Ben Moore has a keen eye for architecture, urban street views, and compelling airplanes that instinctively captivate viewers and make him a high-profile commercial photographer with big brand names including Samsung, Microsoft, Sony Music, Adidas, FA, Bombay. Sapphire and Smart under his belt – and now Nikon, since he recently became a Nikon Z Creator.
Yet just a decade ago she bought her first DSLR because it was a gadget that was not in her collection, with the simple desire to take decent pictures of her children. Her self-taught journey from a complete amateur to professional is an inspiration to anyone who dreams of leaving the day job for a lifetime behind the lens.
What’s in your kitbag?
The camera
Lens
- NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f / 2.8 S
- NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 2.8 S
- NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f / 2.8 VR S
- NIKKOR 50mm f / 1.4
- NIKKOR 85mm f / 1.4G
What did you get in photography?
It’s been a weird journey. Growing up in Peckham, south-east London, art was my passion. I always drew pictures – I was the guy who would sit quietly in church every Sunday to draw annoying bits. My favorite subject in school was art and I never missed a lesson. I went to college to do BTEC in art and design, interestingly, GCSE photography as an add-on, but I wasn’t very interested in photography at the time – it was just a tick-box extra that I needed. I do, and I only had to get a Grade D, so I was busy concentrating on the BTEC industry, the level at which I worked at it. Of course, I had no idea then that I would ever become a professional photographer …
Many years later, I wasn’t doing anything creative. I was stuck in a boring IT job in London and I hated it – going to work on a packed train and tube, doing the same dull work every day. I thought to myself, “Okay, it pays the bill, but is that going to be my life?” This attitude obviously goes into the job and I was fired in 2010. It was a shock because I had a young family, but my main reaction was to finally feel the relief coming out of it.
Around the same time, my partner was selling a Nikon D3000 DX camera with a 50mm lens. I had a lot of gadgets – anyone who knew me or watched my YouTube videos would tell me Really Like my gadget! But I didn’t have a DSLR, so I bought one from him to take pictures of my kids. He made a really tough bargain – I paid him only £ 50 less than the retail price!
I didn’t understand what I was doing with it and every shot was terrible. All I can think of from college is “don’t bump into ISO because it makes your pictures look too grainy”, so I was fighting the shutter speed which was too slow. But I started using the onboard information system, which really helped, and then one day I took a picture of my daughter in the park and that shot changed everything. It looked great – something like a magazine – so I posted it on Facebook and the comments flooded. It blew my mind, and I finally knew what I wanted to do – to be a photographer.
When I make up my mind to do something, I do it, so directly I put a website together, even though I didn’t really have a decent picture to show it. Fortunately, some friends were making a music video and they needed to take a behind-the-scenes shot, so I was there. I think I took 3,000 pictures that day – it was madness People asked me if I was a photographer and I said, “Yeah, I’m a photographer!” So I was there, living a false life but it is happening! Fortunately, one of the shooting models took me under her wing and gave me some great tips for improving my pictures, which was really her favorite … and the story of how I first came to photography.
How did you build your business?
I started painting portraits here, there and everywhere, at clubs, weddings and schools, working for mostly small companies, working in a mix of photography and retouching. Wherever they need a camera, I’ll be there. Sometimes I didn’t even get paid, but it was great for the experience. My mother is a primary school headmaster and helped me get a job as a teacher assistant so I could pay the bills when I created my photography.
Then one day on Instagram I saw a guy selling street style, moody architectural images that he would shoot with a wideangle lens and I thought, “Wow, can you do that? It’s actually a Things? “So I decided to go there and then try to get myself a Widangle lens and something like that, put something good on Instagram and try to create a follow up. He gave me hundreds of rupees and even sent me a picture of it on his wall. Blooming. It was as if two hands were pushing me back and saying, this is your entrance – you have to do it.
At that moment I was like a machine, throwing everything into it and I started following a huge Instagram worldwide. I was there a long way every day, every evening, before and after work, in the middle of the night – in the mindset of doing the work to make it happen completely. It may be lonely, but when I had doubts, which I often did, something positive would happen and help me out of my depression. Having my online support network really helped, especially when photographers with huge accounts started noticing me and telling me I was doing well. So that’s how I started making my name and getting my first clients – they would follow Instagram and see my good engagement in the UK and companies started emailing me about jobs. Samsung was the first.
How has your kitbag changed over the past decade?
After the D3000, I moved to the Nikon D90. I really liked it, especially its digital display – that’s why I bought it in the first place, but I told you I love my gadgets! My next camera was the D300S and the 17-55mm f / 2.8 lens, a great combination that I pushed to the edge. Then I got my first full-frame camera, the D800 and my first real professional lens, 24-70mm f / 2.4. Beautiful. Until very recently most of my work was taken with that camera. I had a D810 that I used as a back-up.
When the Nikon Mirrorless range came out I got a 45.7MP full frame Z7 and it is now my main camera. This incredibly light and silent shooting mode is ideal when I get married or just stay really cool – this is the perfect camera for me. I then switched my D810 to the 24.5MP full-frame Z6, which I use as my backup camera and my go for video.
I currently use three Z series lenses: 14-24mm f / 2.8 S, a must for any architecture and landscape photographer; 24-70mm f / 2.8 S, which I tend to use for events because it is so versatile and lightweight when you carry it for hours on end; And 70-200mm f / 2.8 S, which I got recently and can’t recommend enough.
I still have two F-mounts NIKKOR – 85mm f / 1.4 and 50mm f / 1.4 – which I use on my mirrorless cameras with FTZ lens mount adapters. I’ve been wanting an 85mm ever since I started taking photography seriously, and I’ve been waiting for a reason to justify a purchase. Eventually a job came up which was mostly portrait. Nowadays I use it mostly for street photography because it is slightly less penetrating than 70-200mm. The 50mm is very sharp, lightweight and compact, and it’s always worth keeping in a bag – I always make a recommendation for anyone getting started.
Are you completely mirrorless now?
Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like BT aint for me either. It was a bit weird when I got rid of all my DSLRs, but I have no complaints about how easy it was to change the systems. The menu is still basically the same as the DSLR, the battery life is still great and being able to use my F-Mounts via the FTZ adapter with Z camera makes the whole conversion process quite painless.
All I can find is that my mirrorless cameras make it easy to shoot You can adjust on the fly and respond quickly, especially with the electronic viewfinder, so I’m more productive because I’m catching more moments now. Especially in urban architectural photography, there are layers that you can add to a picture and micro-adjustments can completely change the end result and create a unique image and Mirrorless gives me a little more chance to make them happen.
Why have you been with Nikon since the beginning?
I’m loyal to Nikon because I like everything about them. The files that come out of the camera are nice to work with – I’ve tried a few more systems, but much better than Nikon’s. The dynamic range is also great. I prefer a little underexposed shooting because it protects the highlights – you are less likely to blow them up, and you can bring them back with RAW files. Menu and control layouts are equally incredibly helpful from camera to camera, especially when you’re learning and changing kits.
How did you feel when you were asked to become a Nikon Z Creator?
So happy! It was awesome. I talked to Nikon about the kit for a while and I borrowed some gear through the NPS scheme. Then they started following me on Instagram and from there the relationship grew. They featured some of my work on their Instagram page and I went on a shoot with them, and then they asked me to be part of the Z Creator team. I remember when I first started thinking about how good it would be to work with Nikon, and now it’s happening! It feels great to be part of the team and to have the opportunity to support such a great camera company.
I’ve already done a few projects with Nikon, including the Z5 launch in London early last summer. Basically I thought I was going there to do the video myself, then they said they were doing the video Me And told me I was going to be the guy for the UK. I tried to keep cool! I remember having to cut my own hair before because the barbers were still in lockdown. I also ran a campaign with my images that advertised in Nikon Magazine, Instagram and YouTube across Europe. People come to me later and say, “I saw you!”
You were recently announced as a Judge of the Environmental Photographer of the Year Award …
Nikon put me forward as a judge last year after I tried for them in the Create Your Light Street Photography section. I have also been a judge of the Royal Photographic Society and the Photo London competition. I really enjoy judgment and criticism. When you break down an image and examine why you like it so much, it forces you to think about how you can improve your own work. Surrounding yourself with great images keeps you at the top of your game and helps you maintain your values ​​and keep your ideas fresh.
What is your advice for those who want to build a career in photography?
Make your photography your priority, keep learning and invest in yourself and be true to yourself and what you want. I am a self-taught photographer and I believe you can get what you want in this world if you are willing to work for it and follow it. I have worked hard to achieve a professional standard in my photography that has allowed me to work with amazing brands like Nikon. Opportunities don’t fall into your lap – you have to make them happen, you have to have that appetite and you have to develop that hasty mindset. When people see that you want to help yourself, they will help you. And stay relentless. I always tagged pictures on Instagram, day after day and thought, “Well, if they don’t see it today, they’ll see it one day!” So don’t stop. It will happen.
Please visit www.bemorephotos.com And follow embemorephotos On Instagram
Entries for Environmental Photographer of the Year are now open – for details, click Here.
