One of the best things about working with Revival Runway is meeting the fabulously talented people who give up their free time to volunteer their skills to help us produce our events.
Of the many amateur photographers we have worked with over the last few years, Ben Dowd has become one of our absolute favourite people to work with. We love Ben!
From the moment we met Ben, his calm personality, quietly dry sense of humour, and his gentle warmth has impressed us all; his ability to calm the most nervous of amateur models, get the coolest angles and work for hours without complaint makes Ben a fabulous photographer.
How it all started
“I was always interested in photography for as long as I can remember, at least as an observer anyway. I think growing up in skate/music culture – photography plays such a big role – so I have always had a big appreciation for the craft,” explains Ben.
“The first time I truly got into photography was in 2020. My career had become redundant at the time due to the pandemic and I had a pretty rough year, as did a lot of people,” he says. Ben previously worked in lighting and staging for live events.
Image by Ben Dowd
“Photography became an escape from everything at the time and almost therapeutic. So I kind of threw myself into learning it as an escape from everything else that was going on in my life.
“I did a photoshoot with a close friend for a piece of music I was releasing. He was shooting with a film camera and I didn’t know much about it at the time. When I saw the results … I was like ‘Ohh, I want to make this for people too’.”
Ben is currently enrolled in a photography degree, developing more technical skills and deciding on where his skills will take him. He feels that he is still only at the start of his photography career, with lots more to learn.
“[It’s] Still early days in my journey for sure. But I feel like the work I’ve made so far tends to lean towards capturing a certain rawness,” Ben explains. “The good, the bad and the ugly. When shooting sports or fashion I try to capture both the high’s and the lows as it’s all a part of the journey.”
Creativity and working with people
The thing Ben loves most about being a photographer is being able to work with people of all kinds. “I’ve always loved working with people. I think whatever type of work I’ve done, working with people and discovering new connections has always been the thing I’ve enjoyed most,” says Ben.
Ben also loves the process of photography: “Whether shooting film or digital I get lost for hours in image creation. For me, it’s just so much fun.”
“As I’ve gotten older I’ve come to realise [that] creativity is problem solving. How am I going to take this picture? How am I going to write this song? How am I going to pay the rent?
“Creativity is the solution to all things and shouldn’t be paired solely to the arts. Within my photography I feel the creativity comes from trying to solve the problem of ‘How am I going to take pictures I really like?’,” explains Ben.
As for the future, Ben’s only long-term goal at this stage is to “just keep shooting”. “Every week brings new experiences and opportunities and so far I’ve loved every minute of it.”
You can follow Ben’s journey as a photographer at @b_g_dowd, and catch his work for Revival Runway on @revivalrunwayfashion.
Main image: Mike Hube @photonsynthesis1
