John Benford Photography LLC

On my way to Yellowstone National Park for a family vacation. Yellowstone holds a special place in my heart, as it is where my love for making photographs began in earnest, on a trip in 1997. My roots are as a nature and landscape photographer, which still shows up as the sense of place in my architectural photos and environmental portraits. I’d love to share a few of those early images but I was using film in those days, of course, and haven’t scanned any of it, so instead, here are a few images from other trips to national and state parks. Can you name any of the locations?

I don’t do a lot of projects with a studio backdrop, but I couldn’t pass this one up. Merchants Fleet asked me to make portraits of some of their employees for a company exhibit called “Beyond the Surface.” Twelve employees had shared a powerful, intimate story of something that is not obvious about them but has fundamentally shaped who they are as a person. We made a portrait of each person, which was printed poster size (2’x3’) and paired with their story in an exhibit at two of their offices, which opened last week. Some of them also had a word or phrase from their story added to the print. At the start of each portrait session, I read the story they had shared, and I often was moved to the point of tears or amazement. We then discussed what they wanted to show about themselves in the portrait and worked together to create a pose and elicit expressions that revealed those qualities and emotions. The participants came ready to be present and vulnerable. I can’t share the stories these folks told, but I’m hoping you can see the resilience, strength, joy and more in their faces. It was an honor to make their portraits, and I’m thrilled to share some of them. Thanks to Richie Coladarci, Ed.D. and Jordan Webster at Merchants Fleet for trusting me with this project, Meaghan Hull, aPHR for making everything run smoothly. I loved getting to attend the opening too! Thank you to Edmund Dondero for assisting and Stephanie Goode / GoodeWork for retouching. 

I'm thrilled to share some recent images from the stunning new Woodard & Curran office in Portland, ME. The 56,000 sqft office on the fifth and sixth floors features an innovative design to accommodate multiple work styles and "democratize the workplace" - there are no private offices; instead, there are reservable rooms of different sizes designed for meetings and collaboration or focused work. It's also simply gorgeous, surrounded by windows, full of natural light and plants, with two large murals, a spectacular central wooden staircase, and a view of Casco Bay. Key contractors on the project include: Architect: Cuningham General Contractor: CIANBRO Furniture: Creative Office Resources Lighting: DeBlois Electric Technology: Red Thread Workplace design / sustainability consultant: Lisa Whited / Workplace Transformation Facilitation A huge thank you to Scott Tompkins at Cianbro and Ross Elliott, MBA, CPSM at Woodard & Curran for bringing me on and all the partners above for trusting me with the photography. Thank you also to Peter Greeno for assisting, Stephanie Goode for help with the post-production work, and the W&C employees who “modeled” in the photos. #architecturalphotographer #architecture #interiordesign

Adobe - a company that makes tools for photographers and other creators - recently released an ad campaign with the tag line "skip the photoshoot." ASMP: The American Society of Media Photographers called Adobe out for its "shocking dismissal of photography." Well done, ASMP - proud to be a member! #adobe #asmp #photography #professionalphotographers #ai

I stopped by the New Hampshire Food Bank yesterday to do an errand and got an unexpected treat. I was delivering a print I donated to a raffle at the NH Food Alliance statewide gathering, to support their work with farmers, fishers, and other members of the NH food system. I forgot to bring it with me so I delivered it to the winner, who works at the food bank. I ran into Nancy Mellitt, who had hired me back in 2017 to make some images for the food bank. That year they moved their annual Steel Chef competition fundraising dinner from their own warehouse to a hotel, but they wanted to keep the feel of the warehouse. So they hired me to make a couple of panoramic images in their warehouse which were made into larger-than-life banners that they hang on the wall during the dinner. I was thrilled to learn that they still use them every year! And I had never gotten to see the actual banners, so they were able to share some photos from the event. Amazing to see my photos printed so large!!

It was great to be at the first ever Business Alliance for People of Color (BAPOC) conference in Concord, NH, today. There was lots of useful information & resources and, maybe most important, community for current and future small business owners. The conference is focused on the needs of BIPOC-owned businesses but everyone is welcome. As a white person, this is an important place for me to build my network so it is representative of everyone and not just people like me. Photos: Akilah Campbell and me (thanks for the selfie!), the inimitable duo of Flo Nicolas, Esq and Lionel Loveless hosting the morning session, and fellow photographer Raya Al-Hashmi, hard at work capturing the event with her 1000-watt smile.

As I head out to attend the NH Food Alliance Statewide Gathering today, I wanted to share those of my favorite recent farm images - taken last fall in upstate NY. Farms are my favorite place to spend my time as a photographer, and I sometimes think we all should be farmers (or fishermen) for at least some part of our lives, so I’m excited to be with folks who think this is as important as I do. Looking forward to sharing some more farm photos soon! #nofarmsnofood #agriculture #farmphotographer

Had a great time at the SMPS Northern New England Chapter holiday party last night! Good to see everyone!

Today is the last day of my Small Business Saturday Sale in my Etsy shop - 35% off purchases over $100! Free shipping on all orders. Valid this weekend Fri 11/24 - Mon 11/27 only. No promo code needed. Shop here: https://lnkd.in/etBPwq4P I've got an inventory of gorgeous matted and framed prints - archival prints of my farm images in reclaimed barnwood frames, and more. Gifts under $20 to $400 . Support local artists and businesses - shop small and local! #giftideas #smallbusiness #smallbusinesssaturday #buylocal #buyart

Hey everyone, I'm holding a huge Small Business Saturday Sale in my Etsy shop - 35% off purchases over $100! Free shipping on all orders. Valid this weekend Fri 11/24 - Mon 11/27 only. No promo code needed. https://lnkd.in/etBPwq4P I've got an inventory of gorgeous matted and framed prints - archival prints of my farm images in reclaimed barnwood frames, and more. I rarely exhibit any more, so I created an Etsy shop to sell it off. I'd really like to make some room in my office, so I'll be offering significant discounts this season. I'm starting with the biggest one for Small Business Saturday - 35% off and free shipping included!!! Support local artists and businesses - shop small and local! #giftideas #smallbusiness #smallbusinesssaturday #buylocal #buyart