Introducing Benedict Brain: 2022 ATW Photographer

Passionate about all things related to photography and travel, photographer-journalist extraordinaire Benedict Brain will be sharing his creativity and powerful ways of “learning to look” aboard our 2022 Around the World journey. Joining Insignia as the Artist-in-Residence for multiple weeks at both the opening and close of the world cruise, Benedict will provide inspiring photography workshops in Artist Loft and offer his creative insights during hosted sessions and talks.

During the course of his impressive career, Benedict has met and interviewed some of the world’s greatest photographers, served as editor of Britain’s best-selling photography magazine, Digital Camera World, judged prestigious photography competitions, regularly provides workshops through the Royal Photographic Society and has managed to continually find ways to fulfill his relentless wanderlust amid his demanding schedule.

We sat down with Benedict to discover how he started out in the field of photography, learn where he finds inspiration, get a sneak preview of what he’ll be sharing on board our 2022 Around the World cruise, and much more. In the coming months, be sure to stay tuned for short videos from Benedict on essential photography topics designed to inspire and elevate your photos, whether you happen to be in your own backyard, exploring locally, or traveling far and wide.

How did you get your start in photography?
I’ve been into photography since I was about 11. I won a book called The Puffin Book of Photography in a school history competition. I had made a model of a Saxon village; I think using real wattle and daub was what clinched it for me. Within a year I had built a darkroom, was developing my own film, and making prints at home. I’ve never looked back. I went on to complete a degree in photography at the Derby School of Art and since then, have in one form or another, worked under the photographic “umbrella.” I’ve done pretty much everything – from being a cruise ship photographer, lab technician and photographers’ assistant to working as a commercial photographer, "art" photographer, photography workshop and tour leader, and journalist.

How did the fascinating worlds of photography, journalism, and travel come to intersect for you?
I guess a lot of it has to do with chance. I’m passionate about travel and photography and they came together quite naturally. I fell into the magazine world after seeing an advertisement for a job at Amateur Photographer magazine (the world’s oldest photo magazine, established in 1884). At the time, they were specifically looking for a photographer to train as a writer, so I thought what the heck. I was offered the job and spent the next 15 years in the world of magazines. I worked as a journalist for consumer photography magazines such as Amateur Photographer, N-Photo, PhotoPlus, Practical Photoshop, Professional Photographer, Digital Photographer and Digital Camera World. Until recently, I was the editor of Britain’s best-selling photography magazine, Digital Camera World, and, in fact, I still write a regular column for the magazine called “The Art of Seeing.” I also write regularly for Amateur Photographer magazine. However, my insatiable desire to travel and free myself from the creative shackles of consumer magazines and explore the world and my art photography inspired me to go freelance a few years ago.

Tell us about one of your most memorable or inspiring travel experiences.
My most vivid travel experiences were probably from backpacking in Central America shortly after graduating in the early '90s. I was on a shoestring budget and my camera broke soon into the trip so, sadly, I don't have many photos. However, the trip fueled me with a fervent desire to travel and see more of the world. Traveling on local busses through Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama and Costa Rica and staying in two-dollar, cockroach-infested rooms over a six-month period excited me enormously. It was my first real experience outside Europe and the whole world seemed to open up to me on that trip. These days, I confess a little more luxury is appreciated and visiting the world via a ship is perfect. More recently, a trip on a ship to Papua New Guinea was a total inspiration. As with most travel experiences, it's the people you meet that forge the strongest memories and this was certainly the case in both Central America and Papua New Guinea.

Are there any current projects you are working on that you’d like to share with our guests?
I haven’t been able to travel as much this past year due to COVID lockdowns, so I’ve been exploring my local landscape in the southwest of the UK. And while I still have a massive desire to travel, it has been nice to explore the visual potential closer to home and I’ve become increasingly drawn to its more subtle topographies.

Humanity’s relationship with nature is a theme that underpins much of my work, whether at home or abroad, and so this continues. I’ve been in Alaska a lot aboard cruise ships and this area interests me enormously. I’m looking forward to getting back there as soon as possible.

Where do you draw inspiration from?
That’s an interesting question. I have an extensive collection of photography books that are a constant source of inspiration and I will jump at any chance to go and see a photography exhibition, not to mention all the photographers I follow online and through social media such as Instagram. During my time as a journalist, I have had the good fortune to meet and interview many of the world’s greatest photographers and they, too, have been an inspiration. For inspiration, it’s not just photography though; I relish in all the arts, and so music, painting, architecture, and cinema all inform and inspire me. Increasingly I’m finding inspiration elsewhere too; nature and our environment inform much of my work, not to mention the fascinating people I meet on my travels.

What’s your approach to sharing your passion with guests on board as they are traveling the world?
The magic of photography is enduringly fascinating to me. I still find it as magical today as I did when I was 11 and making my first ever prints in a darkroom. There is a universality to the “language” of photography and with so many technological advances, photography is more accessible to more people today than it has ever been. A smartphone camera is a staggeringly good tool and for the most part, circumnavigates the need to fully understand f-stops and complex camera settings. So I find folks can learn to express themselves and get creative more easily now than ever before. I love this, and this is the essence of my approach to sharing my passion with guests. Everyone has the power to make engaging and interesting images of their journey, and this is what I try to nurture through fun and creative exercises, classes, photo walks, and looking at the work of inspirational photographers. Learning to “look,” to see, and to appreciate the world in new ways is what I most hope to share with guests.

Can you give us any hints as to what our 2022 Around the World guests can expect to experience during your workshops?
Fun and creativity are at the core of my workshops, sessions, and talks. Photography is a “language,” possibly the most widely used "language" in the world, and there are many ways you can use this language to communicate. So for the world voyage, the workshops are about finding a voice and using creative ways to tell the many stories guests will hear, the people they will meet and the exciting locations they will discover on their journey. The essence will be about learning to look, tell stories, and unleashing creativity. They will be fun, engaging, jargon-free and open to everyone, whether they’re using a smartphone camera or a fancy DSLR.

As an avid traveler, what part of the world are you most looking forward to exploring next?
I’m extremely lucky to have seen more than my fair share of the world, which I am extremely grateful for. However, without wanting to be “greedy,” there are still some places that I’m desperately keen to travel to. In particular, I have a passion to visit the Himalayas and Patagonia.

For more exciting updates on our Around the World voyages, be sure to join our Around the World in 180 Days group on Facebook.

About Benedict Brain
Benedict Brain is a UK-based photographer and journalist. He graduated with a degree in photography from the Derby School of Art in 1991 (now University of Derby), where he was tutored and inspired by photographers John Blakemore and Olivier Richon, amongst others. He is an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society and also sits on the society’s Distinctions Advisory Panel.

Benedict was editor of Britain’s best-selling consumer photography magazine, Digital Camera World. As a journalist, he met and interviewed some of the world’s greatest photographers and produced articles on a wide range of photography-related topics, presented technique videos, wrote in-depth features, curated and edited best-in-class content for a range of titles including Amateur Photographer, PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Professional Photography and Practical Photoshop. He currently writes a regular column, “The Art of Seeing,” for Digital Camera World.

Benedict is a tour and workshop leader for the UK’s premier landscape photography tour company, Light & Land. Benedict is regularly asked to judge prestigious photo competitions such as the International Garden Photographer of the Year and the British Photography Awards and is a regular speaker at shows including The Adventure Travel Show and The Photography Show. For more details and recent work, visit www.benedictbrain.com