Editorial Photography
I have nearly two decades of experience working as an editorial photographer in Japan, Korea, and the US, covering a wide range of subjects, including street protests, political campaigns, stem cell research, rural schools, and the video game industry. My work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and numerous other national and international publications.
I come from a reporting background, with a master’s degree in journalism and early experience at local newspapers and magazines in Indiana. My training as a photojournalist taught me to observe, listen, and ask the right questions, and to work closely with reporters and photo editors to help tell the story—not just decorate it. In my photo storytelling, I strive to be both immersed and unobtrusive in a way that takes readers deeper while remaining faithful to the facts.
I’ve spent more than a decade working on the ground in Japan. That experience helps me move efficiently, communicate clearly, and build the access and trust needed to make meaningful photographs on assignment. If you’re a reporter or editor working on a story in Japan, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Workshop employee operating a denim weaving loom.
Close-up of a vintage Toyota weaving loom inside a denim production facility in Kojima, Japan photographed by editorial photographer Ben Weller.
Close-up of denim samples arranged in a fabric workshop.
A shop owner wearing glasses and a beige jacket looking through a store window.
Portrait of shop owner standing in doorway of independent clothing store in Kojima, Japan.
Denim jeans displayed on mannequin in boutique fashion store.
Portrait of textile worker in a workshop surrounded by denim weaving looms.
Worker operating industrial textile machine in a jeans and denim fashion shop in Japan.
Full-body editorial portrait of a Japanese man standing inside a rice storage facility.
A man working in a warehouse surrounded by stacked paper bags with Japanese writing on them, using a scale to weigh a bag.
Man photographed in open field as part of editorial photography series in Japan
Researchers conducting experiments in a modern science lab photographed for an editorial science journal.
Close-up of a microscope and computer monitor displaying retinal cells. The monitor shows recording options and controls overlayed on the image.
Industrial robotic arms inside a glass enclosure in a high-tech laboratory.
3D digital visualization of colorful bokeh lights with a grid overlay on a black background.
Editorial portrait of a female science researcher with short dark hair, glasses, smiling, wearing a white blouse and jacket, standing in front of a blue wall.
A scientist's hand wearing a blue glove holding a syringe with a pink liquid, positioned over a petri dish on a lab table, with laboratory equipment visible in the background.
A close-up of a petri dish on a laboratory slide being examined under a blue light microscope in a lab setting, photographed by Ben Weller, editorial photographer in Japan.
A DJ examines a vinyl record at a listening bar in Tokyo, Japan. The wall behind him is lined with rows of vinyl and a large speaker.
A DJ wearing headphones and glasses is mixing records at a turntable in a dimly lit room with wooden and brick decor, including a vinyl record album cover on display.
A vast vinyl record collection organized on wall shelves with vintage audio equipment in a Tokyo listening bar.
A person’s hand handling a vinyl record on a turntable in a dimly lit setting.
Aerial photo of Shibuya Scramble in Tokyo with hundreds of people holding umbrellas crossing the street.
Silhouettes of two people, one holding an umbrella and the other looking at a phone, walking past a display window with shoes in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district.
Person walking on asphalt pavement, shadow visible, near white painted arrow marking on the road.
Reflection of people holding umbrellas in a glass building in an urban area with tall buildings and a clear sky.
People walking across a crosswalk on a rainy day, holding umbrellas in yellow, red, and clear.
An editorial portrait of a Japanese Christian pastor in a dark suit and white shirt standing near a staircase against a yellow wall, illuminated by sunlight coming through a window.
A man with black hair and a white turtleneck shirt sits in a classroom looking a professor. Sunlight streams through a window, illuminating the scene.
A child's hand holds open a Japanese Bible, Japanese text, on a wooden church pew, with sunlight illuminating the pages.
A man in a black suit standing on a city street with blurred pedestrians walking past, in front of large, colorful Japanese advertisement posters on a wall.
A soldier in camouflage uniform and helmet crouches amid debris and waste in a flood disaster zone.
Three soldiers in camouflage uniforms and helmets patrolling a street with a large pile of trash and debris, some buildings in the background, in black and white.
A person in military camouflage uniform and helmet standing on a street, facing a pile of debris and damaged furniture, with houses and power lines in the background.
Black and white photo of a crowded indoor shelter with many beds, showing some people lying down, resting or sleeping, surrounded by personal belongings.
A soldier wearing a helmet and a face mask, standing among bags and equipment, during flood clean up operations in Okayama, Japan.
Person standing next to a large pile of debris and trash, with another person blurred in the foreground.
Line of Korean riot police wearing black uniforms and helmets with visors, holding riot shields, standing in a row at night, photographed by Ben Weller, editorial photographer in Japan.
A person is being detained by police officers during a protest. The detained individual appears distressed as police officers hold them down on the ground.
People participating in a protest on a city street, some wearing masks, with a person in the center holding a white mask with black tears and Korean writing, surrounded by green pinwheel decorations.
Thermal image of a group of people walking indoors, showing temperature variations with colors from blue to red. The person in front has the hottest temperature, with others behind them.
Multiple schoolgirls wearing white shirts, plaid skirts, and face masks reflected on a mirror wall with blurred text.
A group of young police officers in riot gear, including helmets with visors, standing closely together in a line.
A young Korean woman with long brown hair is crying and covering her face with her hand, leaning on a table, an example of reportage photography by Ben Weller.
A large group of people gathered in darkness, holding lit candles in a vigil for students killed in the Sewol Ferry Disaster in South Korea.
A person reaching up among hanging candles at a protest vigil in Seoul, South Korea.
Black and white photo of a street protest with police in riot gear confronting a civilian. The civilian is being pushed or grabbed by police officers, with some officers holding shields and wearing helmets with visors.