Eileen Benjamin

The second Eileen Benjamin picks up her camera, she envisions the final product. “When I find an image that meets my criteria, the creative process flows from the moment I click the shutter throughout the development process,” Benjamin says. “Each step is taken with a final image in mind.” A Telluride, Colo., resident since the mid-80s, Benjamin typically captures black-and-white scenes of the surrounding San Juan Mountains and the neighboring Four Corners region. Her images, such as “Ranch along the Dolores River,” “Top of Chair 9,” and “Winter Aspens” (pictured) convey the stark splendor of Telluride. Benjamin loves the challenge of black-and-white. “I don’t have color to help me with an image. I love working with form, texture and light and the complexities inherent in each of them,” she says. Although the beauty is just out her window, Benjamin seeks most of her subject matter in the backcountry. Originals range from $275 to $2,000. Matted prints cost about $25. She has also published two books of photography, “if you listen” and “Telluride: Landscapes and Dreams.” Visit eileenbenjamin.com.