BL Journal

We were on our way to view Paris from the museum’s rooftop. As we walked past the café I took one look at the scene and stopped. It appeared that everyone had stopped. I had to photograph it. I’m bracing myself and holding my breath to get as much depth of field as possible, all […]

I’m out for a walk on the beach. My walk is slow, designed for stops at any moment, for further evoking, for examining, for re-looking. It’s like dancing, when you dance not for the demonstration of the steps or to keep the beat, but rather to exchange energy with your partner. In this kind of […]

It was the only snow anyone could remember last winter. As usual I started shooting in the barns; the winter light coming through the windows, the hay, the horses by their stalls. It had just started snowing when I arrived. As I worked my way out to the paddock the ground was turning white. I […]

Ben talks about how his RISD teacher and mentor, Harry Callahan, influenced his photography. (part 1) You describe Harry as a mentor. How was he influential in your development as a photographer and in your work today? (part 1) Harry was a surprise to me. He was different from other professors at RISD, partly because […]

Ben talks about how his RISD teacher and mentor, Harry Callahan, influenced his photography. (part 2) You describe Harry as a mentor. How was he influential in your development as a photographer and in your work today? (part 2) Years later I was teaching a photography class and trying to decide how many students would […]