Ben Kopilow AIPP M.Photog

Ben started in photography in 2002, coming from an arts background (his father being respected oil and pastel painter Peter Kopilow). As a self taught photographer of only 3 months experience he entered and won the Floriade Photography Competition which fuelled his desire to perfect his craft even further. In 2003 he launched Fusion Photography, at first to sell his growing library of nature & abstract images through local markets & gift stores. Soon after he was accepted by a new stock agency in the United States, Acclaim Images, and over the next years sold many images that now appear on everything from greeting cards & book covers to billboards in New York.

In 2004 Ben discovered the branch of photography that would become a second passion alongside his nature and fine-arts work - weddings. After shooting a friends wedding and taking the photos to a wedding fair he was soon booked out for the wedding season and from then on was in high demand, shooting 60 weddings a year. Since then Fusion has established a proud reputation as one of the finest luxury boutique wedding studios in Australia. Other wedding vendors began to appreciate the high quality of imagery and service Fusion Photography was providing and Ben was invited to be the preferred photographer of many leading wedding venues such at the Hyatt Hotel, The Boat House, Lake Crackenback Resort, Bannisters, Jaspers and many others.

Around this Ben also joined the AIPP (Australian Institute of Professional Photographers) and served for 3 years as President of the ACT Division. He currently holds Master of Photography honours with the institute and continues to be active in competition, both as an entrant and also as a judge. He has won numerous national and international print awards, some recent ones listed below. In the last few years Fusion has also established a reputation in the international market and now receives many overseas commissions to shoot destination weddings. Recent years have seen Ben travelling to Bali, Italy, Los Angeles, Vanuatu etc.

Ben's style has changed over the years & continues to evolve, but has always placed an emphasis on aesthetic beauty and the classic fairytale themes of wedding folklore. He is driven to produce an artistic mix of the natural and candid moments in a wedding with a glamorous & stylised touch reflecting his sense of beauty and his European heritage. Being a tragic romantic who has been madly in love with his wife of 26 years, his work is also influenced by the romantic ideal and a passion for the institution of marriage.

Though weddings & portraits are now his core business, Ben still enjoys shooting nature and abstract work and combining his love of photography with his love for music, shooting musical theatre, supporting local theatre groups and jazz bands, and since 2008 has been the official photographer for the Canberra International Music Festival. He also enjoys teaching photography and things have come full circle as he now runs the Floriade photography workshops each year as well as teaching many private students and mentoring emerging photographers new to the industry.

Awards

2015 Best Husband Award - now achieved for 26 years running!

2014 International Photography Awards - Honourable mentions in Architecture & Landscape

2014 Canon Australian Professional Photography Awards - 4 x Silver awards in Landscape

2014 Epson ACT/NSW Professional Photography Awards - 1 x Gold, 2 x Silver with distinction & 4 x Silver awards + finalist in Landscape category

2014 International Loupe Awards - 4 x Bronze awards & top 20 place in Wedding category

2014 Holland International Image Circuit - Honourable mention in Travel

2013 Michael H.Kellicut International Juried Photo Prize - Finalist

2013 Canon Australian Professional Photography Awards - 1 x Silver with distinction & 2 x Silver awards in Wedding and Illustrative

2013 Epson ACT/NSW Professional Photography Awards - 1 x Gold, 1 x Silver with distinction & 6 x Silver awards + finalist in travel category

2013 International Photography Masters Cup - Finalist in Fine-art & Portrait

2012 Canon Australian Professional Photography Awards - 3 x Silver awards in Wedding

2012 Epson ACT/NSW Professional Photography Awards - 1 x Silver with distinction & 8 x Silver awards

2012 Professional Photographer UK - Finalist in Travel & Fine-art

2012 International Photography Masters Cup - Finalist in Landscape & Travel

2012 - Pixoto International - Highest scoring Wedding photographer of the year

2010-2012 - Wedding & Portrait Photographers International  - Accolades of Excellence

2010+2011 Canon Creative Asia Awards - Finalist in all Wedding categories 

2011 - Banja Luka International Salon of Photography - Finalist

2010+2011 International Loupe Awards - Silver awards + top ten finalist in Weddings

2008+2009 International Aperture Awards - Silver awards + top ten finalist in Weddings

2008 WPPI Best of Weddings International - Gold award and winner of  Bridal Portrait category

2008 DWF International Wedding Photographer of the Year - 3rd place

2008 World Institute of Photographic Masters - Highest scoring print, Wedding photographer, Fine-Art photographer, Landscape photographer & Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Exhibitions

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

Canberra Multicultural Festival - Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 2006 Kaleidoscope of Colour - Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 2007 Aqualuminence - Collector Gallery, 2008
The Art of Wedding Photography - Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 2009

JOINT EXHIBITIONS:

ACT AIPP Awards Exhibition - Various venues, 2007-2014 ACT APPA Awards Exhibition - Floriade, 2008-2014 Single Shot - Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 2010
Canon Creative Asia Exhibition - Malaysia, 2011, 2012 

Past Clients

Fusion Photography has been commissioned by, worked for, or provided images for the following clients:

Agrifoods Aust, Austrade, Avon, Blades Menswear, Blue Mountains Escarpment Group, Blue Sky Jazz Band, Boat House by the Lake, Brassey Hotel, Boyce Accountants, Canberra Dramatics, Canberra International Music Festival, Canberra Philharmonic, Cancer Council Australia, Cirque Du Soliel, Cockington Green, Cranlana, Deaf Society, Dept of Defence, Dept of Family & Community Services, Dept of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Dept of Heath & Aging, Diabetes Australia, Drawcard Talent, Effective People, First Class Chauffeured Cars, Gold Creek Chapel, Hewlett Packard, Hyatt Hotel, Lizzie Wagner Academy, Penury Press, Pro Musica, Queanbeyan Players, Richard Ellis CBE, Riverside Plaza, Rolfe Motors, Secretariat Australia, SRC Solutions, Vision Australia, The Weather Channel