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Published: 31/03/12

Saturday Snaps with

Ben Gregg-Waller

Who is Ben Gregg-Waller?

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Ben ’Benny’ Gregg-Waller runs Life in Motion Photography, which specialising in action sports (mountain bike and BMX mainly)  and concept and creative shots. Life In Motion has a creative outlook turning the everyday into something a bit more epic. Click here for our Facebook page or visit our website: www.lifeinmotionphotography.co.uk.

 


Years shooting:

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Errrr, some three and a bit years with my Canon 40D set up, but I have been playing with cameras for 15 odd years now.

 


What got you into taking photos?

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My Dad used to photograph the plays the drama students he used to teach put on. I guess it started back then.

 


First photography related memory:

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Messing around in a darkroom with 35mm film and an oldschool enlarging set up.

 


Best photography experience:

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Hard to pick one. I’ve had some great shoots. The UDHC (Urban Downhill Charity) races I’ve covered have been corkers, and the Wisley round of the 2010 KoD was great.

 


Worst photography experience:

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Loosing my car key somewhere in a wood in Exeter while photographing an XC race. After three hours and getting rained on I worked out where I dropped it. Gurrrr.

 


Advice for taking a great photo:

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Be original! Oh and lighting is key.

 


Three favourite photographers:

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This is a hard one, I don’t really follow anyone else’s work or try to emulate anyone (back to the ’be original’ advice). But there are plenty of photographers whose work catches my eye and makes me think I wish I got that shot.

 


Photography highlight/achievement:

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Being asked to go out to France to photograph the RedBull cliff diving back in 2010! Shame I couldn’t go!

 


Why do you take photos?

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I enjoy it.

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Selected photos:

Lamp Post Fifteen (Flashless experiments-4)

 

This shot was taken in June 2010, I was bored one evening, so I went for a walk with my camera, a trusty Canon 40D, tripod, wireless shutter release and my lovely 17-40L lens, to experiment with natural lighting in the low light situation. I was walking along the old harbour in Hayle and the road just seemed endless as it disappeared into the shadow of the hills, and the lamp post appeared to be the only thing for miles. After a couple of test shots I figured I could make it into a moody self portrait. So I did. It worked quiet well.

Incandescent (Night time experiments-1)

 

This is one of my most recent random experiments when bored in the evenings, taken in February this year on Battery Rocks off Penzance. With this shot I used my favoured Canon 40D and 17-40L lens set up and my remote trigger on a flash. I am always playing with lighting to make a photo more epic and interesting. Like Lamp Post Fifteen I was looking to create a moody self portrait, but this time instead of the situation providing the lighting effect, I used a flash to catch the rain behind me and change the dynamics of the image slightly. Some Lightroom spot fill also helped make me more me and not just a dark figure.

Police at night-4

 

January 2010. I was out with my mate riding. At the end of the day we broke out my camera kit. I stuck my 35-135 MK1 Ebay bargain Canon lens on my trusty 40D and we set up a couple of flashes with my remote triggers. It was actually still pretty light when I took this shot. I wanted to get something similar to a sponsor shot I had done previously for another rider back in December; a 360 out of the bowl in a lit skate park where only the rider and surrounding bowl were illuminated with flashes. It looked really cool. The shutter speed was set so that the flash light was captured in both shots. As a result, it looks like Mark’s flying around at break neck speed in the pitch dark. Cool ay.

Saturday night out on the town-16

 

More sponsor shots for Clinton Johns. This time he was on his shiny new Diamondback. Again with the 40D with the 17-40L combo and more remote triggered flashes than you could shake a stick at. This was when I really started looking at getting more than just the rider. Clint goes so big it’s hard to get what he’s pulling in perspective. The cool sky helps too.

SW Rd3 Duchy-95

 

This was a shot from the third round of the SW regional BMX race in 2010. Taken from up high with the 40D and my 70-300 Canon lens and no flashes. The 70-300 does a great job of capturing natural light portraits if you leave a bit of distance between you and the subject. I love the concentration on the riders faces as they balance in the gate waiting for the green light and the gate to drop.

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