Ben Smith is a Professional Freelance Photographer based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, who combines his passion for photography with his love of wildlife, the great outdoors, light and live music. His subject matter is wide ranging: from stags in the Highlands of Scotland, to capturing world renowned guitarist Slash at Victoria Park, or getting the perfect picture of a Bride and Groom on their special
day, to that candid capture during a portrait sitting. Wildlife & Landscape Photography;
Growing up on the edge of Epping Forest, Ben has been interested in wildlife and landscapes from an early age. Surrounded by natural beauty and fascinated by the wildlife images in magazines and television documentaries, his early forays into photography aimed to capture this splendour. His enthusiasm was reinforced by many hours spent in Epping Forest, the surrounding countryside and family trips to nature reserves. This has enabled him to develop an in-depth knowledge of animal behaviour, along with skills in field craft, stalking and tracking deer and other animals. Benβs love of wildlife and wild places continues to grow: he loves to capture the wonder of the landscape around him, using his knowledge to portray remote parts of the British Isles and its flora and fauna in his pursuit of the perfect picture. A selection of Benβs Wildlife and landscape images are available for sale in his on-line store
Music Photography;
Drawing on his experiences in stage lighting design and operation, promoting and running gigs, as well as playing guitar with various rock and blues bands over the years, Ben has a deep understanding of both the technical and practical aspects of stage craft and performance which have contributed to his skill as a gig photographer. Over the years, Ben has photographed a wide variety of festivals and gigs, both locally and country-wide. based music webzine BareFootMusicNews.com. His work has also been featured on the BBC Coventry and Warwickshire website, and in the Coventry Telegraph, on the websites of many bands and musicians and in the artwork for a number of CD covers, including Little Johnny England's "10 Years On...β and Wildfire Folkβs self-titled first album. Equipment;
Ben currently uses Nikon D4 & D800 digital cameras and a selection of pro lenses, ranging from wide angle to super telephoto and tilt/shift lenses, along with a wide range of studio lighting and Speedlight/portable lighting equipment.