October 29, 2016

Meet Photographer and Entrepreneur: Ben Evans

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Evans.

Ben Evans is one of the most sought out event, destination and lifestyle photographers in Atlanta. He is the Owner and Principal Photographer of Alpharetta, Georgia-based, Ben Evans Photography and Photo Images by Ben, (PIBB). He has photographed some of most coveted events and has been contracted to photograph a number of well know politicians, athletes, celebrities, reality stars, corporate professionals and people from all general walks of life.

Ben learned the art of Photography at a very young age by watching his own Father photograph him and his older sister growing up in South Carolina. “My Father was always snapping pictures of me and my sister. He captured every single moment of our lives and our childhood was very well documented,” he says. “I now have children of my own, two boys ages 10 and 6-years and I find myself doing the very same thing with them. I take photos of my children constantly because they grow up so fast and change so quickly. My biggest accomplishment and my most rewarding job are my children. I have over 20,000 images of them along with my family stored in an archive that I cherish. I guess you can call me a little over zealous with the camera,” he says with a laugh.

This former corporate professional who turned his marketing degree, love and passion of photography into a lucrative business spent 12 years with the Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM, and Siemens before venturing out on his own. In addition to his various business ventures, Ben photographs for Atlanta Magazine, an Emmis Communications company and this year marks his fifth year with the organization.

Ben and his work have appeared in a number of local and national publications, online media and television outlets to include: Atlanta Magazine, Essence Magazine, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution Newspaper, Atlanta Social Season Magazine, MTV Teen Cribs, Bravo TV’s Real Housewives of Atlanta, Access Atlanta.com, The Peach Buzz, Sheen Magazine, Trendsetter To Trendsetter Magazine, Xtra Magazine, The Chattanooga Times Free Press, The Rome News-Tribune and The South Carolina News and Press Newspapers. Ben has also served as a Photographer for The Dekalb County, Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

With all of his accolades, Ben has still remained humble and committed to giving back. He is a community partner and is heavily involved in the community in which he lives. He co-founded along with his Wife Children’s Pride, Inc., an Alpharetta, Georgia-based organization founded to empower youth while promoting cultural diversity, mentorship and encouraging volunteerism in the community. The organization advances this mission by enriching the lives of children, single parents and needy families by providing assistance in the form of clothing items, school supplies and food around the holidays. The organization also exposes youth to cultural events, motivates and encourages kids & teens to stay in school and continue their education beyond the high school level.

Ben also sat on the board of Kym Kares Foundation, another Atlanta-based organization where he was appointed to the role of community outreach. Kym Kares mission was dedicated to providing financial, emotional, medical and residential support and mentoring to low-income families and single parents. He has photographed for a number of worthy charitable causes and foundations to include: The 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, The Atlanta Area Ronald McDonald House, The Atlanta Children’s Shelter, The Metro Atlanta Area Chapter of The March of Dimes March for Babies and Autism Speaks/Cure Autism Now.

What is the most difficult part of what you do?
The hardest part of my job is being at two places at the same time. The demand for my services has grown over the years and with that, I have had to hire a skilled pool of talented freelancers to increase my market share and visibility while still trying to deliver a quality product to consumers while not turning away business. With that said, it has been a challenge at times finding a dependable and committed workforce.

How do you define success?
My success is not primarily about how much money I can make but is largely defined as having the work/life balance for my family and the life that I have always dreamed of. When I worked in corporate America, it was a challenge balancing my professional and home/work life especially raising two young kids. I now have the freedom to attend my children’s school events, sporting events and time to volunteer in the community all while still attaining to business, doing what I love and while still providing for my family. People often ask me how did I do it and I say, “Set realistic goals for yourself, dare to dream, stay humble, pray a lot, have faith and take risks.”

So, what should we be on the lookout for, what’s next in store for you?
I am a natural born entrepreneur at heart and my plans are to continue to grow and reinvent myself. I am a work in progress, I’m forever growing, open to change and to all possibilities. I also have other business ventures that I am excited about and I look forward to what the future has to offer me.

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