Hi Everyone!

Welcome to my site! My name is Ben and I’m a freelance photographer. I was born and raised in a quiet mountain town north of L.A. and currently live in South Orange County. I spend most of my free time surfing, eating tacos, and exploring new beaches. I started taking photos over 10 years ago with my iPhone and an editing app. I’ve gotten a few upgrades since then and my passion for photography continues to grow and evolve. Although I started taking photos in 2011 my love for still images began in 2005, shortly after my Dad passed away. I honestly wasn’t sure how or if I should share this part of my story here. After all, this site is meant to attract people with love and life in their hearts - not death and pain. However this part of my testimony is pivotal to why I love photography, and why I will do my utmost to ensure your moments are Beautifully Remembered.

My Dad was a Los Angeles City Firefighter. In 2001 his station received a call for a chemical incident at a treatment plant. While retrieving two unconscious men from an underground tank he was exposed to the chemicals on site. A week later he began experiencing weakness in his hand, and over the next year became unable to perform his duties as a firefighter. After seeing various doctors and specialists he was eventually diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a neurodegenerative disease with no known cure, and the doctor estimated that he only had a short time to live. My family and I were blessed to have 4 more years with him. My Dad was the greatest man I’ve ever known. He was a true hero and I strive to live a life that would make him proud.

Needless to say those four years took a toll on my family and me; his death even more so. Personally I wasn’t very vocal about how I felt. I didn’t know what to say or if I should say anything. Life strangely carried on but in all honesty it didn’t feel like much of a life at all. It felt dull and grey… almost empty. Thankfully I was raised by parents who helped instill in me a strong foundation of faith in God, without which I would have been overcome by grief. Over the next few months the Lord would help me heal through various friends, circumstances, and more prominently old photographs of my Dad. Throughout the years my Mom had collected hundreds and hundreds of memories on film. Naturally - once I felt ready - I spent time sifting through every photo. I loved seeing him and my Mom on their wedding day, when he graduated the fire academy, and the photos of him holding me as a child. Those images were hard at first; it felt like reopening old wounds that had just begun to heal. But after the pain subsided it was soon replaced with gratitude and a smile. The photographs of my Dad helped me to adopt new meaning, and allowed me to reminisce on countless moments of love and laughter. They helped me remember how much my Dad loved me, what he stood for, and how he lived. They helped me mend.

It’s been decades since those photos were taken, and yet they still hold profound meaning. They still have purpose. That’s why I care so much about capturing your moments. I want to tell your story not only for you to look back and remember - but also for your loved ones. Perhaps one day after we are gone, they will also be able to look back and find solace in your photographs, healing in your moments, joy in remembering the beautiful life you lived and the love you shared. Your moments deserve to be Beautifully Remembered.