camera that often isn\u2019t spoken about. This side is the third side and it is the side of being an assistant. I spent a large amount of my time assisting. Because of my age, I was always \u2018just the assistant\u2019. It took a lot of courage for me to put my foot down and tell myself that I wasn\u2019t just an assistant anymore. When I was given paid work, I was too scared to accept it because I never thought I was good enough. I actually often offered to do it for free rather than accepting payment because I was so used to being referred to as the assistant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
\u00a9 Billy Bennet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Self identity can often be a trouble aspect to any career when first starting out. At times the employee might feel as though they are an \u2018impostor\u2019 – getting paid for skills they think they don\u2019t deserve to be paid for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing young comes with its price. I am used to having those older than me assume that I am immature and unable to cope with stress. I guess the best thing I can do is prove them wrong. Being in the photographic\/media industry has opened up so many exciting opportunities for me to meet so many amazing people within the creative industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I\u2019ve been able to visit amazing locations and attend sponsored dinners – all things I never imagined myself doing. I\u2019m very grateful that I\u2019ve discovered my passion for photography. Even while working, it honestly just feels like I\u2019m getting paid to have fun because I enjoy it so much. I can\u2019t imagine what I would be doing if I weren\u2019t creating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
\u00a9 Billy Bennet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the topic of creativity – one which we love exploring in Ezra Magazine, everyone loves to create differently. Their heads are in different spaces, they draw inspiration from different areas and like working at different times during the day because that\u2019s when they feel they are most creative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe thrill and rush that I experience is something that is very hard to explain. I have so many thoughts going on inside my head during a shoot. I guess my biggest fear is not being good enough. What if the photos aren\u2019t good? What if the model doesn\u2019t like them? This is something that just has to do with my personal habit to over think. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“However, I must state that I\u2019ve never had a shoot where I haven\u2019t had fun. Every time I take photos I have music playing and spend at least 50% of the time laughing. If you\u2019re not enjoying and having fun while creating, then why are you doing it?\u201d Below is a few of our Q&A\u2019s with Billy Bennett. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you prepare yourself mentally before a shoot? Do you have any special routines you like to do beforehand or do you like to sort of just, \u2018go for it\u2019?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I\u2019ve always wanted to have some sort of ritual that I would do before a shoot – but I haven\u2019t quite found the right one yet. So I guess you could say I just \u2018go for it\u2019. I always plan my shoots to some extent, but i<\/g> think it\u2019s best to go with whatever your gut tells you in<\/g> the moment. I\u2019ve had shoots<\/g> before where I\u2019ve prepared a certain style and it evolves into a completely different photo shoot.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
\u00a9 Billy Bennet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“In 2016 I photographed my close friend China Darlington. The shoot was planned to be \u2018tribal\u2019 themed<\/g> but by the end of the shoot<\/g> I had her throwing talcum powder everywhere and creating a massive mess. You sometimes just have to let loose and have fun when creating. Who knows, you might even end up with a final product better than you had originally planned.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you think people treat you differently because you are a young photographer? If so, how have you dealt with it and what do you say to people who answer back with, \u2018you\u2019re so young!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I definitely think people treat me and my photography differently because of my age. It\u2019s become very clear that my generation is seen as \u2018lazy\u2019. I spent 2 years interning for free as an assistant to gain as much experience and knowledge as possible. When finally given paid work, I felt reluctance and some questioned whether I could handle it. I did struggle knowing that the only reason some were reluctant was my age, even though I had been learning the processes for 2 whole years. But in the end, I just have to get on with what I\u2019m being paid to do. If they think I\u2019m incapable because of my age, then I\u2019m more than happy to show them just how capable I am.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I hope the world changes into a more positive mindset towards young creators. The constant \u2018you\u2019re too young\u2019 can almost feel like a de-motivator. I hope anyone who is pursuing any kind of career at a young age just works hard no matter what comments are made. You know what you\u2019re capable of, it\u2019s up to you to present it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What sparked the idea for the photography project centred around terrorism?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Ever since I was little, it was tradition<\/g> for my family to watch the news at 7PM<\/g>. I\u2019ve always been engrossed in the news and what is going on in the world. Terrorism is a topic that appears on the news more and more each month and it is honestly quite scary. As much as I wish I could write blogs that could make a change – writing has never been my strong point. So I figured that if I can\u2019t write – why not try and make some sort of change through the images I create.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“My photography series based on terrorism is going to be a symbolic recreation of particular attacks that have happened on the world. The images will showcase what happened and the effects it has on people\u2019s lives. I\u2019m creating this series in hope that people will realise how bad these attacks really are and I want to reiterate that just because these attacks are no longer shown on the news, the families and victims have to suffer through what happened every single day. This particular series is one I decided to postpone. It\u2019s something I am so passionate about and I would rather wait until I\u2019m completely ready and capable before delving into such a big project.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
\u00a9 Billy Bennet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is one particular photograph you have taken that defines who you are as a photographer? Tell us about it and why.<\/g> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I think it would be quite impossible to find one photo that defines me as a photographer because I am always pushing my boundaries and limits each time I create. There is, however, a photo that defines the exact moment I decided to delve into the path of photography. And this photo is probably one of the worst I\u2019ve ever taken, but it means a lot to me because it is essentially the photo that made me say \u2018hey, maybe I\u2019ll learn about photography\u2019”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Many many years ago, when I was 15, I went to the zoo with my sister to accompany her as she did an assignment for her animal science University degree. At the time, photography wasn\u2019t even on my mind. I took the camera to take random<\/g> photo\u2019s<\/g> of the animals I encountered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When I arrived home, I went through the camera roll and came across this photo that I took of a lion. As you can see, it\u2019s nothing special. But for me at the time, I felt inspired. It was the first time I had created something and it was the first time I felt the need to create more. I always think back to that day and wonder what I\u2019d be doing now if I decided to stay home rather than accompany my sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
\u00a9 Billy Bennet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How do you deal with stressful situations as a photographer? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“During a shoot, it is so easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed. Sometimes I struggle to gather the vision in my mind and create it in front of the camera. I\u2019ve had to figure out ways to make sure this doesn\u2019t show as it is my job to make sure the client feels comfortable. Many people I photograph haven\u2019t modelled before, so it is so important that I keep them confident during their time on the other side of the camera.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I definitely think the most stressful situation I experienced was during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2017. During this week, I was assisting an amazing photographer who was taking photos for Vogue, MAC Cosmetics and many other well known<\/g> brands. I was so stressed I didn\u2019t check any of the photos as I was taking them. The whole week I worked 12 hour days and I was constantly in fear that I was doing something wrong. But in the middle of all the chaos<\/g> there remained some calmness because it just clicked that this was the industry I wanted to work in. The best way to deal with stressful situations in my opinion<\/g> is to take a step back and tell yourself that you\u2019ve got this. Have confidence in yourself and keep creating.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can view Billy Bennett\u2019s portfolio by visiting his website at www. billybennet.com<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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