Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Rusnak.
Rusnak is a South Florida editorial and commercial photographer, who finds solace and strength in the canyons and deserts of the American West.
For 14 years, he documented poverty in the Caribbean and Latin America for Food For The Poor, Inc., an international relief and development agency. Prior to that, he was a newspaper photojournalist for nearly 10 years.
His award-winning work has been recognized and exhibited internationally. He won the prestigious Gordon Parks Award in 2008 and he received InterAction’s Effective Assistance Humanitarian Photography Award in 2010, among many other honors. His work is represented by ZUMA PRESS.
Rusnak grew up in suburban Washington, D.C., where he developed an interest in topics beyond American borders and a passion for the plight of those less fortunate. He graduated from George Mason University in 1992, with a degree in communication.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve never taken a traditional route in my career – from university to now – so nothing has come easy, but all of these experiences have made me stronger and more resilient which makes overcoming everyday obstacles part of my skill set.
Benjamin Rusnak Photography – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
There are many excellent photographers, but one thing that sets me apart is how easy and flexible I am to work with. Also, my many years photographing with an eye towards fundraising at an aid organization has given me insight into how best to leverage my photography into a client’s marketing needs.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The best month of my life was when I lived in a stone cabin deep in Zion Canyon as an artist-in-residence at Zion National Park. I hiked and photographed everyday, sweating, bleeding and plunging into cold waters and I produced a body of work I am very proud of. It is a series of diptychs, a visual conversation about the tension between exploring and protecting the natural world.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.benjaminrusnak.com
- Phone: 5612131517
- Email: ben@benjaminrusnak.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjaminrusnak/
More than two thousand feet above Zion Canyon, a bird whips past Observation Point free to ride the currents and drafts, while a rock climber is suspended but still tethered to earth in slot canyon of the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park. While our National Parks give us the freedom to explore and push ourselves as individuals, we are still limited by our human form and reminded of its fragility.
Zion National Park artist-in-residence, Sept. 2015.
Image Credit:
Benjamin Rusnak
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