Benjamin Olson is a conservation photographer based in Minnesota. His childhood revolved around wildlife, fishing, and hunting. After discovering the wonders of photography, he changed his focus to wildlife encounters as seen through a camera lens.
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Benjamin Olson is a conservation photographer based in Minnesota. His childhood revolved around wildlife, fishing, and hunting. After discovering the wonders of photography, he changed his focus to wildlife encounters as seen through a camera lens. He has a Bachelors Degree in Biology with an emphasis in Ecology, Ethology and Evolution, plus an A.A.S. in Digital Imaging Technology. Ben's long term goal is to use photography to promote awareness of the perils the natural world faces today while working towards conservation and environmental restoration. "As a photographer, I spend countless hours in the field chasing elusive wildlife, temperamental weather, and fleeting light. I am fortunate if I walk away with an amazing picture at the end of the day. Only a handful of images I capture each year merit a spot in my portfolio. Immersing myself in nature has become a way of life, and I am grateful for the opportunities I have had and I am excited for the experiences to come; the ability to capture these rare moments and to share them with the world fills me with enthusiasm for life and the motivation needed to use my work towards conservation and environmental awareness efforts." All of his images represented are depictions of reality. Minimal post-processing is applied to each image, nothing is added or removed from any images. All wildlife images are wild animals captured in their natural environment without the use of bait, feeding or playback calls. Ben strives to capture nature as it is, with minimal human impact. "I subscribe to the philosophy of 'leave no trace' in my photography," he says. Ben has already received numerous photography awards. The North American Nature Photography Association scholarship paired him with some of the industry's best photojournalists and editors. A three-time winner and placer of Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith awards. His work has been published by the Washington Post, Patagonia, National Wildlife Federation, Audubon, and many others. He is an emerging league photographer with the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP).
I was sitting in the hospital the day after my second son was born when Kevin Raber called. I left the room so I wouldn’t wake my wife and son, and in hindsight that was a good decision as I almost screamed...
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“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.” – Steve Jobs
This quote from Steve Jobs, as well as the support of family, friends, and loyal followers from many years are what inspired me to create this new website that is dedicated to photography. There are a lot of websites featuring photography. Many are good; in fact, many have been created and run by friends of mine. That is probably what I like most about photography. You make a lot of friends with whom, more than anything else, you share a passion and love for photography in many ways.
photoPXL was created around a dinner table with friends. This site will be about the community of photography, a place where young and old alike can share their stories, learn about the art and craft of photography, and gain an understanding of what it takes to Enhance Your Vision.
photoPXL will publish articles about photography and look at the many types of cameras we use to take photos, ranging from smartphones to medium format systems. We’ll explore the many options for processing your images and focus on the art of printing. I’ve always felt the process of making a photograph wasn’t complete until I could hold it in my hands. Color profiles, papers and types of printers will be reviewed, plus so much more.
One of the most exciting features of the new site will be building a community using photographer profile pages. This will be a place where you can share your images with other readers and see what others are doing with theirs. There will also be a forum where you can ask questions and share your knowledge, further developing the sense of community.
We will not only feature articles, reviews and opinions, but will also have a YouTube channel with numerous training and technique videos.
On the main site, look for more visits with some very well-known photographers where we’ll share their vision in our series “Shooting with the Masters.” There will be exclusive, behind the scenes segments where we’ll bring you things you haven’t seen before.
Photography for me has always been personal. I can be really serious sometimes, working to catch a certain image, but no matter what I never forget to have fun. I want this site to mean the same thing for you and be a place where you can come and experience many photography-related topics and have fun while doing so.
All in all, you’ll be Enhancing Your Vision.
Please sign up today. We will not only notify you when we launch photoPXL.com but will also keep you posted on the progress we are making on creating this site.
Joining me in this adventure is long-time friend and videographer Chris Sanderson. Chris’s insight, creativity, skill and passion have been invaluable in propelling me forward on this journey. Debra, my wife, will be sharing her unique vision and artistic view as well as handling workshops and so much more. Michael Durr is one of the more creative and fun videographers I have ever met. We are fortunate to have him as part of the team. Plus, we will have many articles from a wide range of well-known and maybe not so well-known photographers. There is so much talent out there.
We are working hard to not only create content but also to build a robust site that can be expanded upon over time. Something dynamic, and evolving.
I truly hope you will join us in creating this new community. We look forward to your collaboration, contributions and guidance along the way.
Kevin Raber
[email protected]
Owner, CEO, Publisher
