© Ben Ng
Milim Gallery 17d Ellingfort Road London E8 3PA, UK France
And finally, it is summer... it may be a little wet, but at least there's signs of sunshine!
This month we would like to share with you the work of Ben Ng, a truly international photographer, having lived in over seven different countries across the globe before settling in Toronto, Canada. Originally a traditional printer, Ben has come to appreciate the digital medium, transferring skills from the darkroom into Photoshop. We asked him about the work he has with us at Milim Gallery.
So tell us a bit about the project you have on display at Milim Gallery?
I always think along the lines of 'shoot what you feel, rather than what you see'. I aim to interpret, rather than represent, whether I show landscapes or animals. It's the mood I am after, and this mood can come from a variety of sources. Nature makes us look at the truth of our feelings as well as being a source for escape into our innner landscape.
You have been able to capture some incredible wildlife shots. Can you tell us the process of shooting these images? Did you stumble upon these creatures? If so, where and were you far away with a telephoto lens?
For a recent Art Show, where the theme was 'Figure and Ground', I decided to show images of animals in stark isolation with themes of loneliness, strength, isolation, hope and survival as well as play. So I went to the Toronto Zoo, where I sometimes think of the animals as political prisoners! I used my 55-300mm zoom lens on a mono-pod, probably not more than 100 meters away. To me, it is not important where the picture was taken. It's where you want to take the viewer of your picture.
The wildlife shots are very smooth and your landscape images are very vibrant in colour. Do you spend a lot of time in post-production, and do you generally know how you want the images to look before you do any work on them?
My background is that of the darkroom, where I would work on an image for hours or weeks until I was satisfied with the composition. I have now transferred that approach to the digital medium. Using Photoshop, I spend hours or weeks on a single image. Yes, I generally know how I want the images to look before I do any work on them. Sometimes I even take notes in the field when an idea strikes me.
© Ben Ng - Polar Bear
Vignette: © Ben Ng