We recently connected with Benjamin Mecham and have shared our conversation below.
Benjamin, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
Photography can go one of two ways- a picture can represent a moment, creating a timestamp of the feeling and emotion yourself and others may have experienced. Or it could be seen as timeless, you may not know when the photo was taken, or the context, but it continues to pull you in.
I want to be remembered for what I am able to do rather than what I have done. Photography is an ever expanding art that continues to progress with the times as old things become new, new things become old, and some things stay the same.
With my photos I attempt to create a feeling of reminiscence, whether it be candid and spontaneous or posed and planned. Capturing photos of core memories have been some of my proudest work because it reminds me of why I do it.
Benjamin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Back in the late 2000’s, my elementary school had a photography competition which I entered. I spent a few days walking around with my mother and her camera, an old Olympus Four Thirds DLSR. She showed me basics of how the camera worked, and taught me photoshop basics (Photoshop CS2 for those that have used something so old).
Ever since, I spent lots of time taking photos with an iPod touch, progressing to larger and more capable cameras over time.
Throughout highschool I flirted with the 35mm film format, however the cost was prohibitive for a highschooler on a minimum wage job to continuously create. The photography gear was sold, ushered in by a series of digital bodies.
Slightly over a year ago, I was in a creative rut. There was no passion to make images, editing was tiring, and combing through hundreds if not thousands of photos had become cumbersome. I then made the decision to adopt 35mm film to become proficient in a new process and format, of which I believe some of my best work has come from.
There is so much that goes into the creation of a photo that you cannot see immediately. My process for film expanded far beyond the shoot and edit workflow of digital photography. Deciding what kind of image you want to create, choosing which film stock to use, which camera to do it with, metering light from multiple sources in the image, how you have the film developed, and finally the scanning/color correcting process. Having to process this all in your head forces you to plan shots and inevitably yield better results.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
With modern social media having the world at your fingertips, expectations are high for anyone trying to create. It makes it more difficult to think out of the box when it seems all has been done. Finding your own style in an online space takes time, patience, and lots of inspiration.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
There is something different about viewing a physical artifact of an image such as a film negative/positive. To be able to place art into a raw physical medium creates a new sense of appreciation that doesn’t come with digital imagery. So, for me, freezing a moment in time on a physical artifact feels the most rewarding. Painting with a camera?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://benmecham.com
- Instagram: @analog_mecham @instamecham
- Youtube: @mechaben
Image Credits
Blaine Becker Efaw (B&W Portrait), Mike Joung (Color Portrait of myself and the black honda)