Photographer Ben Kelmer

—Unang una sa lahat - sino ang papangalanan mo na pinakamahusay na photographer sa Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel? :)

—I think one of the most interesting photographers in tel Aviv is Jen sladkov
jensladkov.com/

—Ikaw ba ay photogenic?

—Depend on when I wake up

—Paano ka nagsimula sa industriya ng photography?

—Well, I was always into photography since high school, but 10 years ago I got a job as a photographer for an internet news website in Israel and from that point on things started to take off

—Ano ang mga mahahalagang bahagi ng isang magandang larawan sa iyong opinyon?

—when I look at a photo I try to see real filings and real emotions, in my eyes, those are the thing that will get the viewers eyes the most

—Mahilig ka ba maglakbay?

—Sure, and especially now when I have two kids its fantastic thing to travel with them and to have the ability to show them the world

—Ano ang pinakagusto mo sa iyong propesyon?

—I think the chance I have in meeting new people almost every day is something that I will never get bored off

—Ano ang hindi mo gusto sa iyong propesyon?

—all the logistic stuff (booking, meetings, accounting, etc..) let me shoot all day and I will be fine

—Ano ang magiging kinabukasan ng photography?

—These days when I'm answering this interview (Covid-19), we are having one of the most challenging times as photographers.
But I see more and more bookings for small family portraits; people want to remember and to have a visual memory of themself.

—Ano ang espesyal sa kategorya ng photography kung saan ka dalubhasa?

—I shoot people, and I don't describe my self, if it's with people and to document real situations, I'm in. I think that that's the unique thing about it, the ability to show people how that looks like and how they beehive with their own family.

—Paano ka tumatanggap ng pagpuna?

—It's part of the job, and you have to understand that not everyone is going to like what you do, and I think that's good. You want to distinguish yourself from other photographers, not to be like everyone else.

—Mayroon bang mga trend ang photography?

—Sure, like in any other industry, but try to avoid it, trends are for people that don't want to be creative if you're going to be unique, so don't copy-paste other people work

—Ano ang dapat na pamantayan ng isang customer sa pagpili ng photographer?

—I don't think there's one criterion, in the end, it comes to how people create when they see a photo of you, how it makes them feel.

—Ano ang mga bagay na dapat iwasan kapag kumukuha ng larawan?

—in my opinion, I try not to tell people how to act and how to move when I photograph them, I want them to be themselves for them to resonate with the work I do

—Ano ang mga detalye na kadalasan ay hindi napapansin na napapansin ng photographer?

—The small thing that people don't pay attention to, let's say the groom forget to unzip one button, the photographer will notice it and will tell him to close it

—Sinong tao ang sumisimbolo sa ika-21 siglo sa iyong opinyon?

—I think that in these days, its Donald Trump, unfortunately, but I think he represents the fact that people are looking for shortcuts in life and in business. And there's no shortcut, if you want to succeed you have to put in the work. I think people elected him cause that thought that in 4 years he will come and change everything and now we see that its not the case.

—Sino ang gusto mong kuhaan?

—I would be happy to photograph the Queen of England. I already photograph her son and one grandson.

—Mayroon ka bang mga propesyonal na ipinagbabawal?

—I was a photojournalist for almost seven years, and I shoot a lot of stuff that happened in my country even during challenging situations, but I would not photograph something that I would have thought that will cause the other person to fill like I misrepresent what really took place.

—Sino ang gusto mong makasama sa pagkuha ng larawan?

—I would like to work with Magnum photographer Alex Webb

—Ano ang ikinababahala mo, at bakit?

—I worry about the fact that there are more and more wedding photographers out there today that don't know how to price the work that they do and they are bringing the industry down

—Ano ang pinakahanga-hangang pagkakataon sa iyong buhay?

—I think the birth of my children's :)

—Kung ikaw ay isang kartun, libro o karakter sa pelikula, sino ang gugustuhin mong maging at bakit?

—Spiderman, for sure, to have the ability to reach places in the coolest way.

—Sino ang nagbibigay inspirasyon sa iyong buhay at bakit?

—I think that my father was an inspiration to me, he was a captain on container ships and he works hard, I think the working morality I got is from him.

—Paano mo binibigyang kahulugan ang tagumpay? Paano mo tinitimbang ito?

—It changes every time, I think. now success for me is to see my children grow up and becoming the amazing people that they are ❤️

—Mas pipiliin mo bang magustuhan o nirerespeto?

—respected for sure.

—Ano ang pinakamalaking pagkakamali ang nagawa mo sa trabaho?

—only one? :) that's how we learn the best, one time, I doubled book a wedding, and I only noticed it a week before the wedding.

—Kapag ikaw ay naglalakbay, ano ang dinadala mo at bakit?

—Now I try to travel as light as I can. So I only take with me the FUJIX100F, which is small and great for traveling + the Yashica 635 with B&W film for the more artwork that I do.

—Mayroon ka bang kahilingan na hindi mo pa nabibili maliban sa mga gadget na mayroon ka? Bakit?

—I bought a polaroid Fujifilm camera that I only used a few times and then I got bored with it

—Paano mo tinuturuan ang sarili mo na kumuha ng mas magagandang mga larawan?

—I try (before covid19) to attend a workshop once a year, it doesn't have to be from a wedding photographer.
My all-time favorite workshop was in NYC with Alex Webb.

—Kaninong mga gawa ang may malaking nagimpluwensiya sa iyo bilang photographer?

—Alex Webb is one of the greatest photographers, in my opinion. I also really like the work of Chris Hondros, that was one of the greatest war photographers in modern times.

—Ano ang isang bagay na nais mong malaman noong nagumpisa ka sa pagkuha ng mga larawan?

—How to charge for my work

—Ano ang nais mong sabihin sa iyong mga larawan?

—I'm just trying to tell an authentic story.

—Ano ang nag-uudyok sa iyo na ipagpatuloy ang pagkuha ng mga larawan?

—The feedback from my clients but also I just like it too much, it feels great every time I see that I have an exciting frame.

—Kung maaari mong balikan ang nakaraan, ano ang babaguhin mo?

—I would have acted differently with the money I earned and invest it more carefully

—Ano ang iyong ginagawa sa iyong bakanteng oras?

—I love the sea, so I try to go swimming when I can or going on diving trips.

—Anong bahagi mo ang hindi nakikita ng publiko?

—I don't share a lot of my family, it's our moments.

—Kailan ka ganap na nasisiyahan sa iyong trabaho?

—Never :)

—Naniniwala ka ba sa tradisyunal na mga papel para mga sa lalaki at babae?

—No, in our house we are equal, we both have demanding jobs and the kids.
we try to be both of us with them and without the iPhone from 5-7 when its just family time

—Mabilis ka ba makipagkaibigan?

—Yes, part of being a people photographer.

—Saan mo gustong manirahan?

—I would like to live for one year in New Zealand, as a Hobbit fun, I think that's the perfect place for me.

—Mayroon bang buhay pagkatapos ng kasal?

—Sure, it's just gets better over time

—Mahilig ka ba sa mga aso at pusa?

—Dogs

—Ang pinakamahalagang bagay sa buhay ay:

—As you may have guessed i think that my time with my kids is the best thing I have

—Mayroong ba sa iyong paligid na nais mong baguhin?

—A lot.

—Maaari ka bang magbigay ng mga tip para sa mga photographer na nagsisimula pa lamang?

—Yes, understand that success is something that takes time, be patient in the long run, keep learning, and do every job the best you can, and the work plus success will follow.

—Kung ang mga alien ay pumunta sa Earth at ikaw ang una nilang makikilala, ano ang sasabihin mo sakanila?

—Want coffee?

—Kung ikaw ay tatawagin upang mag-shoot ng pelikula, ano ang magiging kategorya nito?

—SCI-FI

—Bukas ako pupunta at gagawa...

—The same