Ben Blacket is 32 and a voice is telling him that he has to consider some sort of career.
ML: As soon as I saw your photos I thought of Australia. It’s odd that what’s in the photos could be mistaken as American suburbs, yet there’s something distinctly Australian in them. Do you know why that is?
BB: Most of my photos tend to hone in on a detail, rather than provide an overall perspective, so they could appear fairly generic. If we look at our built environments close up, yours and mine are pretty similar and could be mistaken for one another, until we pick up the subtle differences, like the cars, the signage, the architecture, that give away our identity. I think it’s just these elements in a photo that make them unmistakably American, or Australian. There’s a lot of brown brick, weatherboard & wheelie bins in my suburb! It’s interesting how our surroundings can become so familiar, we don’t even notice something that could be hilarious or typically Australian to you. I try to look at my own backyard like you would - through the eyes of a foreigner or a tourist. I’ve travelled overseas a bit (including America) and regret not carrying a camera with me - I’m just trying to make up for it.
ML: What’s your favourite thing about just walking around?
BB: Knowing I’m not in a hurry, don’t have to be anywhere and the further I walk, the more photo opportunities I might come across. And the feeling of being in the zone, sort of a heightened awareness.
ML: How’s being a photographer’s assistant going?
BB: The opposite to what I just described! It’s the photographers who aren’t condescending or highly strung that make it all worthwhile.
ML: So far, where have you had the best cup of espresso?
BB: My favourite little shop in my neck of the woods, called “In the Woods”. I wish I could afford to buy more than just an espresso. Fortunately, they have small cups.
