Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Hon.
Hi Ben, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I come from a restaurant family. My mom owned a restaurant ever since I was a baby, so food and hospitality have always been in my genes. When I was old enough to work, my mom had me doing just about everything in the restaurant – everything from bussing the tables to packing all the takeout orders.
I basically worked in the restaurant as a kid all the way through college at Rutgers and then graduated with a degree in Finance. I worked in Investment Banks for over a decade and decided to do something different after I left the industry. However, I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do after leaving. All I knew was that I didn’t want to sit behind a desk all day crunching numbers anymore.
I’ve always had an interest in photography but fell in love with it when I met a bunch of content creators during a pop-up dessert shop I had in the West Village a year after I left finance. Those creators really opened my eyes to how a photo can be so beautifully composed and edited. Eventually, I purchased a camera and began learning on my own.
During that time, I also met some new friends in the food space and started going around with them to different restaurants. My love for food photography increased and I started meeting and befriending restaurant owners and chefs. Then one day, an owner asked me to manage his restaurant’s social media. Subsequently, other owners saw what I was doing and asked me to run their social media channels as well.
This suddenly became a full-time job and the beginning of my journey as a content creator. Photography was something I truly loved. I’m still amazed at how it started as a hobby, then became a passion, and evolved into a career. Today, I still manage social media for restaurants in NYC and create content in the food and travel space.
I’m the happiest I’ve ever been and eternally grateful for all the people I’ve met these past few years.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was definitely a bumpy road.
The year after I left finance, I was continuously searching for new jobs, but getting rejected over and over again. I wanted to do something more client-facing, but I seemed to be under-qualified, despite having 14 years of experience in Banking.
I did some consulting and real estate after that, but never really loved it. And when I started getting some photography and social media gigs, they weren’t paying a lot. I didn’t have a stable income and started to dip into my savings.
There were definitely stressful moments, but deep down, I knew that if I kept doing things that interested me and worked on my craft, I would find my way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a professional photographer, specializing in the food and travel space. My specialty is restaurants and I’m known for capturing the full experience of dining out in NYC and abroad.
I’m proud of the relationships and reputation that I’ve built over the years doing this. It’s always a pretty cool feeling when I get invited to the restaurant to promote on my Instagram (@stuffbeneats), but the best part of the experience is befriending the Chef or Owner.
For some people, going to a restaurant can be transactional. They go, they eat, and leave. They don’t care to know the staff or appreciate the attention put into the entire experience (music, ambiance, decor, etc). For me, it’s more personal. I know from experience how hard it is to own and run a restaurant.
I want to see these places succeed. I try to get to know the staff and come back often, if even just to say hello.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
The apps I use almost on a daily basis for my work are: Adobe Lightroom, VSCO, and Unfold.
I get a lot of my inspiration from cookbooks, Instagram, and TikTok. I love looking at the photography in cookbooks to study the lighting, composition, and editing styles. On IG and TikTok, I follow a lot of food and travel creators to get inspired by the content they’re creating from around the world.
I don’t get a chance to read many blogs, but I do appreciate the emails from Resy telling me what restaurants are hot and doing exciting things!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.benhon.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/stuffbeneats
