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Photographer Ben Johnson
The Art of Live Jazz
Welcome to my photo gallery - The Art Of Live Jazz
This began as a means of documenting my personal experiences attending Jazz Concerts and Jazz Festivals, particularly at venues that have traditionlally not received a lot of recognition.
Jazz remains the primary reason for this gallery, but the content and experiences have become more diverse including Dance, Scenic photography, Air Shows and other totally unforeseen subject matter.
Many of these images have been published in various print media as well as WEB based publications.
The photos and albums can be navigated generally by clicking on any image and following the arrows or using the ICONS. The BROWSE option gives an uncatergorized view of my photos.
You can always return to this HomePage, by clicking on the 'HOUSE' icon.
If you would like to be notified of additions or changes to my gallery, using a FEEDS reader, click on the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) ICON at the very bottom of each page,
Scroll down to find out a little bit more a about me.
Thanks for visiting.
Your comments and photo-ranking are very much encouraged.
Contact me by email photographerbenjohnson@gmail.com
Like me on Facebook @photographerbenjohnson
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Photographer Ben Johnson
The Art of Live Jazz - All Rights Reserved
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A Slide Show of My Favorite Photographs
Photographer Ben Johnson
I spent 34 years as an engineer supporting Enroute Air Traffic Control systems.
My hobbies were pretty much related to what would ultimately become my profession. I studied electronics from the age of 10.
I became an Amateur Radio Operator WB2GUK in 1963, achieved Amateur Extra Class certification, and at one point copied Morse Code at 75 Words Per Minute.
In the late 1970's I decided to purchase a 35mm camera, solely because I didn't know much about 35mm photography and wanted to learn.
As was with my formal education in electronics, or the lack thereof, my knowledge of photography was all self taught.
I spent lots of time shooting anything, and learning from my mistakes, reading and taking advice from those who had the knowledge.
My love for Jazz started even before I was a teenager, being fortunate to live a block away from what was then, one of Atlantic City's prime spots for entertainment, Kentucky and Arctic Avenues, home of Club Harlem, Wonders Garden, Grace's Little Belmont and more. There was always music propagating its way down the block into our house.
After being introduced to the likes of Jimmy Smith, Groove Holmes and Kenny Burrell, I was fortunate to have as a friend, drummer Harvey Mason. Harvey mentored me in the fine points of listening to BeBop and Avant Garde Jazz, I reciprocated by teaching him Morse Code and some electronics to facilitate him joining me as an Amateur Radio Operator.
In 1979, I requested and somehow received rights to photograph the Atlantic City Jazz Festival produced by Elzie Street.
During this first of three years of the festival, I took a photograph of Betty Carter with John Hicks with some really basic equipment. Betty Carter liked as did some others, and it became an incentive to photograph Jazz performances.
Today, I regularly photograph Jazz concerts in the Philadelphia area, as well as several Jazz Festivals including The Newport Jazz Festival. My work has been published in numerous print and cyber media.
I am a contributing photographer to Jazz Times Magazine http://www.jazztimes.com
My work was featured as the cover photograph for late internationally known vocalist Jon Lucien’s last CD, “Live In NYC”
A great deal of my photography is in extremely low light which I finding very rewarding because of its inherent challenges.
I try to bring to the viewer that special moment of a performance that allows 'hearing the music' through the photograph.
Your comments are welcomed and encouraged.
I shoot with SONY Alpha Pro DSLRs and SIGMA lenses.
Thank you for viewing my work.
Contact me by clicking on the link above in the description of my gallery regarding the use of any of my images or for photographic services.
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