First off, Let me inform compel, anyone in the market to be buying a wedding dress, to take a moment right now and open up that link for The White Dress Co‘s website. The dresses are beautiful, the environment is stunning and Jackie, the owner, is dead set on finding you the perfect gown! Secondly, I’d like to express my gratitude for being asked to photograph their grand opening! Not only was it a beautiful event full of love and kindness but it also gave me the chance to make a few new friends, and I can’t wait to see some of the artistic work that we will be able to create together!
This is Jackie, she is awesome. Her store is awesome too. You should check it out.
Regarles of your goal or passion, I truly believe that the most beautiful and fulfilling pursuits, as my friend Natalie said, “should be broad enough to also provide for others.” Last month I had the privilege to spend a Friday evening with the amazingly passionate and kind folks at Our Father’s Project, who’s purpose does just that. Brian, who leads the project, has a passion for encouraging, supporting, and serving low-income children, teens, young adults, and families in the Columbus area. The effort that they are pouring themselves into takes time and love, which they give in ample supply. It was my joy to take part in one evening with these guys and will be my even greater joy to do so again in the future.
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.
With this blog post, here in the new year I am starting a series on people who are passionate about what they do. Benjamin and Cori are, by far, the most exemplary people I know with this quality. I am proud to be able to show off to you, their artistic talent and passion that has manifested itself into such an awesome company! Their niche (as best I can describe it) is to craft beautiful pieces of rural awesomeness for the modern urban dweller. One extremely awesome aspect of which, is their line of custom restored vintage axes! If this appeals to you in the slightest, you owe it to yourself to order one… they are AMAZING. This shoot represents only part of the hand crafting labor that goes into each of these unique pieces.
That image of Jenny and Josh blows my mind!!!!! These are all so great!! Miss you guys fiercely. xoxox