{"id":6972,"date":"2026-07-05T08:50:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T08:50:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bentonhomestead.com\/?p=6972"},"modified":"2026-07-05T08:52:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T08:52:13","slug":"shimanami-portrait-sessions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bentonhomestead.com\/ja\/archives\/6972","title":{"rendered":"Shimanami Kaido Portrait Sessions with Dani"},"content":{"rendered":"

The long wait is over. We’ve enjoyed three and a half years in Japan, building our business, renovating an abandoned ‘akiya’ into Benton Guesthouse, restoring abandoned land into Benton Guesthouse, and navigating challenging immigration requirements. I’m finally going to start offering Dani Benton Photography<\/a> portrait sessions again!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m always surprised when folks are surprised to learn I was a photographer for most of my adult life. For 15 years, photography was a huge part of my identity, a part of me, very much engrained in my soul. Photography is how I made a living all the way back in my college days, through my years working at a graphic design studio, then branching out on my own, even operating my own studio for some time. Photography has been with me while living in two American states and three countries. Now we’re here in Japan, and it’s time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honestly, the best part about being a photographer is meeting so many interesting people! While I go through my archives to collect some favorite photos to share, I remember each and every single one of these sessions. Each one of these folks had a brief but lasting connection. I remember hearing about their travels, their lives, and helping them relax in front of the camera. Repeat clients always became friends, as I got to watch their relationships evolve from engaged to married to maternity to family, then getting to see their children grow up. It really is an honor and a blessing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here’s a little about my photography history:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography found me in 2007, while I was studying graphic design in college. In the years since then, I\u2019ve received a small handful of photography awards, have shown my pieces in a number of art galleries, and found myself published in the Photographer\u2019s Forum\u2019s hardcover annual book \u2018Best of College Photography<\/em>\u2019 for two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since starting my business in 2009, I\u2019ve had the pleasure of working with countless wonderful individuals, couples, and families, for weddings, engagements, maternity portraits, family portraits, high school senior portraits, event coverage, and professional headshots. I also work with small businesses to create images for their online and printed materials; my background in graphic design helps me to understand and anticipate their marketing needs. I\u2019m comfortable shooting everything from natural light to complex studio setups, inside the studio or outside in nature. I’ve photographed fast-paced marching band “secondline parades” long after the sun set, running backwards along uneven pothole-filled streets of hot humid New Orleans. And I’ve hidden in bushes to catch the perfect surprise proposal. My experience has been wildly diverse, fun, and challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My business philosophy is now, and always has been, quality<\/em> over quantity. I love knowing that I give each one of my clients the individual attention they deserve. Let’s work together soon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I’ve collected some awards and recognitions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n