If you’ve ever been to a major European photography show or a Sony press launch, you might have seen Sam and Ben Pilling in action. The two brothers are both photography trainers and camera experts – Sam for Sony UK & Ireland and Ben for Sony Europe. They’re known for their sense of humour and their ability to engage an audience, no matter how technical the topic. We met to ask them about themselves, their photography and what it’s like to work in a similar role to your brother.
Ben and Sam at IFA
Sam – Product Specialist for the UK & Ireland, providing camera training for shops and customers. He’s been with Sony for 15 years. You might have met him at the UK’s Photography Show or seen him presenting for Sony on the QVC shopping channel.
Ben – Technical Marketing Manager for Digital Imaging, Sony Europe. He’s worked for Sony for 10 years and provides training in Europe, including attending events like Stockholm’s Fotomässan, Photokina in Cologne and IFA in Berlin.
How would you describe each other?
Ben on Sam: “Almost as good-looking, funny and charming as me!”
Sam on Ben: “Well, our favourite game is Who’s the Eldest! People assume he’s older… but joking aside, Ben’s far smarter and he’s always really well prepared – although I can sleep anywhere!”
How did you both come to work for Sony?
Sam: “I studied Multimedia and Interactive Arts at Manchester University, a course which included film developing. Then I was working for an in-store team and a shopper came in to quiz me about buying a MiniDisc Walkman. He was secretly a recruiter for Sony’s field team!”
Once Ben saw what was involved, he too joined Sony to train store staff on cameras and camcorders. Sam had always been interested in photography, but Ben’s love of cameras grew with his new job – although it was daunting at first.
Ben: “Having to explain things to photographers with 40-50 years’ experience meant learning quickly! Now, I’m the main person answering technical camera questions for Sony Europe.” His advice is “Don’t rule yourself out of photography because you don’t know something technical – you can learn!”
What is it like doing similar jobs to each other?
Ben: “It’s great! He would have hated it but at the start, I used to phone Sam up and ask him lots of questions. It was massively helpful being able to lean on him. Now I can return the favour and we still message each other about work topics.”
Sam: “Ben’s first job at Sony was doing my old job, so people get our names confused all the time! Recently, one shop I was visiting had a sign that said, ‘Drop in to Camera Training this afternoon. It’s with Ben from Sony and he’s a really nice guy’ – but it was actually me. Some people think it’s a joke and won’t believe we’re brothers!”
One advantage of working at Sony is that Ben and Sam see more of each other. Ben lives in London and Sam in Manchester, 240 miles apart. Ben sometimes trains Sam on new products and helps with UK events, but Sam mainly works in the field, visiting locations across the UK and Ireland. Most often, Head Office is where they meet up.
As photographers, what are your favourite subjects – and why?
Ben: “That’s what we have in common. Me and Sam don’t go anywhere without a camera – a night out… anywhere! With Sony cameras in particular, they’re small and light, so you don’t rule out taking them with you.”
Sam takes press headshots for Sony spokespeople, shoots Sony events and occasionally takes friends’ wedding photos, “although that’s more high pressure!” He and Ben are both Burnley Football Club fans and Sam takes his camera to matches, but his other interest is underwater photography. “I have an underwater camera housing that goes to 40m depth. I go to 4m, so it does everything I need it to!”
Clownfish - credit: Sam Pilling
Ben claims that, “as a person, I’ve never been extremely artistic”. He describes setting up a tripod at London’s Waterloo Bridge and waiting while boats and aeroplanes passed, the scene changing almost at random. “I can’t draw, I’m rubbish at art, but you can tell this machine [the camera] what to do, let the world pass in front of it. You don’t know what it will look like, but you might end up with a beautiful piece of art. Long exposure photography is an extreme expression of this – it gives you the chance to play.”
What’s the best part of your job?
Ben: “Working with cameras, being creative, helping other people be creative. Working with professional photographers much better than me and showing them new possibilities.”
Sam: “Showing people how easy it is to take a professional-looking photo. Sometimes photography is portrayed as something you should be wearing a beret to do – but with our cameras it’s so easy to learn how to take more than just a snap.”
What are your favourite Sony products?
Ben: “I love the α7S II. I’ve had one for a few years. It’s amazing in low light and very portable. I also use three favourite lenses most of time for their flexibility and quality: a 16-35mm Zeiss; a 55mm F1.8 Zeiss and a 70-200mm F4 G-lens.
“The hardest bit of my job is when I see the latest products! You get to see all these exciting new things. I ask my girlfriend, ‘Do I need this…?’ ”
Sam: “My favourite camera is the α6000. It’s not the most expensive or the grandest; it just takes really, really good photos. It’s Sony’s best-selling camera ever because you just know you’ll get some great pictures.”
What’s next for the Pilling brothers?
When you meet Sam and Ben, you can tell that family is really important to them both. This month, Sam will be Best Man at Ben’s wedding. They also have a sister, so will they persuade her to join them at Sony? Watch this space – Sam jokes that “it’s a work in progress!”
