as is almost always the case with features on thewashingmachinepost, i'm on islay and the people i would like to talk to are somewhere else that isn't islay. but we're in the age of e-mail and the internet where lots of previously impossible things are now possible, one aspect of which are the post's interviews. i e-mail the questions and the poor soul on the other end has to supply the answers.
in this case i am genuinely honoured that photographer ben ingham, best known to the cycling fraternity for his work with clothing supremos, rapha agreed to the following, as well as sending previously unpublished examples of his art. this is a good job:-)
what make/s of camera do you use?
Leica M, Nikon & medium format.
how long have you been a professional photographer?
About 16 years
are you self taught or a 'qualified' photographer?
Self taught.I have been taking pictures since I was nine years old. I left school at 15, spent three years working in a studio in Manchester and then moved to New York, where I spent a further five years working with some great photographers. I knew I wanted to be a photographer, so I learnt from the people I worked with, but mainly by doing my own work.
do you prefer film or digital?
Film - one type of colour and one of B&W, just because I know how both of them will work in certain conditions and with a certain lens. I use digital sometimes, it has a different feel but can be very good.
most of the rapha stuff is either monochrome or subdued tones. is this because that's what rapha want, or because you like that sort of image.
The monochrome aspect lends itself to a certain kind of space. With Rapha, their philosophy is simple - the designs are paired down, so it works well with that in mind. I don't really think that it adds a retro feel; black and white can be as contemporary as colour.
how did you become involved with rapha?
I had done some work with a friend of Simon's (Mottram) who, when he was looking to find a way of photographing Rapha, suggested we meet.
roughly how many pics do you take on one of rapha's catalogue shoots?
Depends on what's going on. When we go to photograph the stuff we will try and find a location that has some historical resonance in cycling terms. It could be the ascent of a col, or another poignant location from the time of Coppi to Pantani, usually the scene of a duel. Then we'll go there and take along two or three riders. The criteria for the riders is that they are the real thing.
For instance we have worked with Dominic Gabelini since the first shoot - he's the guy that looks like Newman -not because he good looking, but because he is dedicated to cycling. He has been racing since he was a kid and still is today.
If you take a man like that and put him on a bike, in a landscape that is both demanding and beautiful, all you have to do is be ready.
what other sort of work do you undertake?
My work is reportage based. I do social issues stories and sometimes portraiture, but my personal work is constant and most important to me.
where can we find examples of your work?
I have worked for lots of agencies and magazines all over the world. Publications such as The New York Times, the Observer, Stern, Exit, Big, Time.
do you take care of your own printing and developing, or do you have a bureau take care of that?
I have worked with the same B&W printer, Peter Guest for 10 years, and Edwin Ingram, colour printer for a similar amount of time.
I think it is very important to have a close relationship with these two people. I really trust them and listen to their input, and also we are friends, so when I work with them I know IÕm in a good space.
how did you become involved in cycle photography?
Just through Simon and Luke at Rapha.
does it come easy (relatively speaking) or have you had do slog at it?.
We work hard at it, but the rule is that we have as much fun as possible. We enjoy the environment and what it has to offer, we treat each other well, but we do take the piss out of each other mercilessly.
I like it a lot, as I normally work alone.
do you know pretty much what you're looking for in the end image before you click the shutter, or do you simply take a large number of images and hope for the best?
I have an idea, but when you are photographing something that's moving very quickly in an ever-changing situation, I tend to wait for the right moment. I work best when I can be spontaneous. Luke and Simon at Rapha give me a lot of space and trust.
what's the hardest shoot you've had in recent years?
I have been to various countries and seen things that have affected me very deeply. Eastern Europe though has a real darkness that is hard to leave behind.
ever fancied being a race photographer a la graham watson?
No.
are you one of those photographers who constantly asks the cyclists to 'climb that hill just one more time'?
Don't have to, they do it without being asked. Masochists. I just tag along.
how proficient are you in photoshop?
Ok. The work I do doesn't require lots of retouching, colours and curves.
are you a cyclist?
I love riding my bike, even wheezing up hills but better still, flying down them.
Over the past few years I've done a couple of Etapes: the Tour of Flanders and quite a bit in France, Spain and Italy. It is always a pleasure to get out, especially if it's thoroughly beautiful countryside. I never fail to look around and think "F... me, this is great".
money no object, what frame/bike do you buy?
I have a Colnago Master X light which I really love. It's all steel, beautiful and I don't think I'd swap it. But saying that, when we did a Rapha shoot in Mallorca recently Colnago lent us some bikes, one of which was an Extreme C. I had a go and didn't want to give it back.
same question but substitute 'camera'?
One that makes cocktails.
have you reached where you want to be, or is there more to come?
Never, always more, I am working on a book at the moment (no cycling).
ben's website is at beningham.com. all photgraphs copyright ben ingham 2007.
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................as always, if you have any comments on this nonsense, please feel free to e-mail and thanks for reading.
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................