Meet Mr. Draper

For as long as I’ve known Mr. Draper (and no not Don Draper…BEN Draper) I could never pinpoint what exactly he loved to do more than anything else. I’ve known him as an Australian basketball player, skiing and liquor/spirits aficionado, production manager, model, actor and movie buff, among other things like being a great friend, like-a-brother-to-me, etc.

So when I noticed his interest in instagramming great photos he was taking, I was curious if he was exploring the photography industry; really, his stuff is great…

I knew I had to sit him down under the bright light and question him before he gets scooped up by the big guys.

Meet Ben Draper; aspiring photographer

1.  Describe yourself in 5 words
“Leader. Risk. Fun. Romantic. Passion.”    

2. What is it about photography that’s drawn you to pursue it avidly?
“The beauty and intrigue I can create through a frozen moment.”

3. Who do you admire or aspire to be?
“I would say I admire Matthew McConaughey.  I met him at an event one time down in TriBeCa. He was a cool, confident, and mannered dude. I liked that. I don’t really aspire to be anyone other than myself, though. I just want to be me. A great me.”

4. What’s your “style” and camera of choice?

“Truthfully, I don’t really have enough experience with different cameras to give you an honest answer to that question. I’m shooting with the Canon Rebel t2i right now and it’s fantastic. In terms of “style” – it varies depending on what I’m shooting. Right now I’m very much into random acts of photography. I’ll carry my camera around with me, and if I see something unique to my eye, I try to capture it. I suppose the best way to describe my style would be abstract at the moment.”

5. How do you feel about the debate on what “real photography” is? Whether iphone’s and apps like instagram are stealing the light from the “classic photography” of timeless artists. 

“Evolution is a part of life. In this particular case, I don’t think people are asking the right question. It’s not about “real/classic photography” – it’s about true creativity. In my opinion, apps like instagram are great, and they aren’t stealing anything. If you don’t have a creative way of composing your shot to create a view to the audience that they are moved by, it doesn’t matter what you’re shooting with. In terms of classic photography – that’s exactly what it is, classic. It will never be duplicated. Today is a new day.”