September 2013 \\ Cove Point, Minnesota \\ Jessica and Jeremy win the award for most adventurous! I am so honored to have been able to join them for their wedding day on the north coast of Lake Superior, to take part in their joy, and tell the story of their amazing love.
April, 2013 \\ Washington, DC \\ The more I look at this frame the more I love the variety of experiences it expresses. Some people come to walk around, to congregate, some for exercise, for a place to read, some to pay their respects, some to stand at attention one last time, to remember.
Absolutely love the photos! You both look so good and so happy – makes me feel happy! Hope every day of your life together makes you feel this good! Love you a lot! AS
April, 2013 \\ Washington, DC \\ A few weeks ago we went out to DC to do some engagement sessions of some amazing couples! We explored the city, experienced art, and ate (so much) amazing food! We’ll be blogging it this week. Just wanted to let you know it was coming ;)
I am straight-up swooning over these. Particularly that first portrait of Adam and the close-up of just Christine. And the two following the one of just Christine. And the last one. And … all the rest. Good job.
April 2013 \\ Austin, Texas \\ Last weekend I had the pleasure of being IN (just a small roll…. BEST MAN!) my friend Adam’s wedding as he married his love, Christine! It was fun to set down my cameras and be involved in other ways but there were times when I just couldn’t help myself… let’s face it, I am a photographer. So here are a few iPhone shots from the wedding, I have a handful of Hasselblad ones being processed as we speak… be sure those will hit the blog as soon as possible too :)
As I was responsible for a toast at Adam and Christine’s reception I took a lot of time to think about these two. I prepared about 3-4 pages of notes and used maybe a sixth of the words I had come up with, major props to all of you best men and maid’s of honor out there… you make it look easy from where I usually sit behind a camera. The one thing that I said that I am proud to echo here on my blog is that I am proud to be their friend and I am blessed and encouraged by their deep, committed, loyal, and beautiful love. I love you guys. Congratulations yet again!
Austin, Tx from the rush hour parking lot of 35
SO much great food… I’m still full…. and I still want more!
They danced to Édith Piaf. It was beautiful. Jennifer cried.
We organized the PHOTOBOOTH for this wedding too! That post is on it’s way!!
iPhone 5 << sorry about the grain and noise \\ Pic Tap Go << fantastic editing app \\ Austin, Tx << awesome place, I’d love to shoot a wedding there \\ Best Man << important to remember
WHY I PREFER THE ALTERNATIVES, TO SHOOTING ZOMBIES – by benjamin derkin
Last week I spent the week with an amazing group of people committed to challenging and encouraging each other, as artists, to move off of any sort of stagnant plateaus we may have paused on, and lean into making our stupid ideas a reality. I realized that many of my ideas (let’s not fool ourselves though… NOT all of them) had far more merit than I had wanted to admit and just needed a call to action. I received that call and reminder to passionate living last week and I am honored and humbled to be able to share as much of my thoughts and heart with you as you are willing to read. If you look at my blog for just pretty images, I welcome you to continue, but I feel the need to warn you that it is my job as an artist to engage you far more deeply than that. The world we live in trains people to be zombies, moving from one day to the next in passive routine waiting for their retirement years to do something great. I believe that we are called to action NOW and that it is a disservice to our creator to do anything less that what He calls us to accomplish. I have sold myself short to myself by repeating the idea that “I want to be known as a photographer and a designer of beautiful things”. Not that I don’t want that, because I do. My passion is far greater though, my calling is to be an encourager. It is my heartfelt desire to make that subtle shift in this blog. I will most certainly continue to share my photographic work, but not exclusively. I want to be vulnerable, honest, real, truthful… that is where I must live in order to satisfy that calling.
I am a photographer, true, but I also write some pretty unpolished and non-rhyming poetry. I am a bad speller. I draw out my thoughts. I prefer pen and paper. I commit right now, to whoever is reading this, to publish these thoughts in an effort to let you into my mind…. And hopefully, find some truth and beauty that will give you courage. I step forward to you not with my own courage but from the loving support of some of my new friends (Steve and Jen, Josh and Jenny, Richie and Natalie, and Jonas) to whom I am exceedingly grateful.
It is at this crossroad of authenticity, artistic being, and a desire to be the best photographer I can be that I can be, that I share with you what I LOVE to photograph… and I assure you, it is not those among us that are living zombies.
Love for each other.
Love for the details.
Love for the celebration.
The meaning of being whole.
The meaning of potential growth.
The meaning of community.
Passion despite great risk.
Passion in the process.
Passion for their dream. \\ (side bar) This is Steve and Jen. It was their passionate dream that took me away to the Dominican Republic last week, filled me with courage, introduced me to the joy of these children (another post on that coming soon), and dropped me back off in Columbus, Ohio to fulfill a dream of my own. (you’ll hear more about them… to be sure!) \\
You are what you eat. As you think about that type of person, it is my sincere desire that you would be able to see me striving to live in that fullness of love, with great depth of meaning, as I look each day fresh in the eye to see what beauty lies in store.
Benjamin! I love everything about this post and I can not WAIT to see what you have in store for not only yourself, but the world! So happy and thankful to have met you and your beautiful wife in the beautiful Dominican!
love love love this. i don’t want to be a zombie!!
also, i think you should show us some pictures of your what if notebook. i have a feeling it’s chock full of beautiful stuff.
This was wonderful to read and so refreshing and inspiring — thanks, Ben! Looking forward to seeing it all play out and learning more about your recent trip!
This week we’re heading to Punta Cana to find artistic inspiration with the awesome folks of What If!
We’ll keep you posted, but I have no doubt that it will be AWESOME.
AMAZING PROS INVOLVED \\ the FLOWERS Angela’s Bella Flora \\ the DRESS Silver Rose Fashion \\ the TUX Men’s Wearhouse \\ the CAKE Shelly “Cake Lady”
Absolutely love the photos! You both look so good and so happy – makes me feel happy! Hope every day of your life together makes you feel this good! Love you a lot! AS