Ben Hattingh

First Week

2012-02-10T16:40:00.000-08:00

I started at RMIT on Monday and just completed my first week. Pretty stoked about it because I didn't really think that it was the course for me but now that I have seen and heard what they are on about it's starting to become more appealing.
Saying this though I am going to have to buy a shit ton of equipment and fast and I have no idea how I am going to afford it short of selling my body on the streets.

~Results~

2011-12-17T19:10:00.000-08:00

After completing my uni interviews I got an email telling me that I am going to get a first round offer next month. Pretty stoked on that, I have been working towards this all year and the positive result is just what I needed. The RMIT course is a definite because there are no pre-requisites but the course I really want to do at VCA requires you to have completed a few things at high school. I graduated high school like 4 years ago now so I am not one hundo percent sure that I'll get in but my fingers are perpetually crossed.

In other news I should go back and correct aaaall the spelling mistakes in my old blog entries, they are quite embarrassing. Ain't gonna happen though.

In other other news I need money for film and processing.

Update

2011-11-07T23:54:00.000-08:00

Recently I posted on a flickr forum asking where I can find cheap scanning. Soon afterwards Paul from Northern Exposure got in contact with me and set me up with a sweet deal on scanning. Cheap as hell and far better scans than I have gotten from any of the labs I've been to.

The two above will be part of the Robert Best series.

Night photography is spooky

Anyway. Two weeks until my first Uni interview. Better get crackin' on that.

Today was a good day

2011-11-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

In the words of Ice Cube "Today was a good day."

I went and saw a lecture by Noam Chomsky at The Convention Centre here in Melbourne. It was a stunning venue in South Bank and obviously the lecture was insightful, educating and inspirational.

My lovely, talented girlfriend also picked up her film scans from Michael's and they are really impressive. She borrowed my Hasselblad for an assignment and it's a little scary how good she is but then again she seems to be one of those people who are just good at everything they put their hand/mind to.

The assignment was to create an environmental portrait so we headed into the city to hopefully find some characters.

This is me at Pellegrini's on Bourke Street.

This guy was a fucking champ, I wish I took this photo.

Pretty good huh?

She also graciously let me take a couple of snaps too. Kinda, sorta thinking that she is better than me.

Again at Pellegrini's

Oh yeah, I didn't even have to use my AK today, so that was good too.

Broke

2011-10-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

Being broke sucks.
I have 4 rolls of film to develop and no money to do so. Luckily my friend has stepped in (who I can not name) and offered to develop them for me at her Uni. The only problem now is that I do not have the money to send them off to be scanned.
All of this is making me pretty nervous, I have no idea how all 48 shots are going to turn out and it's going to be a while before I can find out. On top of this, my interview for VCA is in a month and 2 days by which time I need to have a portfolio together.
My parents offered to pay for the prints etc. that I will need for my portfolio but seem to be backing away from that claim. Yikes.
I can't really blame anyone for my being broke. I haven't had a job for about 10 months now and have been living off 2 lots of hefty tax returns and rather than getting a paid job started volunteering at Lentils.

No Light Leaks, No Problems

2011-10-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

My good friend Rosa was generous enough to let me borrow the back for her Hasselblad while her's is being fixed. As you can see this one is free from light leaks which is really, really great.

These are the ones that turned out well from the 2 rolls of film I developed over the weekend.

The teacher running the Portfolio Preparation course at RMIT told me that I need to take more people based photos for my folio. I decided to head down to Lentils As Anything in Abbotsford to take some photos of my friend Josh (above) who I have shot before. It was the first time attempting to shoot portraits with my camera and I am very please with the result. Particularly the depth of field.

I have taken photos in Box Hill very often, this loading area for the markets is always an interesting place.

Attempting to replicate the look of Joachim Brohm's photos.

Again, Box Hill. This time at night.

Collingwood commission flats.

Betty runs The Orana Op Shop in Box Hill South. Though she is herself a Catholic she has worked for The Uniting Church for 27 years.

RMIT Folio Prep

2011-10-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a short course at RMIT to help me get a folio together this week. Here is a taste.

I would be happy if I never had to use digital ever again.

Mo' Light Leaks, Mo' Problems

2011-09-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

I did another test roll. There were a few light leaks but I think it may be due to not unloading the film in low enough light. Next time, pitch black.

Are the messed up colours due to light leaks or has the camera shop messed up the scans. I dunno, but I don't like that it looks like a Holga.

First Roll of Medium Format

2011-09-22T02:38:00.000-07:00

I just got home from the city where I picked up my test roll of film. Pretty damn excited. Right off the bat it's obvious what I need to learn better.

This is the coat of arms of, what use to be, St. Leo's College. It used to be a Catholic boarding school where Brother Robert Charles Best worked and was recently convicted of 21 sexually related charge (and has since plead guilty for another 6).

This is Robert's Phone.

I wanted to do a series on St. Leo's and the Robert Best story for the magazine Tell Mum Everything Is OK for their coming issue Stigma. Unfortunately I missed the dead line so I am just going to finish the series by myself.

Well, something a little less intense. Looks like I got a light leak or something.

Boo, light leak.

New Camera

2011-09-21T01:25:00.000-07:00

It was my 21st birthday earlier this month and my parents were generous enough to give me cash so that I could research and buy myself a new camera. I was torn between whether to update my old, battered and cruddy digital setup or move back to film. In the end I opted for medium format and picked up a Hasselblad 500 CM off ebay for a really good price.

I am absolutely in love with this camera not just because of the fantastic photos it takes, but the sheer beauty of it and the though that went into every part of it's design. Friends of mine who have used one before told me that you just want to take photos with it because everything looks so beautiful looking down onto that ground-glass view finder, and they were right. I pick up my first roll from the lab tomorrow and I'm already half way through my next one.

I know that I have a steep learning curve ahead of me, I predict my metering and composition is going to be a little (or wildly) off, but that's exciting. I hope to one day be as good as Joachim Brohm, Stephen Shore and Amy Stein. They have really inspired me to go ahead with these larger film formats.

Joachim Brohm

Stephen Shore

Amy Stein

tumblr

2011-08-16T06:38:00.001-07:00

I have started a tumblr to post images taken from my iPhone so that there is a place where they can be recorded permanently. I like using the iPhone because it is something that is always on me and therefore is perfect for reacting quickly to an image that would otherwise be missed.

Here's a preview.

CHECK IT OUT!

Collarbones at The Workers Club

2011-08-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

I shot a gig for the first time in ages over the weekend. My friend Nicole Williams is starting up an art/photography/everything else collective called Alistair Bones and asked me to shoot this band for them.

Franco Cozzo

GUERRE

Brothers Hand Mirrow

Collarbones

It was a good night for anyone who like to ride the wave that is chill.

Self portrait

2011-08-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

Obligatory mirror shot.

Yashica T4 (roll 2)

2011-08-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

Photos from the second roll of film I put through m'ladies Yashica T4.

The two above photos were taken on a day that my friend went foraging for wild mushrooms.

These pigeons had to be circling around this home and the neighbouring golf course for about an hour.

The photos above were taken in and around where my family used to work and live up until a couple of months ago.

Yashica T4 (roll 1)

2011-08-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

Some photos from the first roll of film I used with girlfriend's Yashica T4.

All of them were taken around the suburb of Melbourne I live in now Box Hill, in the industrial areas and the local shopping mall.

Folio

2011-08-05T07:57:00.002-07:00

I tried to get into uni for midyear intake but was unsuccessful. Even though that isn't so great it pushed me to try something different.

I know there is always next year, but I am starting to feel old.

Update

2011-03-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

So here's an update of what I've been doing since my last update.

In Wells 2 (film)

2010-12-19T19:51:00.000-08:00

In Wells 1 (digital)

2010-12-19T19:25:00.000-08:00

My friends in In Wells went away for the weekend a couple of months to record an EP. It was a booze and psychedelic charged couple of days that ended up with some pretty sweet music. Due to my laziness and lack of internets I haven't uploaded the photos 'till now. Here they are.

noise night

2010-09-15T02:06:00.001-07:00

Need to get out of the house

2010-08-03T03:24:00.001-07:00

Further Adventures With Josh (and others)

2010-07-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

Order reverse in.

Further Adventures With Josh

2010-07-21T07:06:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Night

2010-07-14T03:45:00.000-07:00

So my life is changing in a majour way.

I have just broken up with my girlfriend of over a year.

We live together and now I have to move back in with my parents.

I have greatly enjoyed the last year but I am looking forward to what the following years will bring.

Adventure I hope.

My new friend Josh Rayson came over last night and we talked about things and decided to bring the camera out.

It was fun and felt good. The following photos Josh took.

I am still getting to know Josh but he is such an intelligent, creative, original dude. I like hanging with him.

I have many things to learn and relearn.

I still like shooting in JPEG and I still like using TV. Maybe it's amerturish and maybe it's technically shite, but I enjoy the look it produces.

Survival Kit

2009-08-19T00:42:00.000-07:00