Bradley Benskin
On April 28th I sat down with Bradley Benskin who was very active with his camera throughout the Covid curfews and lockdowns and exhibited his work internationally with great success. I first asked Bradley “How were you able to keep your creative drive up during these depressing times”?
Bradley: I challenged myself to do some kind of photography every day, in spite of the limitations of the lock downs. So, it meant taking a close look at what was in and around my home setting and the back yard to see if I could capture ordinary things or things that I had overlooked, and to photograph them in a different light.
Covid was a lock down rather than a "lock up" for me. It made me slow down and it gave the opportunity to notice things that had been overlooked in the usual run of things. For instance, you got to see the effort of ants trying to move a large insect or a leaf or perhaps, a discarded sea shell that I have been stepping over for the longest while. It also meant noticing textures, patterns and shadows in my environment. So, it was my challenge to find beauty in plants, nature and other objects around me. Whereas, I am a landscape and nature photographer the covid experience pushed me to develop my competence in other genres of photography.
Q: You recently exhibited some of your excellent photos in international exhibitions. Can you talk a little about that?
Bradley: Firstly, I would have to say that one of my mentors and BPS colleague, Hugh Walker, influenced me in this effort. He introduced me to Guru Shots which is an online forum where photographers can share their work with other colleagues globally and also enter various challenges. Your photos receive peer reviews as you start as a newbie. You then advance in ranking as you are rewarded points by colleagues of similar competency and you can reach the ultimate goal of being rated as a Guru over time. You can also participate in online exhibitions around the world and win prizes.
Q: What has been your experience so far?
Bradley: My decision to participate in these exhibitions actually came about through Covid also. Since 2020 I have entered eleven exhibitions and my work was shown in Athens, Lisbon, Stockholm, Budapest and Australia. Some of my images were also published in three magazine features. It was very proud moment for me to have been recognized by Digital Camera World and PetaPixel. It gave me the feeling of satisfaction that all of the hours of training and hard work paid off. This also spurred my desire to continue to create the next best image and not to rest on my laurels. Another of my objectives is to capture the essence of Barbados in pictures for future generations to see what life and the environment was like in my time. Right now, we look at photos taken many years ago and realise that many buildings and the former ways of life no longer exist. So, I would like to add to that archival memory and when I am gone, I would be satisfied to know that my work has added to the recording of history for future generations.
The Three Chairs
Q: Let me congratulate you on your successes so far. I am sure that your colleagues in BPS are happy for you and will hopefully join you in exhibiting their work internationally also.
But, to go back to the beginning; how did you get started on your journey in photography?
Bradley: I have been involved in photography for about thirty years. My father had an old box camera with flash cubes and my curiosity got me in real trouble. I took the camera and used up all of the flashes and my father then lit me up with some hot lashes. But between ages thirteen to fourteen while at Combermere School, the camera club was restarted after the dark room there was basically rediscovered. I didn’t have a camera but I spent a lot of time in the dark room at the back end of the process, using the enlarger, developing rolls of black and white film, and learning what made a good photograph. I got into taking photos later on.
Then, at fifteen years old, I got lucky with the “World of Work Programme” at school where students were exposed to the work environment in companies during the summer holidays. I got placed at the Barbados Advocate in their Pre-press Department where I got my feet wet in the whole process of taking the image from the camera stage, through retouching and finally, preparing it for the printed page. This was all a manual process of course and I was fortunate to have learnt a lot from some excellent photojournalists like Grantley Sealy, Jeffrey Bishop and O’Neal Oliver who allowed me to see the workings of a professional dark room.
On the picture taking front end, I also learnt what went into making a good and authentic journalistic photograph without manipulation, so that the image represented the scene or the event as it actually was. This exposure to photojournalism has influenced my style of photography where you have to get it right in the brain first and then get it right in the camera.
Q: So, after that work experience as a student, what happened next?
Bradley: After school I did not touch a camera for a year, but as luck would have it, one of my early mentors at The Advocate Newspaper, Neil Carter, told me that I should apply for a position that had become vacant at the company. Happily, I was accepted there and spent the next ten years working as a Computer Compositor\Journeyman. The job involved retouching photographs, correcting blemishes and ensuring that the best quality images went to press. The newspaper printed mainly black and white photos at that time, and so, that is why I have a preference for black and white as the better story telling medium. I also did some freelance journalism and, in this regard, I must recognize another one of my colleagues, Jefferson Jackman, who took me under his wing and mentored me.
Bicycle Boy
Q: You got your start in photography in the Combermere School Camera Club, you were also a member of PHOTACC at UWI, Cave Hill and now you are a member of the Barbados Photographic Society (BPS). How have you benefitted from your association with BPS?
Bradley: After leaving UWI and PHOTACC, I was looking for a home, so to speak, to further my association with photography and photographers. It so happened that I met Charles McClean at the Garrison while shooting the national monument and he introduced me to BPS. After joining, the first benefit was the opportunity for me and my work to be published in the online magazine, Visual Arts Barbados, produced by Corrie Scott. Secondly, I got more exposure through exhibiting some pieces in a BPS exhibition and the next year I entered three pieces, under the umbrella of the society, in NIFCA and won three Bronze medals.
The next thing I did was to decide to get certified in photography and I was awarded a certificate with distinction from University of Dublin. I also did courses with Shaw University, The Museum of modern Art and the New York Institute of Photography. So, BPS was the catalyst behind my move to become certified. I also registered as a Cultural Practitioner with the National Cultural Foundation and it was my membership in BPS that vouched for me as a photographer in the registration process.
Bajan Cherry
Q: Now, you have moved up in the world of photography and you have gained some global recognition. How would you characterize your style of photography and how might someone see a photo and be able to say, “This is a Bradley shot”?
Bradley: I have been told that I have a style. I tend to like rich colours and deep, dark tones, vibrant tones also. Not manipulated and over saturated however. If I produce a photo of a sunset with orange in the sky, you know that that was exactly what I saw. My style is to get it right in the camera and replicate what is before me.
As far as my black and white work is concerned, I like the “film noir” gritty style with deep dark shadows and punchy high-contrast whites. You will see deep shadows and wide tonal range. I try to lean to the dramatic rather than the pastel look. I aim to portray a mood with my black and white photography rather than producing what the purists might prefer. My work is supposed to transport the viewer to the place that I was at.
Melinda on the Wall
Q: So, that is the Bradley Style, but what are your goals for your photographic journey going forward?
Bradley: My primary goal is to continue making good images and I would like to have my work exhibited in the Barbados National Gallery. I would love to be able to make a living as a professional photographer, not necessarily within the confines of Barbados. The idea of doing something that I enjoy and getting paid for it is very appealing to me. Many people do not see creatives as having a “real job” and now that every cell phone has a camera, many people see photography as just pressing a button. They do not see the countless hours of training, study and the development of skills required to consistently produce good images under all conditions.
Wolseley
My journey in photography reflects where I came from and the exposure and training that I went through. I am not where I was when I started many years ago and I plan to continue improving and not rest on my laurels. I would want to put my work out there for future generations of Barbadians to see, but if it only hangs in my living room I would also be happy. Finally, in the vein of giving back, I see myself sharing my knowledge and mentoring young photographers just as others have mentored me in the past.