Ben Stechschulte

Ben Stechschulte, (b. Valentines Day, 1971) began taking pictures in the 1980s of his friends in the punk rock and burgeoning skateboarding scene. Influenced by the photography of William Eggleston, Diane Arbus, Danny Lyon and others, he immersed himself in documentary projects, including the sugar process in the Dominican Republic, and the Hip Hop dance scene in New York. For over a decade Ben has lived with his family in the Adirondacks, photographing subjects close to home such as the US/Canadian border and the spectacle of rural demolition derby, while also traveling widely for magazine assignments in Russia, the Middle East and elsewhere. His interest in the return to small scale food production and family farms led to shooting and directing Three Farms, a documentary film that aired on local and national PBS stations. Ben was a contributing photographer for The New York Times Magazine photographing The Industry column, an investigative look at food producers and suppliers. Ben’s work has appeared in a diverse range of magazines including: The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, Adirondack Life, Time, Fast Company, and Travel + Leisure.