For many of us, finding inspiration at an older age is the catalyst for choosing a creative pursuit such as photography. In some cases, such as with Aussie landscape photographer Ben Maze, that inspiration and creative mindset hits early in life and never truly leaves.
The passion to create, in varying formats and mediums, is so strong that they set a course and stay on it. Of course, it doesn’t always have to be about photography. In Ben’s case, he loved to draw and paint from a really young age and pursued art subjects throughout his school years. Ben was introduced to photography in his first year of high school, and something just clicked (pardon the pun). While he continued to draw and paint for years to come, photography became his focus (sorry, another sloppy pun) and the camera his muse.
Ben Maze’s journey as a photographer began as a teenager during high school. He had family who lived in the majestic Blue Mountains region of New South Wales (Australia), and he would holiday there and explore the area with and without his family. During our conversation, Ben recalled an early incident where he located a cliff-face cave and managed to get inside. He had previously researched and knew that a stormy weather front was coming, and the cave would be the perfect spot to frame and compose. What Ben didn’t count on was the severity and speed of the storm. Nor did he realise how little real shelter the cave would give. While he grabbed an outstanding image of the storm above the Blue Mountains, he had to dash back up the cliff and for his car while dodging ground-shaking lightning strikes. Sometimes, we will do anything for the shot! The encounter did little to shake Ben’s desire to document the Australian landscape for all its beauty and power. As it turns out, his early shoots in the Blue Mountains proved to be but a taste for capturing moody and captivating landscape images.
Gazing upon Ben’s images reveals his deep respect for the Australian landscape and his desire to document its beauty, diversity, and history. And while Ben’s collection features masterfully composed mountains, lakes, forests, and canyons, his intimate landscape images pull you in to discover and appreciate the finer details of the rainforest floor. Ben’s work speaks of careful preparation and planning, environmental understanding, and a natural knack for composing stunning vistas. Of course, you don’t have to take our word for it. Ben’s images have received national and international praise while scoring countless awards and honourable mentions. His accolades include Wilderness Photographer of the Year 2024 - Winner, Australian Photographic Prize 2024 - Single Capture Nature Photographer of the Year, and a Highly Commended result with the Natural Landscape Photography Awards 2025 - Grand Landscape. Further to that, his images have been published at home and abroad by the likes of the BBC, Australian Geographic, and Australian Photography Magazine. And whilst we would love to claim Ben’s first interview, he has been featured in many online discussions and podcasts.
While researching Ben for our podcast, I discovered an insightful two-part blog article he had written for the online publication Australian Photography. Ben’s articles are an open-book tutorial detailing his proven approach to the craft. It’s also an open invitation to take your learning and find your own path. In part one of Tree Therapy: How to Photograph Rainforests, Ben recounts his mindful approach and appreciation of the natural environment, his gear selection, and how he gains the best composition.In part two of Tree Therapy, Ben explains how to work with detailed and abstract ideas, his technical settings and post-production routines. This open book to his craft has allowed Ben to create and deliver highly sought-after workshops at home and abroad. He leads small group tours and workshops to locations such as the Sapphire Coast in Southern New South Wales (Australia), Freycinet and Bay of Fires in Tasmania (Australia), and to the Scottish Highlands (United Kingdom).
Ben Maze was recommended to us by Lisa Leach, one of our many adoring fans who tunes in for every episode of The Camera Life Podcast. (Have you subscribed yet?) We love you, Lisa. Lisa is in the early stages of her creative journey, but has already shown an incredible eye for landscape compositions. Lisa is a perfect example of my earlier reference to folks finding their craft later in life and discovering latent creative talent. Ben further supports Lisa as a mentor, conducting regular catch-ups and providing insight into landscape photography and functional compositions.
We are incredibly grateful for Ben's time chatting with us about his story and career. Thanks to folk like Ben, we come away enriched, inspired, and elevated with each episode of our podcast.
Sometimes it's hard to believe we’re fast approaching 125 episodes of The Camera Life podcast. At other times, it feels like we’re only just getting warmed up! We’ve interviewed many of Australia’s great photographers, videographers, cinematographers, and image makers. It’s an absolute honour to spend time unpacking each guest's story, inspirations, and journey.
If you’re unfamiliar with The Camera Life Podcast, be sure to take a look at our YouTube channel for the latest episodes and, of course, our back catalogue of weekly shows. Our shows are also available on popular audio podcast platforms. If you like what you see, please give us a thumbs up, subscribe to The Camera Life, and click on the bell icon to receive notifications of upcoming shows. We host two shows weekly, the first being every Thursday at 9am AEDT (Australia), where we interview amazing guests. The second show, The Random Photography Show, airs every Monday at 7:30 pm AEDT. The Random Photography show is a little random, a little loose, and a lot of fun! Be sure to check them out.
Find Ben Online:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjamin.maze/
- Website: https://www.benmazefineart.com/
- Awards: https://www.benmazefineart.com/awards-publications
TREE THERAPY - HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH RAINFORESTS
