Self-Taught and Old School: Bennie Thurmond 3rd on Light, Trust and Weddings

Beauty and elegance captured like a dream in this amazing Bridal set with the incredible model and event host, Shannon Milligan.

Bennie Thurmond 3rd: the interview

You started shooting professionally in 2019, but you say you really found your groove in 2023. What changed for you in that moment, and how did it show in your images?

Midway through 2023 I started attending a few workshops and met a ton of very incredible models that helped me break out of my shell and allowed me to experiment and pick their brains about what they felt worked best for them.

You are fully self taught. What has learning on your own given you that a formal path might have taken away?

I feel that inevitably any student is going to emulate their teacher to a certain extent, so I believe that learning on my own has given me the opportunity to experiment and create my own style while troubleshooting my own mistakes on the fly as well as figuring out what works best for me.

Of all the techniques you have picked up from online tutorials, which one changed your work the most, and how did you make it your own?

Manipulating the exposure triangle and bouncing light (or attempting to) specifically when dealing with intense sunlight and/or harsh shadows. I still struggle with this at times, but learning how to make my camera and the environment work for me have helped out tremendously when dealing with less than perfect lighting.

Boudoir asks for a lot of trust in a short amount of time. How do you build that trust with someone the moment they step in front of your camera?

Open and honest communication, keeping a fun & relaxed, but professional demeanor at all times, and making sure the model (regardless of whether they are a professional, a client, or a personal friend) understands that their comfort and safety are the number 1 priority.

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When you look at a finished boudoir image, what tells you it truly captured the person and not just a pose?

I'm not sure I have the correct words for it, but when a model is fully comfortable and secure in the environment, their posing becomes much more natural and relaxed and their own expressions and quirks begin to shine through making the individual images much more personalized.

Fitness and dance are about strength and movement, while boudoir is often about stillness and softness. What do these worlds teach each other in your work?

These aspects can and often do overlap each other. With ballet, for example, there are very expressive movements, but there's also an elegance that you find in boudoir as well. For fitness, strong and sometimes rigid posing are the norm, and while that doesn't necessarily work for boudoir, the lighting techniques used to highlight muscle definition can also be used to help create dramatic boudoir imagery. I feel like understanding these overlaps helps out tremendously with adaptability.

How do you approach capturing motion in dance photography, and what do you look for in the split second you press the shutter?

After working with several very talented and accomplished dance models, I've learned that timing is literally the most important thing. Photographer and model absolutely need to be in harmony in order to capture the best images for dance photography. Even when using countdowns to perfect said timing, I know, beforehand, that I need to wait until the very top of the model's kick or the most exaggerated stretch in a jump to press my shutter, because if I don't I'll be doing a disservice to myself, the model and anyone viewing what would be a less than stellar image.

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Is there a single session or image you see as a turning point in your career? What made it so important to you?

I don't know about a single session, but several models I've worked with in these years have really helped me hone my creative skills. Obviously there are far too many to name, but to highlight a few Bella Burke and Samantha Love helped me break out of my shell and recognize that I had talent that needed and deserved to be nurtured.

Shannon Milligan (the model I submitted for this issue) as well as my friend and logo model Tresy Curcelli, and my Eternal Muse, Jaenee Lee have all graciously helped me bring creative ideas to life, fulfill a number of dream concepts and only made me want to keep improving for myself, but also to be a much better photographer for them.

Your goal is to become a wedding photographer full time. What first drew you to weddings, and what do you hope to bring to them that feels uniquely yours?

I'm very old school when it comes to marriage. I believe that "til death do us part" should mean that under normal circumstances a wedding should be a one time special occasion. I have always loved capturing very special moments and a wise man once told me that if you make a career out of doing something you love, you'll never work a day in your life. If that's true, then I feel like I should make a career out of capturing the most special moments of someone's life.

Weddings move fast and can't be repeated. How are you preparing yourself, creatively and practically, for that kind of pressure?

I haven't started, yet, but I plan to find someone to train under and shoot as the 2nd or 3rd shooter for a number of occasions to gain that valuable experience before I take on the responsibility of being the main photographer at anyone's wedding.

How would you describe your visual style today, and how do you hope it will grow over the next few years?

As of right now I'd say my style is very fluid, but also incomplete. I tend to lean more into soft and elegant... sometimes almost cinematic if that makes sense, but I try to be adaptable as needed. I absolutely hope to continue to hone my skills and improve my craft so that I'm proficient enough to just capture a "scene" rather than attempting to create one.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to teach themselves photography and build a career the way you have?

Just take the first step and start shooting. You don't need to spend $50K on a camera to start out with. Everyone has a phone nowadays so if you see a beautiful sunset, capture it. Practice framing, tinker with editing to figure out what everything means & does, and don't be afraid to ask questions or use the tools you have right in your hands. No one is an expert from the start. I'm still not. Just keep practicing and learning and you will see yourself improve.

The Beginning of Always credits

Photographer: Bennie Thurmond 3rd (Freelancer) @modernsamurai_nj

Model: Shannon Milligan @shannon_mill