Linda Benzon – PHOTOGRAPHER

Photograph by Linda Benzon

Interview with photographer Linda Benzon

1. Who are you and what do you do?
I am a wife of 38 years, mother of 2 grown sons and 2 beautiful daughters-in-law, semi-retired accountant, and  emerging artist who has an ever-growing fascination with using a camera to capture God’s creation.

Photograph by Linda Benzon

2. Why photography?
Photography is interactive and a natural ice-breaker– a perfect avenue to see more things, meet more people. I know of no better way to capture what stirs my heart and share it with others.

Photograph by Linda Benzon

3. What is your earliest memory of wanting to be an photographer?
Starting with a Brownie camera when I was in elementary school, I’ve always been a hobbyist who was eager to take photographs of family, friends, travel, life events. . . . I clearly remember photographing my “baby” brother (now 50) learning to ride a two-wheeler on his fifth birthday.

4. What are your favorite subject(s)?
I enjoy all kinds of photography, from abstract to landscapes to portraits, but what makes my heart jump is capturing a unique moment in time or telling a story about everyday people and their lives.

Photograph by Linda Benzon

5. How do you work and approach your subject?
My eyes are always working, whether I have a camera with me or not. Sometimes a subject comes to me and I have a split-second to use my knowledge to capture that moment well. In that case, I am mindful of the settings on my camera before I even set out, so I am ready for the unexpected. More often, I have come across a scene or researched a location and have thought through how I would approach it when the time, light, etc. is favorable. Sometimes that involves returning to a scene several times. The goal always is to capture the image in a unique way so that others will see the beauty in things that they would ordinarily pass by. I look at other photographers’ work to get inspiration and to stretch my imagination.

6, What are your favorite photographs, photographers?
I’ve always been an Ansel Adams fan, and even more so since recently reading his autobiography and venturing into black and white work myself. The work of Dorothea Lange (“Migrant Mother”)  inspires me to produce work that will still have meaning many decades from now, and I have learned a great deal from Bryan Peterson’s photographic style and educational books.

Photograph by Linda Benzon

7. What are the best responses you have had to your work?
Without a doubt, the projects involving working with people and entering into their lives over a period of time have produced images that have had the best response in exhibits and galleries, and have been most meaningful to me personally. Photographs of my town and neighborhood are popular, and it seems that my attraction to the water is appreciated by many as well.

Photograph by Linda Benzon

8. What do you like about your work?
It’s alive- with color or tone, warmth, emotion, feeling of place and time. As someone once told me, “It makes you feel like you’re there, or you want to be there.”

Photograph by Linda Benzon

9. What advice would you give to other photographers?
Photograph what you’re passionate about. Do other types of photography for technical practice or to expand your horizons a bit, but don’t stray too far from what excites you or you won’t be satisfied. At the end of the day, the photograph that YOU like is the best one.

Photograph by Linda Benzon

10. Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?
I’d love to do custom artwork for people’s homes or businesses… make casual portraits of “mature” women… receive an award at the Art of the State competition… but most intriguing is the prospect of being the one whose name is credited as author and photographer for a respected publication. Regardless, I’ll still be shooting whatever stirs my heart.

Linda Benzon

Linda Benzon, is an award winning and published photographer from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She is glad to share her images and experiences.
Site: lindabenzonphotography.com
Blog: lindabenzonphotography.com/blog