Nouvelle Vague caught up with our Aussie-based photographer Ben Sullivan while he shot spring fashion for ASOS Magazine in downtown LA. Check out the behind-the-scenes video and interview.
Can you tell me about the shoot you’re on and the concept behind it?
We’re shooting for ASOS and it’s a bit of a spring shoot based on LA and cool areas in LA. We’re going to shoot downtown in the fashion district and around and about—sort of a day in the life for the new season’s fashion.
How does the Los Angeles aesthetic differ from Australia or New York? Do you shoot differently in different cities that you’re in?
I shoot a little bit differently. It’s more responding to the environment and the lights. The light’s are a bit different—it’s not as harsh here as it is in Australia so you can shoot middle of the day available light. Especially because I come from Australia, when I come here, everything looks cool. I just find that there’s so much interesting stuff to shoot. When I’m at home, because I see the same things everyday, it becomes harder to find new and interesting things to shoot.
Is there one place or subject you’ve been wanting to shoot but haven’t yet?
There’s heaps of places that I’ve wanted to shoot but I haven’t, but that’s pretty much anywhere I haven’t been. I’d love to go to the North of Scandinavia in the summer when it’s light until really late. Subject-wise, I’d like to shoot things longer-term. So whether you follow someone around for a week or a month. Most of the time I’m shooting either models or musicians where you’ve got a day or an hour. If you have a longer to spend on things, they’re obviously going to turn out better.
What is your photographic aesthetic? Is there a message you’re trying to say through them?
Style-wise, I try to photograph things from a more documentary perspective, so I pretty much only shoot in available light or on-camera flash just because that makes things feel more real. If it’s up to me, I try to make the people feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible and usually try to photograph them doing whatever it is they’re doing.
Any future projects you’re excited about? How are you hoping to further develop your photography?
I want to try and incorporate more elements of the cultures of places I’m shooting. Like today, we’re shooting in the fashion district which is really interesting because there are so many people and it’s such a vibrant place. I like shooting at sporting events or things that are almost cultural events and say something about the place that you are. If it’s a fashion shoot, it can still have quite a lot of elements and capture something of that place, as opposed to just a model with pretty clothes on.
(Source: nouvellevaguela.com)
