Ben Aijian is a photographer that loves people. Granted he likes nature photography, cityscapes, and travel photography, but the unifying theme behind what Ben can be summed up in this: People and the stories they have to tell. Getting to know people and what drives, them, what makes them come alive, is what makes Ben tick. Originally from California, Ben had the unique opportunity growing up to travel extensively with his family to many corners of the globe. During these international excursions he began to experience and develop a taste for other cultures. While traveling with his family, he had the opportunity to experience China, The Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and many other nations. Everywhere he traveled he would get to meet unique people, that he would never have previously thought to talk to, much less knew they existed. But one prevailing theme was always present. Everyone had something to say. After graduating from high school Ben decided to move back overseas, and worked with a volunteer non-profit in India and Nepal. Subsequently he decided to move into a full time capacity with a Christian international non-profit founded and headquartered out of the nation of Mozambique in the Southern portion of Africa. And in particular he focused on working with their international disaster relief arm. During that time Ben began to bring his artistic passion and love for photography and blend it with his love for people. He started using his camera to tell the stories of the people whom he encountered along the way. After a few years of doing this, he realized he had found one of his life’s passions. To use a camera, coupled with words to tell the stories of the overlooked and undiscovered became more than just a hobby, it became a passion and a calling. Subsequently Ben decided to take an extended break from working in the international non-profit sector to focus on honing his skills in photography, and to develop them into something more. He is now currently living in North Carolina where he has set himself to the task of achieving a photojournalism degree from UNC Chapel Hill. However, because Ben is no longer overseas by no means has he placed his passion for telling stories on hold. He continues to discover them through his photography in the form of events, weddings, or whatever other stories people’s daily lives have to tell.