Oregon Glamour & Fashion Photographer Ben Lundberg Tells All

I got the chance to interview 28 year old glamour and fashion photographer Ben Lundberg from Eugene, Oregon.  He let me in on his style, photo gear, and motivations for choosing photography.

Kyle: Let’s start things off with some background info. Who is Ben Lundberg?

Ben: I’m 28 years old and live in Eugene, Oregon.  I’m unmarried with no kids, but I have a black Labrador that keeps me busy enough.  I’ve mainly worked as a waiter or bartender for most my working years so this has given me good people skills. I go to school right now for photography and business.

Kyle: Can you please tell me a little about how you got started with photography and what lead you to the path you’re on now?

Ben: Well, I originally got a camera because I always liked National Geographic growing up and all the cool pictures in there. One of my friends wanted me to do pics for her a while back so I spent some time reading up on lighting and glamour photography etc.

Kyle: How long have you been into fashion & glamour photography?

Ben: Not too long. Around 7-8 months I’d say.

Kyle: Do you ever use professional models for your shoots?

Ben: I haven’t really used any professional models, though some of the girls I’ve done pics for have done some paid work. All of my initial stuff was for friends and some for a group of photographers I work with. Then I put up an account on Model Mayhem and people started to contact me there. Also, word of mouth leads people to me as well.

Kyle: Everyone remembers their first shoot with a model. What was yours like, and what was the most important lesson you learned?

Ben: Haha, well my first time out really was with my friend Melissa who had modeled before, so luckily, it went really well. The best thing I’d say I learned is that if you are doing photos for someone else, let them look at the shots during the shoot to see if they like them. I spent way too much time worrying about lighting and the rest and forgot to notice that she had blinked or just looked awkward in many of them.

Kyle: Let’s change gear for a minute (pun indented). Many people think they need the latest & greatest camera and gear to make fantastic shots. What does your photo gear collection look like?

Ben: I think having decent gear and a good knowledge of lighting, posing, and composition makes for much better pics than just having good gear but I currently use:

• Nikon D80 camera
• 18-135mm kit lens
• 50 f/1.8 prime lens
• 28-75mm f/2.8 Tamron lens
• 2x Nikon SB-600 flashes
• 2x Bogen nano light stands
• 2x white bounce-back/shoot thru umbrellas
• 1x silver bounce-back umbrella
• some DIY flags and snoots
• DIY beauty dish
• ~200+ colored gels
• extra batteries and memory cards
• one bag for lighting equipment
• one bag for camera gear

Kyle: What was your first camera?

Ben: Well, I got a Canon sd800 is in the summer of 2007, but it’s just a point and shoot.  My D80 is my first DSLR.  I plan on saving up for the D700.

Kyle: The lighting in most of your pictures comes from the sun and Nikon SB-600 Speedlights.  How come you don’t use studio strobes?

Ben: Studio strobes are great since they have a lot more power than the flashes, but they also weigh a lot more, and require separate battery packs etc. With just the flashes and a little knowledge of your camera and lighting, you can pull off almost the same effect with just the flashes. Being able to carry all my gear in just two smaller bags and easily hike out into the woods is just great.

Kyle: Softboxes or umbrellas?

Ben: I currently only have umbrellas mainly because the softboxes are more expensive. They both have their advantages and disadvantages though.

Kyle: What’s next on your “to buy” list?

Ben: Probably will upgrade my lenses. Having good glass is really important in my opinion. I’d really like to get Nikon’s 24-70 f/2.8 and Nikon’s 70-200 f/2.8. My next purchase is going to be another SB-600, stand, and umbrella.

Kyle: Are there any photographers who provide you particular inspiration?

Ben: Yeah, quite a few. Dave Hill, Annie Leibowitz, Don Giannatti aka “WizWow”, Ed Pingol, Tyler Gould, Evan Moodie Photography, Danger Ninja Productions to name a few.

Kyle: On the day of a shoot, do you come into it with a firm plan of how you’d like it to go, or do you just go with the flow?

Ben: LOL, well I’d like to think that I have a good idea of what I’m trying to pull off, but honestly I normally just wing it. I do try to meet ahead of time with someone or at least get an idea of what they are looking for ahead of time via e-mail etc. Then I can pick out a location and get an idea of what I want to do for lighting. But it’s all really just loosely planned. Being able to adapt to a situation to get the shot is really key to having a good shoot in my opinion.

Kyle: Many male photographers I know have trouble posing models in ways that are interesting and natural. Do you direct the model’s poses much, or primarily rely on her to take the lead?

Ben: This kind of depends on the models experience in my opinion. The shots I did for Jolene were mainly her idea and what she wanted for poses. I think I came up with a few of them, but she has modeled before. A lot of the other girls I’ve done shots for have never modeled, so yeah, I directed them into the pose. Building rapport with a model ahead of time and at the time of the shoot makes it a lot easier for me to direct them and get them to feel comfortable with the poses etc. Also, in my opinion, if you can’t do the pose or at least explain it well enough don’t ever expect them to be able to pull it off. Another thing you can do is just cut out pics of poses you like from magazines like Vogue or Maxim etc. and bring them with you for examples. You could also ask them to bring a few pictures of poses they would like to try.

Kyle: What would your ideal photo shoot be like? Who would model? Where would it be? Would there be a theme? Let it loose.

Ben: Hmm, I could go some many ways with this one. I’d have to say that I really like the big city building backdrop around 7-8pm in the summer to get the sunset high end fashion/glamour shots are my favorites. I really like making models “pop” from that setting. For who would model, I don’t have a specific pick, just anyone that could pull off that sexy and edgy look without too much direction from me.

Kyle: Is photography you’d like you’d to eventually make a profession out of, or will it always be a passion you have on the side?

Ben: I would like to transition into being a free-lance photographer soon. I really like doing weddings since it’s just a great day to be part of and the money is good, but I just enjoy doing anything with people involved.

Kyle: Are there any other types of photography you would enjoy trying, or is fashion & glamour your calling?

Ben: I really like black & white street and landscape photography, but I never was really any good at those, so I think I’ll stick with doing portraits, glamour/fashion, etc.

Kyle: Finally, what’s the most important advice you could give to someone interested in getting into fashion & glamour photography?

Ben: First, I’d say develop a style of some sort that represents you so people can recognize your work. Always, always improve your photography every time you go out. Try something new each time and expand on your skill set. That, and register on any of the websites that support photographers and models to start a portfolio.

Also, here are some links I’ve found exceptionally useful:

• strobist.com – by far where I got most of my information on how to do off camera flash lighting.
• photoflexlightingschool.com – they do a great job of showing all the differences in lighting styles from basic to more advanced.
• studiolighting.net – great site with audio, video, and pics on how to light.
• fordmodels.tv – good videos of photoshoots and how they run etc.
• vogue.tv – good videos of photoshoots and how they run etc.
• Also, America’s Next Top Model has great critiques from the photographers to the models.

Kyle:  Thanks a lot for the interview!  I wish you all the best with your photography career.

Please check Ben out on Flickr and Model Mayhem.