Behind the lens with Ben Jackson.
Award winning lensman and self-employed plumber, Ben Jackson, is adamant he never wants to turn photography into a chore or total hustle.
“I don’t want to be a wedding photographer, I don’t want to be a commercial photographer, I don’t want to do that,” he insists. “I enjoy plumbing, you know, sometimes you’re doing a job that sucks and whatever, but the majority of the time, plumbing is pretty interesting, and you’re doing a lot of problem solving, using your brain a lot.”
These days Ben lives on the south coast, drawn by the promise of cheaper rent, an abundance of waves and a lifestyle based on the original surfer’s code, “Surf when the waves are good and work when they’re crap,” he explains over the phone. However idyllic that sounds, it’s been quite a journey to get here for the 29-year-old Jackson.
Ben grew up in Bellingen, on the mid-north coast of NSW, and remembers a time when you could still feed four hungry surfers with a $3 bag of hot chips. “And a hot dog and coke was four bucks,” he adds with a chuckle. The irrepressible forces of coastal gentrification may have changed things in Bellingen, but, if Ben can’t quite afford a house in his old stomping ground, he still has plenty of fond memories.
Shadow play.Like many photographers, Ben picked up a camera when he was forced out of the water by injury. Eager to continue playing a part in the teenage surf adventures of his brother and friends, he began taking photos of them riding waves. Six months later his mum bought him a camera for his birthday and he had a new muse to follow. “I guess just being in and around the ocean. I just really enjoyed that,” he explains. “When ...
