Jerry Benner
My goal as a photographer and printer is simple: take something in the real world, photograph it in context, in whole or in part. Then process the image to produce a print on selected paper surfaces. Hopefully, others may come close to seeing what I saw in my mind.
A photographer since a child, I have taught photography and photojournalism from 1973 to 2000 in the Parkway School District (St. Louis County) on both the middle and high school levels. Upon retirement from Parkway, I began 12 years of teaching Photography at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri. I have an MA in communications from St. Louis U.
Photography began with a Kodak Brownie around 1951 and expanded to a film SLR (Exa-very primitive) thru Leicas and SLR’s and ultimately digital cameras. When I rediscovered the darkroom. my photography changed from color slides to black and white photography. I still enjoy the chemical darkroom, but, the world of digital photography is my focus. There is so much control – to have both color or B&W at your fingertips – not to mention the amazing varieties of paper surfaces and textures.
My interests in photography have never been commercial but always been in education and in fine art with a focus on, what I call “found images”. I seldom plan an image. I usually find an image, whether in nature, structure, people or events. I have found a focus in several areas: the Chautauqua community where we had a cottage; Howard County (and surrounding areas) in Missouri; Forest Park and the St. Louis metro area; national and state parks and especially – travel. Basically – if it is there and I find it interesting – I try to take a perspective on it.
I have been active in several galleries around the metro area including Art St. Louis, the Jacoby Gallery in Alton, Illinois, The 33 Gallery in Webster Groves, The Foundry in St. Charles, and the Ashby-Hodge Gallery of Missouri Art in Fayette, Missouri. For five years I had traveled and photographed all of Missouri’s 114 county courthouses with a 2014 show at the Ashby-Hodge. That show then traveled to the Missouri State Capitol for a display in the rotunda as well as a 2016 show in the Rosier Gallery in Jefferson City. Following a trip to Cuba, The Ashby-Hodge sponsored a show of Cuba images in 2018. In 2023 the Ashby Hodge featured a show of 40 black & white 1970 images of my tour in Vietnam (clerical, not combat). It featured restored negatives and commentary showing the people, their moods and the things they did to pass the time. I have published a book of that exhibit. My new-found focus is back to Black & White using Fuji cameras.
As a photographer, I prefer control of the image from its inception thru the editing process – ending in the final printing and display of the image. My final images are conceived, edited, printed and displayed by my own hands.