About

Portrait of John Benford
© 2020 Shawn G. Henry

John Benford creates honest, authentic portrait and lifestyle images and powerful architectural images for commercial and editorial clients of all sizes. Centered on themes of craftsmanship, honest work, relationship to the land, and human connection, John’s photographs are graphically composed, richly textured, rooted in a sense of place, and reflect his deep reverence for life and belief in our common humanity.

John’s vision is informed by his unique background, which includes studying to be a Unitarian Universalist minister followed by almost a decade working with data and systems in the corporate world. Like his path to professional photography, his images live in the tension between the organic and engineered, spiritual and scientific, heart and mind.

John Benford Photography is built on principles of respect for all people and the planet, integrity and fairness in relationships, and sustainability. As such, John especially appreciates working with mission-driven clients such as B Corps and other socially responsible businesses, and on sustainable design projects such as LEED-certified, Passivhaus, net-zero, and living buildings.

Clean Creatives badgeJohn has taken the Clean Creatives pledge and will decline any contracts with fossil fuel companies, trade associations, or front groups. He is a member of New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility (NHBSR) and regularly contributes pro bono photography services to organizations like Boston Farms Community Land Trust, Building on Hope, YouthBuild Boston, 350NH, and others. In 2020 he joined the board of the New England chapter of the American Society of Media Professionals (ASMP), and in 2022 became President-Elect.

Located just an hour north of Boston, MA, John is available for assignments throughout the Northeast and worldwide.

His work is available for stock licensing directly and through Cavan Images. He is supported by Wonderful Machine.

Clients Include

From our clients

John photographed each of our 100+ employees as part of a website re-design. We wanted to highlight our professionals as friendly and approachable, which required a more creative approach than typical headshots on a backdrop. John’s approach was spot on and his professionalism made this colossal project seem effortless.

Some of the spaces we had available were challenging environments, but John found ways to make them interesting. No one likes having their picture taken but John’s down-to-earth personality put people at ease and that was clearly reflected in the results. Most importantly, we love the photos and would work with John again in a heartbeat!

Karen Wilson, Marketing Manager, Sanborn, Head & Associates

"So much of what we do is invested in making meaningful connections with people. Introducing audiences to Wright-Ryan’s incredible employee owners to cultivate lasting relationships is a critical part of that. John’s images allow us to better share the compelling narrative of the ‘makers’ on our team and the unmatched value that they provide to our clients, to our partners, and to our communities. You can’t put a price on that."

Jim Giberson, Director, Marketing & Strategy, Wright-Ryan Construction, Inc.

John's professionalism is only matched by his amazing skills. Not only did he take the concepts we presented for the document, but he went above and beyond in the work. Even the graphic designer who put together the final document was thoroughly impressed with the quality and artistic nature of the photographs that John provided.

I would work with John again in a heartbeat and highly recommend him for anyone considering photography projects.

Erin Allgood, Project Coordinator, New Hampshire Food Alliance

John Benford was professional, flexible and easy to work with. He was open to my needs and it was evident that working on the Pinnacle Leadership Center property was something he was very passionate about. He captured the emotions of participants in our ropes course exercises. His ability to capture the beauty of our property in Kensington, NH was precisely what I was looking for. The photos reinforced the true sanctuary the property is and that’s how we want it to be portrayed. These photos will be used to showcase our resources to prospective clients.

Carol Cray, Events & Non-Profit Recruitment Coordinator, Pinnacle Leadership Foundation

These are truly great shots. You made something fun out of a difficult situation. I'm impressed.

Rick Broussard, Editor, New Hampshire Magazine