Ben Goode wedding and portrait photographer, based in Southampton, Hampshire.
When growing-up my creative outlet lay in more traditional art forms, with my inspiration and drive largely coming from my Parents and Grandparents. Later when studying art at GSCE and A Level I developed a love for cubism. That love of lines and seeing more than what is merely in front of you has stayed with me in my own work.
I cannot remember the first time I used a camera, or even what camera it was. As a child my parents bought my Sister and I numerous compact and 35mm camera’s. My holiday 'snaps' as a child often demonstrated a strong sense of composition, but the hobby never fully grabbed me.
My interest in photography was sparked when my Dad bought me my first DSLR camera in 2006, a Canon 350D, I was hooked! My first love was with landscapes and nature. By 2008 I was given the opportunity to shoot two weddings for friends and family. My intraverted personality was reflected in my photography, discreet and unobtrusive. By 2009 I shot almost 20 of my own weddings, winning business with my honest and artistic approach.
I have developed a real love of working with people and would now say I'm a 'social photographer', choosing to work with people rather than nature or products.
I have already touched on drawing inspiration from my family and the love of traditional art. My photographic influences would start largely from my Dad and Flickr. At the start, I immersed myself in 'the community' and began to follow people like Nichole Van, Tracie Taylor and Lara Jade, who continue to be a source of inspiration today. Recently, Twitter has been a brilliant tool to draw inspiration and talk directly with those whose work you find inspiring.
I constantly strive to improve and be more creative with my own wedding photography. Locally, inspiration comes from wedding photographers like Rob Burress and Guy Collier. Amoungst my all-time favourites would be Jose Villa and Jeff Ascough.
My family is my life, I am now married and have a three year old son. My photography goals would include making the step to become a full-time wedding and portrait photographer. A few international commissions and awards along the way would be nice, but I try to keep it all in perspective. It's a career that I hope will bring me the flexibility to spend quality time with those most important to me. In the short term I hope to setup a small studio of my own and take my office outside the home. I'm not sure what the future holds, but I do know that I love what I do. I'm young and I hope to only get better.
To learn more about me, you can find me in the following places:
