Fine art photographers are not made, they are born. Benn Mitchell is such and example as from the time here received his first camera at 12, he has been producing fine art photographs that capture the drama, mystery, beauty and wonder of the world around him. His equipment wasn't fancy for example his first camera cost less than a dollar and the second camera which was given to Benn on his 13th birthday was 3rd hand leica with no exposure meter / rangefinder. With such simple equipment he had to understand the subtleties of light, develop his eye for form and artistic intuition rather than depend on the help of fancier photographic equipment in order to make fine photographic art.
Been Mitchell sold a photograph to Life Magazine when he was only 16 and by the time he was 17 he moved from his hometown of New York where he was born in 1926 to California.
Warner Brothers granted Benn permission to visit the studios allowing him to take photographs of the Hollywood stars all throughout the studios various sets and sound stages. One of Benn Mitchell's signature fine art photographs is that of Humphrey Bogart. "He was very easy to photograph because of his good sense of humor."
After a tour of duty in the Navy Benn Mitchell returned back to his hometown of New York and attended Columbia University studying Motion Picture and took a job in a large studio as an assistant.
By 1951 Benn opened his own commercial photography studio in New York City and continued to create fantastic works of fine art photography winning both domestic and international acclaim.
Even though his work has been published in countless magazines, Fortune 500 advertisements and brochures and books, fine art photography never seemed like work rather it was the culmination of passion for him and even during his time off on weekends and holidays he continued to photograph the world around him for his own satisfaction.
After a full time career as a fine art photographer that spanned 5 decades, he is now semi retired living with his wife of 37 years in Boca Raton Florida where he still enjoys photography, swimming, reading, playing chess and golf and is active in the Boca West Camera Club which he helped found.
