Ben - United Kingdom

Nickname: Ben Hodson

I was born in Brighton, UK, and grew up in a wonderful Christ-centered family. My parents could be described as missionaries (although I believe we are all called to be missionaries wherever we are.) God has used them to plant churches in a number of places.

At one point we lived in India for a couple of years, working with local churches and seeing community projects established. I was fairly young at the time, but the experience greatly impacted my outlook on life. I could see the awesome effects of God working all around me from an early age, and it wasn't long before I wanted to have Jesus as a personal friend. I was only 7 years old at the time, when I really committed my life to Christ's rule and began the journey of following Him. I am so grateful that God saved me at such an early age!

As I grew up, I continued to get involved in local and international missions of varying scales, including being part of the management team for a Christian community building in Hampshire, UK. After school I spent some time in France with a small team of church planters, and in 2004 I took part in a month-long missions trip to southern Africa including serving in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi & Mozambique.

I took a year out in central Switzerland training with the church planting communities around the region. It wasn't long before I desired to document the places I traveled to, and it led to a natural passion for photography.

I have recently married and have a beautiful wife. We have moved to Luton (north London). We are serving with the church planting team here, and God has already used us in planting a small church amongst our student friends. They are nearly all photographers, both amateur and professional. It's great as we go and shoot places together while we all learn what it is to become followers of Jesus. Apparently, you reproduce after your own kind, or maybe God just loves photographers more? Either way, God seems to be pouring out His grace on our relationships and the principle of reaping what you sow is clearly evident: Sow abundantly and you reap abundantly (just look at how the average tree works). We have really started to see this principle is true for evangelism and acts of mercy. We have also realised salvation is not defined in ways that we thought...it's more than a change of belief, it's about coming under the rule and reign of Jesus, following Him and becoming transformed into new creations!

I have always planned for my photography to become a way to support us wherever God calls us, and I desire for my work to support kingdom values. I regularly receive commissions from both private and commercial clients and have started to work for Youth for Christ. I would love to continue to create work which supports kingdom-minded missions around the world.