Joann M Benzinger

Origination…

“Travelers Rest…I like the sound of that.”  Those were the words we uttered in the year 2000 as we poured over a map of South Carolina hunting for a likely place to re-root ourselves.  

At 37, I was not so sure I was up for the idea of re-locating for no reason other than "Wisconsin winters are too cold".  Were we really going to move from all that was familiar, from the security we had built in our jobs, from the safe harbor that was our home, our family, our church, from 16 years of history? Well, I guess we were. In March of 2001 my husband pulled up in front of our house with a moving truck and denial was no longer an option I could indulge in: we were moving.  Three days later we parked said moving truck in front of an apartment in Greenville, SC. In 2003 we moved into our new home just outside of Travelers Rest and with the 20/20 hindsight offered by the passage of time, I can honestly say, "Way to go, Ric! Glad you were the gutsy one and rented that truck!”  

First things we did when we arrived in South Carolina? We started an electrical contracting business, and I enrolled in school at Greenville Technical College in the Visual Arts department majoring in Photography. And the rest, as they say, is history.

A New Page - A New Day…

History - one of the fascinating things about history is that there is always a new page being added.  What at first was just a couple classes I wanted to take primarily to keep my mind off the place I left behind and missed so much has become a vital part of my identity.  Through the lens of my camera and the requirements of the classes I had signed up for I was forced to explore more, to venture further, and to peer more deeply into things. Through my lens I was introduced to my new home and developed a deep love for South Carolina, this place where I have found more familiarity, family, friendship and faith than I could have imagined or expected when we started this journey in 2001.  “Travelers Rest…I like the sound of that”

Our electrical contracting business has kept us both very busy. We have been blessed with some great building contractors and while our main focus necessarily became the electrical, my photography has never been far from me.  Over the years I have built a portfolio and the offerings on this website are a product of that.  Today I find myself at another pivotal moment and as part of moving forward I am changing my focus to include my photography on a more professional level.   

For information on personalized location portraits, architectural/real estate photography, or ordering prints please contact me at jojo925@icloud.com

Thank you so much for visiting my web site! I hope you enjoy the images here as much as I have enjoyed creating them.

Joann