Thank you so much to all of these clients for sharing their experiences, so that others can decide if I am the right photographer for their needs.
Written by Shannon, mother of senior, Devon (Elsah, IL)
Hi Ben:
I can’t thank you enough for the wonderfully perfect photos you took of Devon for her senior pictures. From start to finish, your professionalism and attention to detail put us both at ease.
Choosing a photographer to capture Devon's personality was very important to me. She is a very talented, bright person and I couldn't have asked for a more fulfilling experience across the board. I was looking around for about a month, eliminating photographers for one reason or another when Devon came home from school one day and had me look at your website. From the moment I laid eyes on your work, I knew 100% you were the photographer for us!
These pictures are a snapshot in time of Devon's life and I will always cherish the hard work you put into getting it just right! You went the extra mile in making sure location and lighting was ideal for the shoot and went above and beyond what I had expected from a photographer.
I looked through the finished product yesterday and there is only one word to describe your talent: Flawless. I will be recommending you to everyone I know! If you need a spokesman, I will be more rhan happy to oblige.
Thank you so much for putting so much passion into what you do! It shows before, during, and after the session and we could not be happier with the results!!
Please feel free to use this as an unsolicited testimonial.
God Bless,
Shannon
Written by the Evans Family (Imperial, MO)
I contacted Ben to take our twins' 2nd birthday photos. First of all, my twins have crazy personalities and I never know when they're going to throw tantrums or smile continuously! I let Ben know that and mentioned it would be best to skip intros when we met up so that my girls wouldn't get too scared of a stranger. He did that exactly and my girls felt so comfortable sitting and standing where we wanted them to.
He was super patient with all of us and we were able to get some really great shots of them. He captured their personalities PERFECTLY! Also, when I would email Ben he almost always replied immediately! To me, that's awesome! I have dealt with professionals in the past that take days and maybe even weeks to reply. Not cool. You can tell that Ben is very passionate about what he does and he does a really great job. We truly enjoyed working with him :)
Written by -J- from Illinois
My story begins with an old friend, a suggestion and a huge challenge.
One evening, I was talking with a childhood friend, who also happens to be Ben's sister. The subject of Ben and his photography came up. I mentioned I'd love to have pictures of my family farm. His sister was telling me about the kind of photography Ben does and urged me to take a look at his website. I went to the website and loved the artfulness and sophistication of Ben's work, but was skeptical he would be able capture the type of images I had in mind, let alone be able to afford it. The farm had long been in a state of disrepair and capturing the beauty and charm of the place would be a huge challenge for even the most seasoned photographer.
From the first moment I contacted Ben, he was amazing! Professional, fair, hard working, artistic and dedicated to his craft and clients are just a few of the terms I use to describe my experience with him. The images he shot of my family's farm are nothing short of incredible! They not only captured the beauty of the farm, but sparked a strong emotional reaction from me and other members of the family as well our friends.
Ben's communication and professionalism with his clients is supreme. He contacted me regularly throughout the process. I found prices to be extremely reasonable, especially given the time and effort put into the project. It is clear that Ben loves his work!
Thank you, Ben. I look forward to working with you again!
Written by Susie (Fieldon, IL)
I would highly recommend Ben for family photographs. He took his time and was very patient with our 4 year old and our dog! It was a great experience and our pictures turned out great!
Written by Heather, mother of Hayden (Greenfield, IL)
We had such a fun photo session to capture images of my lively little girl.
It was a beautiful spring day. Though it was a little early for my taste, Ben promised that the early morning light would be worth it (he was so right!). He chose the wonderful location of Elsah which is full of scenic spots and a nearby field of flowers perfect for the springtime setting.
Hayden is not a shy child. Even so, I was surprised at how long she was willing to do these pictures! She was very at ease with Ben from the start--having a good time, even suggesting where and how the next picture might be taken. In the end, we now have not just a couple, but several beautiful images.
I love that Ben is not just about capturing every image with a smile, but more about capturing the individual's personality. He even provided great tips before the session to assist. His care and passion shows in the quality of his work. And now, I see some family or mother/daughter sessions in our future. Thank you Ben!
Written by Amy (Beecher City, IL)
Ben,
Please feel free to add this to your testimonials as a non solicited testimonial.
They say, "A picture is worth a thousand words" and words alone can't express my thanks in taking these fantastic pictures of my girls. It takes vision, time, patience and understanding when working with difficult subjects such as foals. A baby foal can look fantastic or a poorly done photo will make them look like weird mutants. For some reason they just don't take directions well...stand here --- look this way...right....Let me know how that works out for ya! They don't take directions well! Thanks again for having the patience and understanding while working with them.
Ben, you captured Bella's essence in these photos. Her personality shines through and captures her inner (ok-maybe not so much inner) Diva. If she wasn't a filly I think she would be a fashionista with her own dedicated paparazzi. Your suggestions on background and insight on lighting and such was greatly appreciated and it made her fantastic looks shine through.
I also love the pics of my new filly. She wasn't even 12 hrs old when you took her photo. Everything is new and exciting and she was pretty worn out by all the excitement. I think you really captured the sweetness of new life Mom and baby came through everything with flying colors and they had a great session with you. Everything was calm and peaceful with no pressure...just what was needed. Your choice of background was awesome. I love my photos and could not have asked for better.
I really love the fact that everything was low key and no pressure to "get it right" the first time. Nothing was rushed and you spent time with them and got up close to get these fantastic pictures. My girls really enjoyed the attention and I will definitely have you out again to take more. They are growing so fast.
Please feel free to use me as a reference anytime. Horse people can be funny about things. They need to know you will get up close and get the job done right. LOL. Anyway, we had an awesome time and the pictures are worth much more than a thousand words....to me they are priceless.
Thanks again,
Amy
Email from Laef & Allison Lorton
Ben,
A sincere thank you for capturing the personality of our kids in our family photos. A true test of patience, stamina, and courage to agree to take on our 2, 5, and 7 year olds! These family photos will forever memorialize a time in our life that goes by all too fast. It is truly remarkable what you were able to capture in two crazy sessions and the results speak for themselves; amazing family pictures that highlight our happiness and the love we have for our children.
Laef and Allison Lorton
Written by Rachelle (Bloomington, IL)
I have done two sessions with Ben, and each time I appreciated the time and effort that he spent in order to capture just the right images of me. I feel like my personality is really revealed in the photos, and a big part of that is the relaxed manner of this photographer. He is warm and patient at all times, even with my squirmy self! :) I never felt rushed or nervous during one of his sessions. In fact, it was just the opposite.
I was also impressed with the settings that Ben chose for each of our meetings. They fit what I had told him I was looking for. They seemed natural, not forced, and I think this is important. I am from out of town, so I am not familiar with the St. Louis area. The locations that he chose were beautiful, serene, and perfectly appropriate. They helped to make each photo unique and priceless. The results speak for themselves. In fact, the quality of the photos is what I love the most.
To be honest, I can’t wait for our next session.
Written by Margie, mother of senior, Zach
The entire shoot with Ben was an adventure! Who knew that my favorite images would end-up being taken in the upstairs of a St. Charles restaurant that was actually closed at the time!? This is the way Ben rolls. He sees things in the natural environment that the rest of us don't see.
He also understands the teen animal. Zach had never met him beforehand, and was instantly comfortable. We have already scheduled our family pictures with him as well.
Written in reference to the images that I captured for the Jersey County Courtroom Project
Ben,
I wanted to let you know that we presented the court house photos to Judge Pistorius at our Christmas Party couple weeks back and the Judge loved them. I just helped him hang them in the stairwell in the court house and they look amazing. Make sure you stop by to see them!
Thanks again for everything!