We were lucky to catch up with Ben Bertolini recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ben, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

When I was in College it was mandatory that for the film majors that we have to take a photography class. I was so bad and sat in back of class and never wanted to share my work because it was so bad . More time went by and we would learn more about different photographers . I became obsessed with different photographers work . The thing that pushed me into going for it was Vivian Maiers work .I think the thing that admired the most of it was just the how intimate the photos where especially who portraits . I really used her as a frame of reference and went out there and failed and failed and failed again. I think that if you’re not willing to fail you’re not willing to learn . You have to be willing to put your feelings and emotions and grow in this field or its just not going to happen for you.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I wanted to be a photographer since I was seven years old when my dad use to take me with him to play cards in the back of a liquor store in goose creek, South Carolina . while he was he was driving he asked me what I wanted to be when I grew I thought about it for a second and replied a photographer . (Because I was obsessed with spider man at the time) . He replied you don’t wanna do that photographers make no money. fast forward to years later I had just finished High school I wasn’t sure about college and if it was for me because I just always struggled in school . My mother later talked me in to going to a small community college in Charleston,SC . I started videography course with a Teacher by the name of Randy Grimes . I was a terrible student . I worked 2 jobs at the time Footlocker and I was also apprentice to be a mechanic . I was running around with the wrong people coming to class high just not never paying attention in class . I was so burnt out and it was exam time . I had already been completing about moving to Maryland with family . little did I know that this choice would change my life forever and make me into the person I am today . when the exam came I looked at in horror . I flipped it over and I wrote him a letter on on the back of the paper that read mr. Grimes I don’t know the answers , I will be back I am moving and will pass your class. The next day I walked into Footlocker and quit and I stopped showing up to my apprenticeship. I jumped on a train to Baltimore ,Md with only 300 dollars in my pocket . I arrived at Penn station and was picked up by my aunt and uncle took me to Westminster ,MD . I would later find a job and I had no cable so I would buy dvds and watch them and then watch the director cuts of them .Life was crazy I had no money and some days were hard and some were good . I was with my 2 cousins my best friends . We made it work . About a year later I had decided to move back to Charleston. I went back to School and crushed . I created my first reel and Grimes like it so much that he got in touch with a local news station WCSC Live 5 News . I started as a production asstiant and worked my way up to a photojournalist . I would bring my personal camera along for shoots and this where my passion for photography really kicked in . I worked at Live 5 for 4.5 years until I was later let go for good reason . I was an alcoholic . I later moved to Raleigh ,Nc about a month later . Where I Would work as a photojournalist for spectrum news for 3 years . I hated this job, I hated this city , I hated my schedule. I would be later pulled to the side by our chief photographer Mark Barger , He told me I was not a good photographer and I was not up to par . three weeks later I quit it just wasn’t worth it especially to deal with him everyday . I Moved back to Charleston yet again and I would work as a delivery making no money and shooting on the side . I had gotten an apartment with someone I did not know that well and one night we got into a fight and it was bad enough that I decided that it was time to get sober . this is where my life changed completely . I started taking more chances asking more people to shoot . Because I didn’t care about the money I cared about the opportunity . I worked and worked and worked until opportunities snow balled into what they are now . Right now I Freelance and travel shooting up and down the east coast as well as work a normal job and this is slowly becoming everything that I had ever dreamed of . I will be 3 years sober on Labor Day of this year and I wouldn’t change a thing that I went through . There is a lot more to this story I wish I could fit all of it but I just can’t fit it all . Hopefully this inspires someone to live the life the way that they want too. Currently, I am seeking for a management.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Honestly making the memories . Meeting people I would’ve never talked if I didn’t have my camera . My camera is my safety blanket because I know if I have my camera im getting the shot hell or high water.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I think that photography honestly got me sober . When I was in the process of getting clean I made photography my priority . I told myself that if I could spend all that time getting wasted I could invest that time in myself and in my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.benjaminbertoliniphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benny4eyes/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-bertolini-b4aa3695/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@benjaminbertolini15/videos

Image Credits
all photos provided are by me other than the one of me that was done by chancellor hughey