Ben Kerns has been photographing since he was 12, but had to make the hard choice between pursing music and photography in college at the Art Institute of Chicago. Luckily for LL Bean, he put down the drumsticks, though he is still a passionate guitarist in his spare time. His good friend and noted Jazz Guitarist Richard Smith has had him photograph all of his CD covers. "We've played in bands together since high school and went down our respective paths after college. This is the eighth cover I've done for him." As you can see from his portfolio, Kerns specializes in portrait work. Though he isn't as close to all of his clients as he is with Richard, this degree of communication is what makes his images so special. It is this level of trust with the subject that gives these photographs such a natural feeling. "That is the magic of photography for me, capturing that moment of an instant in time."
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