Ben DeppPhotography

Ben Depp is a freelance photographer based in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Always having a passion for the arts, Depp originally went to school for graphic design and quickly changed his major to photog-raphy once he realized that he rather be more hands on rather than sit at a computer all day. Born and raised in Waxhow, NC, Depp and his wife Alexis have travelled around the world, photographing at every stop. Working primarily as a freelance photographer since 2005, Depp has worked on diverse assignments ranging from health clinics to natural disasters. Moving to Haiti once his wife received a job with the Men-nonite Center Communittee, Depp states that, “I like the idea of working regionally so that I can develop language skills and cultural understanding of the people I’m photographing.” Although Depp feels that travelling around the world is essential, he believes that a photojournalist should not just parachute into a country for a short amount of time, because stories are created by living in that cul-ture and understanding their traditions. Ben categorizes Haiti in one word: complex. “I try and show this by trying not to shoot straight poverty porn but instead shoot pictures that provide more context and hopefully make viewers question the source of the subjects pov-erty.” Primarily focusing his images on lighting, composition, and subject, Depp believes his photographs have a much deeper mean-ing which needs to be addressed. He leaves a lasting message for future photojournalists: “Try not to aquire debt because as a photog-rapher you are not likely to make much money. Video can be a good source of income, take the time to learn how to shoot and edit video while in school. Learn how to shoot stories. Pair up with a strong writer so that you can sell your photostories with a written story. Also remember, marketing is your best way to survive in this indus-try.”

TIMELINE:

2004: Attended Randolph Community College for photography.

2005: Started mostly doing freelance work on features and news stories.

2007: Ben and his wife Alexis biked across country, photographing along the way.

2006: Travelled to Bangladesh and India were he volunteered for non-profit organizations and covered the protests in Nepal.

2009: Moved to Haiti where he mostly did work for a NGO doing pho-tography and communication.

2010: Created his most meaningful multimedia piece to date on his sis-ter who is dying from cancer. “Becuase of language and cultural bar-riers I think it’s much easier to produce more intimate stories in your home country”.

2011: Went back to freelance work. Most of his income comes from working for the United Nations and other large relief and development organizations.