Just wish to share this little story with you that you may find interesting…<\/p>\n
I want to shake you ALL up… I never studied photography… I never wanted to be a photographer. I studied architecture and played drums in a punk rock group. I literally fell in to photography by ACCIDENT..<\/p>\n
Everything I learned was by experimenting. I was such a bad photographer when I started, that if I got lucky and took a good image and was asked to replicate it I couldn’t. In fact about one year in to shooting, I was asked by Sears to shoot an advert for them based on an image in my S–tty portfolio. The problem is that I didn’t have a vocabulary and I didn’t know how I did what I did in the first place, so I couldn’t replicate what I did. I must have lost about 50-60 percent of the clients I shot for. I would get a great fluke shot and wow them with it. “Hey Ben, we want that! ” and I would say “GULP ah OK” and I would think to myself, “OOOOPPPPSSS, Sorry, ummm, I can’t recreate it, I don’t really know how I did that!”<\/p>\n
But the good thing was this. I did stuff that nobody would even consider doing if they were taught what and what not to do. One of my techniques that I and perhaps a few people around the world at the time were doing but not aware that we were at the time was the following.<\/p>\n
\nOne day I walked in to a camera store in Toronto to ask advice from the sales people who happen to be Ryerson (Polytechnical) School (Photography) grads now called Ryerson University. They knew all the techniques, which I had none of. I asked them for a certain emulsion for doing, if I remember correctly “Cibachrome” or development for slides. They kind of giggled and said, “Here use this and this and this”. I said OK I will… Well lo and behold, they gave me the wrong stuff that became what is now known as cross processing that got me in to L’Officiel, Elle, etc. I was on exposition at the Arles Festival in 1986-7 presenting my C41 stuff with Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Satoshi and Nick Knight. I was known for “THAT” technique.<\/p>\n
Well, about five years later I went to Toronto to visit the family. I was being published everywhere. I mean everywhere. I needed some photo stuff and walked in to the same camera store “Toronto Camera” at the time on Yonge Street and there were two of the guys who sold me the “WRONG” stuff.<\/p>\n
Well I walked right up to them and said “Thanks for your advice. Do you remember a little joke you pulled on one of your customers? You know, ah you need this stuff for that type of film?” “ahhh yyyeeeaahhh maybe, sort of … WHY?”<\/p>\n
“My name is Benjamin Kanarek,” “Your BENJAMIN KANAREK!” Yeah…”Wow”
\nI said “I want to thank you for giving me the BEST wrong advice I have ever gotten in my whole life!”<\/p>\n
I walked out of the store with a huge smile…<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Because of that advice I shot some very interesting Advertising Campaigns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Giving me the BEST wrong advice made me discover a brand new photography technique and style. Because of that advice I shot some very interesting Advertising Campaigns…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[37],"tags":[159,306,36,55],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paG8MM-4c","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4171,"url":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/bkblog\/fashion-photographer-per-zennstrom-contributes-benjamin-kanarek-blog\/","url_meta":{"origin":260,"position":0},"title":"Fashion Photographer Per Zennstr\u00f6m contributes to Benjamin Kanarek Blog","author":"Benjamin Kanarek","date":"January 19, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"A portrait of Fashion Photographer Per Zennstr\u00f6m who is now contributing to Benjamin Kanarek Blog","rel":"","context":"In "BKBlog"","block_context":{"text":"BKBlog","link":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/category\/bkblog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/WorkPerZennstromforAirFranceMadame.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/WorkPerZennstromforAirFranceMadame.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/WorkPerZennstromforAirFranceMadame.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":24457,"url":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/photography\/one-line-of-advice-part-1-photos-not-necessary\/","url_meta":{"origin":260,"position":1},"title":"One Line of Advice Part 1 Photos Not Necessary","author":"Benjamin Kanarek","date":"January 29, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Not sure if I will continue this \"One Line of Advice\" series, but here goes my 1st Line of Advice...","rel":"","context":"In "Photography"","block_context":{"text":"Photography","link":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/category\/photography\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/image104.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1336,"url":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/photography\/short-story-about-photographer-by-gerardo-jacques-wuhl\/","url_meta":{"origin":260,"position":2},"title":"A short story about a photographer… By Gerardo Jacques Wuhl","author":"Benjamin Kanarek","date":"September 19, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"As I always say, I was born with a camera under my arm (maybe you know the Latin expression \"he was born with bread under his arm\"). My dad is a photographer, and like any son in the world, I admire his work. My first steps with photography were with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Photography"","block_context":{"text":"Photography","link":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/category\/photography\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/leica.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/leica.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/leica.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18096,"url":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/the-featured\/fashion-photography-by-scott-hugh-mitchell\/","url_meta":{"origin":260,"position":3},"title":"Fashion Photography by Scott Hugh Mitchell","author":"Benjamin Kanarek","date":"June 1, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Our first submission to \"Benjamin Kanarek Blog Fashion-Beauty Photography\" is from New York based photographer Scott Hugh Mitchell","rel":"","context":"In "the-featured"","block_context":{"text":"the-featured","link":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/category\/the-featured\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Image1scotthughmitchell\u00c2\u00a9.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Image1scotthughmitchell\u00c2\u00a9.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Image1scotthughmitchell\u00c2\u00a9.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":504,"url":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/photography\/what-kind-fashion-photographer-are-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":260,"position":4},"title":"What Kind of Fashion Photographer are You?","author":"Benjamin Kanarek","date":"July 4, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"That is a difficult question to answer. I am not your classic photographer. By that I mean, I never intended to be a photographer. It just kind of happened by accident.","rel":"","context":"In "Photography"","block_context":{"text":"Photography","link":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/category\/photography\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/79300560.OYzATstw.BenjaminKanarek0018.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/79300560.OYzATstw.BenjaminKanarek0018.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/79300560.OYzATstw.BenjaminKanarek0018.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20347,"url":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/bkblog\/winners-benjamin-kanarek-blog-westeast-fashion-beauty-photography-contest-published-westeast-magazine\/","url_meta":{"origin":260,"position":5},"title":"Winners of the Benjamin Kanarek Blog-WestEast Fashion & Beauty Photography Contest Get Published","author":"Benjamin Kanarek","date":"August 26, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"We are pleased to share the publication of the winning images of the Benjamin Kanarek Blog-WestEast Fashion & Beauty Photography Contest in the Summer issue of WestEast Magazine that just come out and now available on newsstands.","rel":"","context":"In "BKBlog"","block_context":{"text":"BKBlog","link":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/category\/bkblog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Photography-by-Regen-Chen-Fashion-Photo-Contest-Benjamin-Kanarek-Blog-WestEast-Magazine-560x739.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Photography-by-Regen-Chen-Fashion-Photo-Contest-Benjamin-Kanarek-Blog-WestEast-Magazine-560x739.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebkmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Photography-by-Regen-Chen-Fashion-Photo-Contest-Benjamin-Kanarek-Blog-WestEast-Magazine-560x739.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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