IN the dimly lit change rooms of the heritage grandstand at Alberton, some of the biggest names in South Australian sport and celebrity are being treated to a unique opportunity.

Whether football stars, Olympic champions or TV personalities, Port Adelaide’s big names are having their portraits taken by world-renowned photographer Ben Baker.

Baker, 42, is pretty familiar with the Alberton rooms.

In his shoot with 1994 and 2004 premiership hero Darryl Wakelin, Baker reminisces about try-outs for the Port juniors in 1991.

Back then, as a teenager playing with Port Districts, Baker was brought to Alberton to test himself for a place in what was arguably then the best junior program in Australia.

Wakelin, of course, shot to League footy and eventually an AFL career with St Kilda and Port.

But when it came to a football future for Baker, there wasn’t one.

“It was an epic failure,” he told portadelaidefc.com.au of his trials with the Magpies.

“I played junior footy at Port Districts, I was a tryer, I had a go, if they wanted a scrubber to go in and get the ball, that was me.

“But once the skill level went up, I was out.

“They gave me a shot [at Port] and then they quietly said, ‘You’re not in this one mate,’ so I went back to school footy and rowing and got into the arts and photography.

“But yes, Darryl Wakelin [was there], Cockatoo-Collins, I stood Ben Hart and Ben Holland that year. It was a good year of footballers, but I wasn’t one of them.”

Baker (left) talks to one of his subjects as club legend Tim Ginever looks on [pic: PAFC photographer Kane Chenoweth]

So back to school he went. He decided photography was for him and in his final year of high school, his focus turned to tertiary education.

Back then, there were two photography courses on offer in Adelaide: An arts-based course at university and a technical course at TAFE. He opted for the technical education.

This is where his remarkable story begins, for it was on Christmas Eve when he received his rejection letter from TAFE and was left with no local study opportunity that year.

It was a heartbreaking moment. And now he needed a job.

Searching for opportunities, the 18-year-old Baker landed work as an assistant with local photographers in Adelaide.

From there he moved east to work as an advertising photographer in Sydney, went travelling for a year in South America and then found himself in New York.

But instead of going on to London (as was his original plan) things started falling into place and he soon found himself in full-time work in the Big Apple.

Baker photographs Tex and Gavin Wanganeen for the campaign [pic: PAFC photographer Kane Chenoweth]

Vanity Fair and Vogue, Rolling Stone and working for legendary photographers Annie Leibovitz, Mary Ellen Mark and Harry Benson, things took off for Baker.

Now, today, he’s a bloke that can count some of the world’s most powerful among his subject matter.

The last four Presidents of the United States among them. Clinton. Bush. Obama. Trump.

His is an impressive CV, which makes Port's chance to get him home to lead its 2017 membership campaign a coup.

From the global elite to humble Alberton, for some, it might seem a step-down, but for the artist who grew up in a house opposite Alberton Oval, it’s an honour.

And his approach to photographing the inhabitants of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to those who frequent the outer at Queen Street is no different.

“My goal is always to find a common connection with someone,” Baker says.

“It doesn’t matter whether they’re a president or a person who’s a stand-in because they happen to be cleaning the building we’re shooting at, everyone has a compelling story to tell.

“It’s amazing having people who have such different stories come through, you’d get four people in-a-row come through who couldn’t have more different stories to each other, but they all have one thing in common, one common love – Port Adelaide.”

Baker’s special moment came when he met royalty.

Not a king or queen, but Port Adelaide’s own grand lords: supercoach John Cahill and arguably the state’s greatest player Russell Ebert.

Baker in conversation with John Cahill [pic: PAFC photographer Kane Chenoweth]

“It was pretty special to photograph Jack and Russell – two icons who have given so much to the club,” Baker says.

But as important to him in the Port Adelaide photo shoot are the supporters and volunteers who feature equally alongside past and current champions of the club.

“I like to contrast between Jack Cahill, who’s had this epic relationship and success level at the club, to the young girl – a student – whose passion is Australian Rules Football,” he says

“If you don’t have the passionate fan Jack doesn’t get to coach; if you don’t have the success on the field, the fan doesn’t get to enjoy it as much.

“It all comes together.

“Australia’s an amazing mix of individuals and cultures. Australians ultimately come together around sport.

“I live in America and they love their sport, but there are other things they rally around, whereas Australians really identify through sporting culture.

“I miss my family, miss being in Australia and being around institutions like this club, to be able to put a project like this together is really special.”

Ben chose to wear a Magpies knit for his own 'Since' photo with the club.

Ben Baker is now an official Port Adelaide ambassador and has expressed an interest in working with the club again in the future.

Port Adelaide supporters can tell their own stories and be part of our campaign by going to since1870.com.au and uploading their own photo.

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