End-of-Year Competition Awards (In Person) with Judge Ben Greenberg

Ben Greenberg is a lifelong resident of Virginia and the cities of Richmond and Charlottesville. His passion for photography began in 1970 with the birth of his first son and for 56 years he has pursued his commitment to capturing images from the natural world in Virginia and 20 other states across the nation, including 20 national parks.

Ben’s carefully crafted landscape photographs have won local and national awards and competitions including the international grand prize of Kodak’s newspaper competition, KINSA. His photographs have been exhibited in numerous individual and group shows. His landscape and wildlife images are currently represented in several Virginia galleries and shops, especially C’ville Arts, a cooperative gallery on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. 

Taking great pride in creating photographic images of the highest quality in color and black and white, Ben uses the best of traditional and digital technology in creating and printing his photographs. His photographic prints and all materials used in their presentation meet the highest archival quality standards for a lifetime of enjoyment.

Ben thoroughly enjoys teaching classes and workshops and mentoring individuals in their quest to improve their photography skills and decision-making. He is also very active in making presentations of his landscape and wildlife images to groups, including camera clubs. His presentations include emphasis on Virginia images, panoramic photography, the importance of composition in images, as well as his favorite photographs and the stories behind them. He hopes to photograph many other states in coming years. He is planning a trip to Alaska in 2027.  

In March 2014 Ben published his first photography book, Natural Virginia.  A coffee table size book (10×17, 240 pages and 122 images), Natural Virginia features panoramic color landscape and wildlife photographs from throughout the state, celebrating its natural beauty and the need for its preservation. The book was marketed and distributed by the University of Virginia Press and cites the important work of nine statewide non-profit Virginia environmental organizations. There were three sold out printings of Natural Virginia and the more than 5,000 printed copies.

Ben is now working on his second Virginia book focusing on the importance of the state’s national, state, regional, and local natural public lands. The significant role that these public lands serve for the state’s residents and visitors was demonstrated throughout the Covid pandemic with the need for individuals and families to escape to the natural environment and away from the health dangers created by the virus. The benefits of the natural environment to the people of Virginia and the nation have been well documented.  

Ben’s photographs can be viewed on his two websites:

www.bengreenberg.com (900 landscape & wildlife images from Virginia and 20 other states)

www.naturalvirginiabook.com (Information and 30 of the 122 images from Natural Virginia)