1969-1972
Studied photographic arts at Ryerson Polytechnical Inshtute, Toronto. Receives first prize in photo competition. Fascinated by the work of lrving Penn, Andfe Kertez, Cartier-Bresson, Avedon, and Eugene Smith.
1973
Spends 10 months traveling through Spain, France, Switzerland, Monte Carlo, Holland, Germany, Luxembourg, Andorra, Corsica.
1974
Receives Canadian Arts Council Grant to photograph Brighton/England. Takes residence in London and starts apprenticeship to various top class photographers. Meets and wofks with some of the best design and advertising talent in London.
1977
Establish Benjamin Lee Studio in London. Photographs mining in Wales for National Geographic Magazine, photographs Sir Hugh Casson, Sir Hans Kerbs, Sir Julian Huxley for Nova Magazine. commissioned by W.H.0. to photograph Henry Moore sculptor, Yehudi Menuhin, violinist, Larry Adler, classical harmonica player, and Edward Teller, nuclear physicist.
1978
Receive adverdsing commissions from Carlsberg Beer, National Panasonic, Olivetti, Olympus, Brazilian Coffee, Bayer, etc.
1980
Goes to the Cannes Film Festival and does a series of personal photographs for exhibition. Receives British Design and Art Direction Award for work on Nova Magazine.
1984
Receives 2nd British Designer and Art Direction Award.
1985
Receives Ilford Advertising Award for portrait of famous hat designer, Stephen Jones, the first triptych with 6x17 Linhof Technorama. Continue to photograph some of London's besst fashion designers with triptych style. Receive first commission from Vogue to photograph lvo Pogoreleich, classical pianist.
1986
Exhibihon at Hamilton Gallery, London's best photographic gallery. Hamilton's purchases one of Cannes Film Festival photographs.
1987
Decides to visit and photograph Japan. Meets Nobutaka Shikanai, President of Fuji Sankei at Hakone Open Air Museum by way of introduction from Sir Hugh Casson, President of The Royal Academy, Mr. Shikanai purchases my portrait of himself, Receive com mission to do portraits of Hiroshi Teshigahara and Kenzo Tange. Introduced to Minoru Ohnishi, President of FujiFilm Co., who likes my triptych style Fuji Film has since become my goodsponsor.
1988
Commissions from Valentino/Hanae Mori to photograph brochures. Does photography for PHP Intersect covers, annual reports for, Mitsui OSK, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc., and Minolta Inc.
1989
Exhibition at Dentsu Art Gallery, Ginza, sponsored by FujiFilm Co. Profiled by Commercial Photo, Intro Japan, Sony, PHP Intersect, Hotshoe International (London), Direction Magazine (London), Spanish Vogue. Photographs L'Inhumaine project at Bunkamura for Eiko Ishioka, Issey Miyake, meets Churyo Sato Japan's most talented and international sculptor and begins photographing him.
1990
Receives Silver Prize from Roden Stock/Pentax Competition for triptych poftrait of designer, Philippe Starck. Photograph The Greening of The World Concert at Tokyo Dome to celebrate John Lennon's 50th birthday. Meeting Yoko Ono and son, Sean. Sean's portrait is used for the cover story of Esquire Japan, Photographs various Japmese personalities for special issue about Japan for Spanish Vogue.
1991
Go to Hong Kong to do story for A.N.A Airlines about the Hong Kong millionaires and in December to Sweden to photogfaph the designers of Sweden. Continue photographing various personalities, Juzo Itami, Toru Takemitsu, Shinobu Sato, Tadanori Yokoo, and Yoko Yamamoto for Imperial Hotel magazine.
1992
Visit Beijing, China to do story about Chinese musicians. Meets and photographs Madame Song, owner of Maxim's Beijing and also photographs the Great Wall of China. Spends one week in Venezia doing personal photographs of the city. 5-piece panoramic portrait used by Fuji Film Co. for their promotion at Photokina, Cologne, Germmy.
1993
Photograph various architects, Tadao Ando, Kazuo Shinohara, Fumihiko Maki, Arata Isozaki for Spanish Vogue. Arranged interview with Sir Richard Rodgers concerning the rebuilding of Shanghai. Photograph Issey Miyake, Eiko Ishioka, Rei Kawakubo for British Vogue.
1994
Receives Grand Prix from Nikkei Advertising Award for Toyota campaign. Photographs Elizabeth Taylof for Art Against Aids campaign. Televised interview 30minutes on WOWOW with Chris Pepler concerning my Pefsonal Triptychtechnique. Becomes very interested in Surrealism and begins studying Magritte, Fornasetti, Dali, Picasso, intensively. Goes to Paris to photograph Marie Mitterand's wedding. Meets Francois Mitterand, President.
1995
Photograph Maggie Hunt, Princess Diana's make-up artist and interviewed Lord Snowdon for Seven Seas Magazine. Colleborating with international catalyst, Noriko Sakayori to develop new projects, Receives Japan Photo Biennale '95 Award. Commissioned by Vogue to photograph Sir Anthony Caro, England's top sculptor, with Tadao Ando, who designs the installation for the exhibition at Tokyo's New Museum of Contemporary Art.
1996
Photography of advanced design center for Merrcedes Benz Japan, Photography of Takeo Kikuchi for his special 12th yera Anniversary Fashion Event. Create a 2 meter by 6 meter photo-mural for Gifu Toyota Car Body K.K. The World of Sato Churyo, Sculptor Exhibition at Fujita Vente Museum. Receives Nikkei Adverdsing Award Begins photographing various creative people such as Emi Wada, Shigeo Fukuda, Koshiro Matsumoto, Kazuko Koike, Kenzo etc for Canadian Embassy Show July97.
Office of Japan
El Studio. Noriko Sakayori.
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