Ben Queen
Owner , Ben Queen Photography , and Member , West Virginia House of Delegates
Growing up in the small town of Bridgeport , WV , Ben Queen has always been an active member of his community . Being surrounded by small business owners coupled with the support he received in his hometown sparked in him a sense of entrepreneurship and a desire to help his neighbors thrive . This environment allowed one of his first hobbies , photography , to turn into a lifelong passion and successful business venture .
“ I knew from my very first lemonade stand at the corner of Brightridge Drive and Hall Street that I wanted to own my own business , and by the time I was 12 , with my increasing interest in athletics , I knew I wanted to be a sports photographer ,” says Queen .
It was at age 12 that he started his first company , Ben Queen Photography – Home of the $ 1 Photo . When he wasn ’ t playing baseball , soccer , football or basketball or running cross country , he was selling photographs of his friends to their parents . Once he began taking photos at local sporting events , he never looked back . At 13 , he won a national photography contest and was sent to Super Bowl 43 in Tampa Bay , FL , where he shadowed Sports Illustrated photographers for a week and accompanied them to the game .
By the time Queen was 14 , a local newspaper noticed his work and hired him as a freelance photographer . Not yet of driving age , his parents would chauffeur him around town so he could take photos of vehicle accidents , floods , storms and special events . Over the next several years , Queen began attracting clients from all over the state , including West Virginia University ( WVU ) Athletics , and today , he is one of the most well-known sports photographers in the state and the lead photographer for USA Today Sports .
“ I ’ ve learned that photographs are more than just art ,” he says . “ Each photo tells a story . Regardless of the event or sport , customers are looking for great photos to help them tell great stories .”
Today , as the owner of Ben Queen Photography , he manages a team of talented freelancers and has the unique opportunity to shoot hundreds of events across the state each year . Whether he is creating images for advertising campaigns or telling the stories of athletes or first responders , he continues to follow dreams etched out in childhood .
Queen also plays another important role in the Mountain State . He has been a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates since 2016 . As chairman of the West Virginia Small Business , Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Committee , he considers his greatest successes the accomplishments he has made in the legislature .
“ I believe we are continuing to make West Virginia a better place for entrepreneurs to do business ,” he says .
OLIVIA MILLER
Queen at the Be the Astronaut exhibit in the Mylan Exploratory .
TRACY A . TOLER PHOTOGRAPHY
Not only does he serve the people of West Virginia at the capitol , Queen also serves his home state through acts of volunteerism , particularly those that will make the state a more inviting place for young people to live and work . He is a member of the United Way of Harrison County ’ s Young Emerging Leaders and Connect Bridgeport ’ s Tourism Development Initiative , a foundation board member and vice president of the Vintage Theatre Company ’ s Legacy Fund for the Arts and an advisory board member for the West Virginia Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development Initiative , a partnership of WVU and Marshall University . He is also a children ’ s ministry volunteer and member of Simpson Creek Baptist Church and a summer camp counselor at the West Virginia Baptist Church Camp .
“ I love being involved with groups trying to make the arts more accessible to young artists and being able to spend time with young people in church ,” he says . “ Since high school , I have been helping lead young people to Christ by supplementing our pastors . My dad told me when I ventured into politics that I would be ‘ on ’ in society all day , every day , and I think that drives me to not only give back financially but also with my time and effort so other young people can see one of their peers as a role model .” •
“ It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it . If you think about that , you ’ ll do things differently .”
– Warren Buffett
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