Latest articles by Benedict Brain
Roland Barthes talks about the punctum, that special detail, often small or unexpected, that jumps out and really grabs the viewer’s emotion, a poignant detail that pierces or wounds the viewer
Art of Seeing Art of Seeing #84. Benedict Brain explores the wild Australian landscape and the theories of Roland Barthes
"To create the slightly surreal vibe of this photo, I used an on-camera flashgun. When I’m traveling, I have little control over when and where I can take pictures, the pocket-sized sunlight can be a useful, sometimes vital, tool"
Art of Seeing Art of Seeing #83. Benedict Brain seeks beauty in the banal and explores the relationship between humanity and nature on a Caribbean island
Annoyingly, I have seen my travel schedule dry up, so I’ve been stuck at home. My photographic output has taken a nosedive but taking photos on your own doorstep can be just as rewarding
Art of Seeing Art of Seeing #82. With a gap in his travel schedule, Benedict Brain has been exploring his home turf with fresh eyes
“Travel becomes a strategy for accumulating photographs. The very activity of taking photographs is soothing and assuages general feelings of disorientation exacerbated by travel"
Art of Seeing Art of Seeing #81. Benedict Brain examines the tourist gaze and explores why we take ‘travel’ photographs with the help of Susan Sontag
This Alfie Tych+ photo is a mistake, but one that I’m owning and claiming as my own!
Art of Seeing The Art of Seeing #80: With a chance to dip his toes in the analogue sea, Benedict Brain gets creative with an Alfie Tych+
"I was drawn to the idea of making a quick-fire photo project that had to be done in less than 24 hours… a small 32-page zine about the town"
Art of Seeing Benedict Brain explores Hope in British Columbia and discovers that deadlines can bring creative opportunities
"I give a business card and invite the subject to contact me for a copy of the photo. That happens 70% of the time, so I have a wonderful cohort of characters around the world in my address book"
Art of Seeing The Art of Seeing #78: Benedict Brain reflects on making portraits along the East African coast
"Focusing on smiles in an extreme close-up makes these photos feel more demonic, manic and deranged than the happy vibe they were intended to evoke"
Art of Seeing The Art of Seeing #77: With iPhone photography and ‘appropriated art’, Benedict Brain continues his creative journey
“To consult the rules of composition before taking a photograph is like consulting the rules of gravity before going for a walk”
Art of Seeing The Art of Seeing #76: Benedict Brain considers the art of composition on the streets of Samoa
I’ve spent some time in Mexico, and this pair of photos, presented as a diptych, captures the vibe of the country
Art of Seeing The Art of Seeing #75: Seeking a sense of place, Benedict Brain captures the vibe of Mexico in a diptych
I like this photo more than the original portrait I made of him in Belfast; it captures the essence of his character more fully
Art of Seeing Benedict Brain says it’s a small world, and you never know who you will bump into again…
I'm at my happiest when photographing in locations that seem unphotogenic and easy to dismiss as ‘There’s nothing to see here’
Art of Seeing The Art of Seeing #73: Benedict Brain on meandering mindfully in Central America, looking for beauty in the banal
Cheap, toy-like cameras have a unique aesthetic that some find frustrating. But, with the right frame of mind, their crudeness can be harnessed to creative effect
Art of Seeing The Art of Seeing #72: Liberating himself from the shackles of modern technology, Benedict Brain has creative fun with his new Camp Snap camera
“Most years, I keep an eye out for an photo to use to celebrate the festive season”
Art of Seeing Benedict Brain celebrates the holidays with an alternative take on the iconic Christmas tree
“As a homage to the mighty tree at Sycamore Gap, I take the time to notice and acknowledge lone trees everywhere”
Art of Seeing As his response to the Sycamore Gap tree felling, Benedict Brain finds beauty in other lone trees
“I couldn’t return empty-handed, so I started to experiment with intentional camera movement (ICM), albeit reluctantly ”
Art of Seeing Benedict Brain overcomes his dislike of a classic creative technique – and finds new inspiration
”Perhaps the wild landscapes of north Wales are just too beautiful for my aesthetic. However, I still take my camera in the hope that something will resonate".
Art of Seeing The Art of Seeing #67: Benedict Brain finds that when it comes to capturing the essence of a location, some places are easier than others
“It has been photographed so often that it felt to me like there was nowhere to go creatively”
Art of Seeing Benedict Brain uses his thermal imaging camera to produce a hot take on the frozen north
“It’s at moments like this that boredom can set in. And boredom is lovely”. Experimenting in the bedroom conjures up a ghostly photo
Art of Seeing Stuck in a hotel room, Benedict Brain explores the creative potential of having nothing to do
“It’s awesome. It’s also terrible, and that’s what I love about AI photography”
Art of Seeing Benedict Brain tries out AI, the exciting emerging technology that’s dividing the photographic community
“It’s not the slick, commercial-type vistas that inspire my photography, but rather the quiet little corners and the people I briefly encounter”
Art of Seeing Benedict Brain contrasts tourist-style travel photography against capturing your distinct view of the world
“I knew in an instant that there was a photograph here that I wanted to take”
Art of Seeing Benedict Brain explains how to take a photo that’s both a single moment in time and part of a long-term project
“It felt much more natural from a purely design point of view to pair photos together”
Art of Seeing When Benedict Brain realizes he’s succumbed to a particular way of taking photos, it opens up new possibilities
