MEMBER FEATURE: JOHN BENFORD PHOTOGRAPHY

(Photo Credits: John Benford)

FEATURING:  John Benford, Founder and Owner of John Benford Photography

John Benford hadn't set out to be a photographer. A combination of factors: interests, experiences, and circumstances, however, set the pieces in motion and photography ultimately became his life's work. Like the composition of a picture itself, the contrasts and juxtapositions are what make the story rich and compelling.

In another life John, with his Master of Divinity degree, might have been a Unitarian Universalists Minister. He was always drawn to helping other and pursued a course of study that would allow him to do so. Yet, with a mind for science and math, he ended up working in corporate supply chain management as a data systems specialist. He pursued photography in his free time.

He took a leap of faith, though, when he decided that for two years he would commute to a photography school down in Boston. Always gravitating toward others who pursued the arts, he found his own calling in architectural and commercial portrait/lifestyle photography. This unusual combination of subjects, one very geometrical and technical and the other very organic and personal, mirrors John's own background. Good photography itself lends itself to this merging of the artistic and technical.

"I'm a visual storyteller and I want my images to convey the humanity of the people I am photographing in an authentic way. I strive to communicate a sense of place in the photographs I take. And, in a way" John expresses, "those two things are a foundation for anything we do around sustainability. When we connect with people and places, we see the need to respect, cherish, and protect them."

One of John's favorite projects to work on was for the NH Food Alliance. They asked him to photograph several farms and a match program for food stamps at a local farmers' market. "I get to use visual storytelling to help make the world a better place, to help people see the humanity in each other and in our communities, and to imagine how we can set up society to work for us all. These stories of our lives and stories of what could be are powerful and can change the world."

John will be photographing our Spring Conference on May 1, where sustainability leaders throughout the state will be sharing their own inspiring stories. Learn from and connect with the movers and shakers. Make sure you've registered at nhbsr.org/conference and be sure to connect with John and share your story.

View John Benford's Full Portfolio Here