Kase Pro Partners Interview – Alister Benn
Kase Pro Partners Interview – Alister Benn
Here at Kase along with our ambassadors we also like to partner up with photographers that work at a professional level in the industry. Our Professional Partners are pro or semi-pro landscape photographers, capturing the beauty of the United Kingdom and beyond as well as empowering others to learn more about the beauty of the landscape through their workshops. Kase UK work closely with and support these great photographers who use our products so that they can demonstrate our excellent system to their clients and take amazing images themselves. Our pro partners are also very knowledgeable of Kase products and always willing to help and give great advice. If you want to see our gear in action and learn how to take stunning images, then make sure you book yourself a workshop with one of these talented photographers. Check out their website for any exciting events they have planned.
Tell us a little about yourself. What started you in photography, where are you from, what achievements etc have you gained?
I had a small SLR when I was a teenager and used to run around the Scottish Highlands pointing it at things. Even then I recognised the power of engagement and the disappointment at results that didn’t meet my expectations. I grew up in Perthshire, but left UK in my late 20’s to work overseas, mostly in the Far East. I turned professional in 2009 and began writing education material, with Night, Seascape and Black and White photography eBooks. I have been awarded gold medals in a number of international competitions including the MML, P3X, Trierenberg and the IPA. I live on the Ardnamurchan Peninsular on the west coast of Scotland with my partner and co-director Ann Kristin Lindaas.
Do you have a photography style and what are your favourite locations or things to shoot?
I spent the first decade of my photographic development obsessed with personal style, and yes, I guess I developed an identifiable one. Dark, moody, mysterious, but with a glimmer of hope. I suppose that personifies me, although I laugh more than that would suggest! I travelled the world and have been to many amazing places; Tibet, the Gobi, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Lapland etc, but more and more I am interested in engaging with what is in front of me. I don’t chase drama or majesty, I’m equally happy with light shining through dew covered leaves. I am interested in movement, light, flow, water, juxtapositions and geometry. That opens me up to pretty much anything and anywhere.
I’ve used virtually every competitors products, each of them had flaws. Some have terrible colour casts, others scratch easily, some just break, even in your bag. I started using KASE filters in around 2017-18 and was instantly impressed by their neutrality and durability
What or who has influenced you most in photography?
As with most people, I was influenced by other photographers early on. Galen Rowell, Hans Strand, Alex Noriega, Theo Bosboom, Adam Gibbs, not a terribly long list, but all apart from Galen (sadly passed away) are good friends of mine. I don’t get motivated or inspired by other photographers so much these days, as I am more interested in releasing my inner creative self, and that is very easily influenced and shaped by external factors.
I want to be unique, not from an egocentric point of view, but because my perspectives are mine, and they are unique.
What do you shoot with, what are the tools you use to make stunning images?
I switched to Nikon in 2009 and currently use the following gear:
Nikon D850 x 2
Nikon 24-70/2.8
Nikon 80-400
Sigma Art 50/1.4
Laowa 12mm
KASE Wolverine Masters Series
Why Kase filters, what do you love about our products, how do they help?
I’ve used virtually every competitors products, each of them had flaws. Some have terrible colour casts, others scratch easily, some just break, even in your bag. I started using KASE filters in around 2017-18 and was instantly impressed by their neutrality and durability. A good friend Tim Parkin, the owner of OnLandscape did a review of all the filters and KASE came out really strong. I trust Tim’s meticulous review process, backed up by my own extensive testing.
When the opportunity came to become a Pro Partner, I had no doubts this was the endorsement for me.
What professional services do you offer, and where can people find out more about them and see your work?
Along with Ann Kristin we run Expressive Photography Limited, a UK company focusing on very small group workshops and other educational material. We collaborate with some incredible photographers such as Hans Strand, Alex Noriega, Adam Gibbs, Ryan Dyar and Andrea Pozzi. Our motto is “Our Passion, Your Creativity.” We want people to find that spark in themselves, pushing themselves to become eloquent, articulate artists in their own right; not just some clone. It’s absolutely my passion and I love teaching and helping others to the best they can, and more to the point, happy in the landscape with a strong environmental awareness.
Light in the dark – North Coast of Spain, Kase CPL, Wolverine 0.9 soft grad and a 1.8 ND. 20s @ F11
