March 28st, 2014
Eleanor Leonne Bennett
INTERVIEWED BY N!P
"I have a penchant for capturing destruction."
-Eleanor Leonne Bennett
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Nostrovia!: How old are you?
Eleanor Bennett: 17.
N!: How do people react to your age?
EB: No, I get ignored and denied a lot of paying work/gallery representation because they think I am magically more emotionally authentic over the age of 40. Does it get old? I wish, then I would be old.
N!: Do you dream of being a renowned photographer?
EB: When I dream about anything I'm either trying to be the world's best at it or don't bovver at all or I'm being chased by a creature from season 2 of the modern Doctor Who reboot.
N!: Do you participate in other creative arts?
EB: Mixed media, writing, curating, poetry and side projects like being an art editor, scouting for other creative people and sometimes song writing and some secretive work in a mish mash of creative genres.
N!: How did you start out? How long have you been at it?
EB: Age 11, probably the last time I got that refreshed feeling upon waking up too When did you first begin submitting to magazines? about 12 to 13 very exhausting but I don't regret all the work I produced being seen by so many people
N!: How do you decide if you want to make an image publically available? How do you choose what
you keep and discard?
you keep and discard?
EB: By how it would reflect the impression people have on me. I've pushed the boat out from the start though as I was just loving providing a nice bit of bloody photography for horror magazines when I was 13. Some stuff I retain for personal reference that I might just hide for 15 years to when I can afford a big slap you in the face instillation hosted by a gallery I find who loves me as much as some of the individuals I cherish currently.
N!: Where are you favorite places to take photographs?
EB: At home and in Manchester. At home I can be so conditioned to what is everyday I have to notice the slightest thing out of place to capture and Manchester is my haven for people portraits and architecture.
N!: Are there particular themes or issues you try to address through your photography?
EB: You have to study them because I don't always want to say it blatantly. Depression, environmental concerns, abuse, social commentary, waste and gore are a few.
N!: What are your favorite topics and themes to work with?
EB: Anything trying to get the physical manifestation of thought processes (mental illness, depression and other disorders) explicitly rendered and environmental images. I have a penchant for capturing destruction.
N!: Where do you see you’re work heading over the course of 2014?
EB: Hopefully winning more awards. I dream of getting some type of grant to help my progression really.
N!: Social media and the internet has connected the world, and allowed for artists of all varieties to put their work out there. How did the initial process of building your name go?
EB: I have actually considered taking paying jobs in regards to social media and public relations because it is far easier for me to connect to really important and wide reaching publications than it is to get paid by them. Social media comes quite naturally. I'll never have the most likes but I have ties being published with Life Force, Nat Geo, Vogue, and Harper's Bazaar.
You can look up Life Force's credentials with even the great Steven Fry singing their praises. They recently invited me to contribute again.
That I can't put a price on.
N!: How do you deal with the harsher critics this inter-connectivity has opened us up to?
EB: You make me a logical rebuttal I will deal with it and for gods sake it is a relief.
The amount of so called adults that turn to abusive language, stalking and some even leading to real life attacks I would love to get and see other content creators get a majority of critical commentary not that of logical fallacies, not of circumstantial situations you can pull out of your ass and not those of the individuals who are not well versed in their chosen subject making bold sweeping statements.
I welcome critics that are logical and intelligent. Keep your fists for self defense and not towards someone who has a different opinion on something as casual as pop culture.
The amount of so called adults that turn to abusive language, stalking and some even leading to real life attacks I would love to get and see other content creators get a majority of critical commentary not that of logical fallacies, not of circumstantial situations you can pull out of your ass and not those of the individuals who are not well versed in their chosen subject making bold sweeping statements.
I welcome critics that are logical and intelligent. Keep your fists for self defense and not towards someone who has a different opinion on something as casual as pop culture.
N!P: Do you have any recommendations or tips for aspiring photographers artists?
EB: You need to find your own style and please don't follow trends because when you go to upload it to flickr under the same tags you'll see more than a few million of the same style.
N!P: Have you taken classes, or are you self-taught?
EB: Self-taught
N!P: When did you discover your style?
EB: Influence of elements within my own life and only using one photo editor (windows photo gallery).
N!: I have seen your photographs across hundreds of websites, from contest winners to blog posts to book covers to small publishers. Did you build up your career slowly, or start with a bang?
EB: I work at a fast pace and learn quickly so I never found it to hard to discover an audience. You do get people who only want something to do with me because of the award winning pictures instead of the dialogue that runs through the images that aren't as decorated.
N!: Do you have other passions?
EB: A lot, I have phases also. I love watching Doctor Who and a lot of sci fi, manga and I adore murder mysteries. And in music tastes I love everything from britpop to kpop. I am just the happiest person ever on a Sunday afternoon when there is a spree of Poirot and Miss Marple on Itv 3.
N!: Do you even sleep?
EB: Not really, I miss that.
N!: Me too. Holy shit, do I miss sleep. When you're not taking pictures, what are you up to?
EB: Paperwork, competition entries, buying vintage stuff and penny pinching. When I actually have some savings it would be nice to finally have free time to go out and see friends, movies and the like. Being home schooled has divided me from a lot of normal society.
N!: Do you choose subjects in advance, or do you run away like a madwoman with a camera?
Or somewhere in between?
Or somewhere in between?
EB: Madwoman with a camera is spot on. I only ever run after having just clicked a shutter. I used to plan in advance a lot but I barely get the time too.
N!: What are three things you wish to accomplish before you die?
EB:
- Have my work sell in auction and be taken seriously
- Be known as someone intelligent who bears a sharp wit
- Win a competition with a cash prize of over 30K
Eleanor Leonne Bennett is a critically acclaimed artist, photographer, senior editor and content creator. She is the CIWEM Young Environmental Photographer of the Year 2013, winner of the UK National Geographic Kid's Photography Contest 2010, & The World Photography Organization's Photomonth Youth Award 2010, among many other presitages. You can view her select works here.