Meet Ben Busch | Cinematographer and Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ben Busch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I chose to pursue a creative career because at the end of the day I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. From the moment I picked up my first camera all I really wanted to do was explore all the ways I could create with it. Now you won’t find me anywhere without one. The day I really knew this was going to be my job and not just something I did for myself was when my photo teacher in high school, Mr.Elling, took us into the darkroom for the first time. The process and waiting for the photos we had worked hard on was exhausting but also thrilling. When we finally pulled those photos out of the chemicals to hang up I saw what I could create from start to finish.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is defined by a want to be personal. Whether it’s a concert, a music video, portraiture, landscapes, or a feature length film, I want the person viewing it to connect with the subject or at least get some sort of feeling from it. I would say I got to where I am today by meeting the right people and making sure that I was their first call. I wasn’t easy, it was a lot of proving myself in this new environment. Taking every job I could and making it the best I could so that people would be impressed and remember me. The lessons I learned are very simple. One, don’t be a dick. Nobody wants to work with someone like that. Two, know your stuff and if you don’t make sure you learn it. Also don’t be afraid to ask people, they’ll teach you. Three, show up on time. When I say that I don’t mean show up when you’re suppose to, I mean show up fifteen minutes before ready to go so that everyone sees you’re committed.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If someone came to visit I would have to start with taking them out to the beach, then right over to Neptune’s Net in Malibu for some seafood. from there we might mossy down to echo park and have a drink over at Bar Flores. Once the sun goes down if theres a concert we will be there, if not we can go have a great time at Cha Cha lounge or Red Lion in Silverlake depending if we want to go crazy or have a beer and hang out.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many people who deserve credit in my life. First my family. My mom and dad who have always pushed me to be my very best and have given me the tools to learn and explore my art. My first teacher Mr.Elling who taught me the ins and outs of photography and jumpstarted me to create. SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) for giving me a great education and allowing me not just to learn about cinematography and photography but also allowing me to learn hands on. Big shout out to Morgan Freed, TJ Petracca, Barbara Szabo and everyone at Ride or Cry and Emo Nite for bringing me in to work with you, introducing me to creatives and jumpstarting my career in LA.

Website: https://www.benjaminbusch.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonedhavoc/

Other: https://vimeo.com/benjaminbusch

Image Credits
My portrait was taken my Nick Morbitt