Ben Williamson

Based in Maine, USA
Out of Chicago Instructor
Staff Photographer for Down East Magazine
I am not your traditional landscape photographer. Instead of seeking places devoid of human presence, I like to showcase our relationship to the environment through images that often include man-made objects. I want to understand where we fit in, to celebrate humanity as well as the obvious wonder we associate with the natural world. My lifelong love of history and culture are one side of the coin that drives me to capture these scenes. The other is weather. I've been a weather nut since I was very young, and my obsession has really informed most of my imagery. As you can see in my galleries, I prefer to work when most people stay away, during the off-season of winter along the coast and during inclement weather.
I am largely self-taught — I began taking pictures in 2012 while working nights tending bar. At first I simply wanted to capture what I was coming across on hikes and walks in these beautiful places near my home. From there I realized that there were many expressive possibilities and that photography didn't have to be purely documentary, it could be creative. Within two years of picking up a camera, this hobby had evolved into a full-time profession. I'm now the staff photographer for a medium sized regional magazine and run my own business selling prints, running workshops, and licensing images for many different uses.
When I find something I enjoy, my first instinct is to share it. That's why I think teaching has been such a natural part of my practice. I hope that my enthusiasm and energy are infectious, and that instead of trying to get others to see the way I see, I help them trust their own instincts to capture what makes their own hearts sing.
I'm a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi, now living in Bath, Maine with my wife, 3-year old daughter, newborn twins, two dogs and a cat. Yes, life is busy!