Ben Fordesman BSC is a British cinematographer and director of photography whose work includes Saint Maud (2019) and Love Lies Bleeding (2024), as well as his work on The End of the F**ing World*, The Origin and The Thing with Feathers (2025).
Fordesman began his career as an electrician before moving into the film industry as a gaffer, working on music videos and commercial productions. His early experience in lighting provided a practical foundation for his development as a cinematographer, giving him a detailed understanding of how light, contrast and atmosphere can shape an image. He subsequently photographed music videos and commercials, working with a range of directors before moving into feature-film cinematography.
His breakthrough feature was Saint Maud, directed by Rose Glass. The psychological horror film uses carefully controlled lighting, close framing and shifts between naturalism and heightened imagery to reflect its protagonist’s increasingly unstable perception of the world. Fordesman received the British Independent Film Award for Best Cinematography for the film. He continued his collaboration with Glass on Love Lies Bleeding, a crime thriller set in the American Southwest, using colour, lighting and composition to establish the film’s distinctive visual identity.
Fordesman’s other credits include the Netflix series The End of the F**ing World*, Andrew Cumming’s prehistoric thriller Out of Darkness (2022), and Name Me Lawand (2022). His work on The Thing with Feathers, directed by Dylan Southern, further demonstrates his experience with visually and emotionally demanding material. Across these productions, his cinematography adapts to the requirements of each story, combining carefully constructed lighting with an emphasis on atmosphere and character.
In 2025, Fordesman photographed Anemone, the feature directorial debut of Ronan Day-Lewis, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean.
Alongside his narrative work, Fordesman continues to work in commercials and music videos.