Meet Yana Benjamin | Intimate Wedding & Adventure Elopement Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yana Benjamin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yana, how does your business help the community?
In the past decade, I have been working to create an inclusive wedding and elopement photography brand that elevates diversity, cherishes unorthodox styles and values experiences over things. My enneagram types are challenger and helper and these characteristics accurately describe the way I approach my wedding photography business. Challenging traditions and helping all couples celebrate their wedding in a way that supports their vision and preferences. I strongly believe that everyone deserves to be loved and respected.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
While living and studying photography in San Francisco, I was exposed to art theory and fine arts exhibitions at SFMoMA, Legion of Honor and the de Young Museum. It was in San Francisco that I started exploring street photography. Surrounded by art museums, I regularly visited exhibits of street photographers that created black and white impressions of the environment they lived in. Street scenes were unraveling in front of my eyes, so I began to interpret these simple daily moments into something magical on a 2-dimensional plane. I valued these images as charming snippets of pure life moments that will never repeat again. This philosophy stuck with me throughout my career as a wedding photographer. At weddings, I, too, focus on capturing small fleeting moments that will never occur again. I approach my photography and clients with kindness and humble attitude, just like the street scenes during my photography training. I do this work, because I am truly passionate about the art of it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am all about good food, drinks, music and art and since I reside in Ypsilanti, I often hang out in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Detroit. In Ann Arbor I would suggest Spencer for some organic wines and delicious fine dining and Loomi Cafe for fantastic charcoal grilled meats right from a shopping cart in the street. My new favorite, Peridot, a restaurant that recently opened downtown Ann Arbor serves a fusion of Vietnamese dishes and craft cocktails. Absolutely delicious! The Last Word is a fun craft cocktail spot with live music, and so is Blue Llama Jazz Club, offering amazing jazz artists on most nights. In my hometown Ypsilanti, I’d suggest oysters and champagne at Bellflower, beautiful thin crust pizza at C King and Co., and live music at a quirky spot called Ziggy’s! In Detroit, I’d plan a ramen lunch at Johnny Noodle King followed by a visit to the DIA. We’d then eat more at Baobab Fare and wash it all down with drinks at Castalia. I’d been wanting to visit the Monarch Club for the views of the city, before we’d mosey on to El Club or Spot Lite.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many! My parents, my professors at San Francisco Studio School of Drawing, Painting, Photography and Mixed Media, all the Museums of Modern Art that show great street photography work, all of my clients that have trusted me throughout the years, Liz Caruana and Cat Ekkelboom-White for mentorships, and my partner Sardar for supporting me through every moment of this journey.

Website: https://www.yanabenjamin.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yanabenjaminphoto/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yana-benjamin-1791361b5/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yanasdarkroom

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YanaBenjaminPhotography

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/yana-benjamin-photography-ann-arbor-2

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDgMFWGvP0wm6EWhyCUxiNA

Image Credits
Portrait of Yana: Copper Twig Collective https://coppertwigcollective.mypixieset.com