Cleveland Commercial Photographer, Don Bensman Jr.

The professional details… I’m a Cleveland commercial photographer and my three primary specialties include; industrial photography, product photography, and portrait photography. I work both on location or in my studio, which is a 1500 square foot industrial space that I like to call my second home.

Whenever possible, I still like getting out and shooting some B&W film, time in the darkroom and handcrafting my own pinhole cameras.

My portfolio includes work for; corporate, industrial, manufacturing, medical, energy, transportation, advertising and editorial clients… and has been published in annual reports, brochures, advertisements, magazines, catalogs, calendars, and websites throughout the country and abroad. I’ve even had the privilege of having my fine art images featured in gallery exhibits, solo shows and have been accepted into a variety of juried exhibits over the years.

I’m also a Professional Member in the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) and have served as chapter President for the ASMP Ohio North Coast chapter for fifteen out of the past seventeen years.

On a personal note… I am U.S. Army Veteran. My time in the military was a great experience and I’m extremely proud of my service. I got to spend a couple years in Germany. It was pretty awesome and it’s where I really started to immerse myself into photography.

After I left military service, I spent quite a few years working as a commercial diver (underwater construction). Yep, you read that correctly, I used to work underwater. It was one of those jobs that definitely tested your mental and physical ability… and now you’re probably wondering how I went from being a commercial diver to being a full-time professional photographer. It’s a fun story, but one for another time.

My three favorite quotes: “No matter how good you think you are, you’re not”, “you only get out of it, what you put into it” and “everybody is normal until you get to know them”. I think they’re all good life lessons.

The first camera I ever shot, was a Polaroid… I was five years old.

I’m not angry in my head shot, that’s just how I smile.

…and I really don’t like chicken.