Benjamin Krain

ABOUT THE ASSIGNMENT: MOMENTS IN THE MARSHALL'S

BEST - WORST - AND BEST AGAIN
I was in Micronesia surrounded by the bluest water I had ever seen, way better than the Caribbean, and everyday was sunny. Working with Chris is always a good time and we were living like islanders for a week. How can I choose a greatest moment when they were all great? Not to say that I didn't work hard every day though.
I thought the story desperately needed an aerial view to show just how long and skinny the atolls are. On the second to last day, I spotted a small helicopter on a large Chinese ship and hired a boat driver get me there. After boarding the ship and asking around, I found the pilots room and knocked on his door. He was a Philippine man working with a Columbian mechanic who said they would be happy to take me up but it had to be quick because the ship was headed out to sea very soon. We were in the helicopter and ready to take off when suddenly the Majuro police shut us down. I thought they were after me for boarding the boat, but it turns out they wanted to question the pilot about two bodies that had washed ashore. It turns out that two Philippine men from this very boat had disappeared the day before and were found floating in the lagoon this morning. The cops took the pilot to id the bodies and said he would return soon. I waited for almost 4 hours and was then told that the ship would be leaving as soon as he gets back. What a huge disappointment. I wasted most of my day and didn’t get the picture I needed.
The next day was my last and I still had a long list of issues to cover. Chris and I were headed in a boat to a nearby primitive island when we passed that same ship. The police had held the boat's departure for an investigation. I boarded the boat again, found the pilot and was in the air within 10 minutes. I offered to pay him but he told me he was satisfied with just being able to speak English with someone. What a nice guy. I hope they didn't arrest him later.

WEIRDEST
When I was working on the islands the access was unbelievable. I learned I could walk into any place and start taking pictures without any credentials or approval. On the rare times I was questioned, all I had to do was mention that I was from Arkansas and everyone in the room immediately became excited and let me do whatever I wanted. It was so weird that everyone of every age range on the islands has heard of Springdale, Arkansas. They would love to drop names of friends and relatives who they knew had moved there. They all spoke so highly of Springdale and how great it is to work the overnight shift in a chicken factory in the Ozarks. What a strange irony that everyone I knew in Arkansas considered paradise to be on South Pacific islands, with no schedule and great fishing.

BIOGRAPHY
Ben picked up his first camera midway through college at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, where he graduated in 1994 with degrees in journalism and art. He started working professionally in 1995 at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette where his unique style of photojournalism earned him assignments all over the world. He has been published in several national magazines and won dozens of major awards, including being named Photographer of the Year for 4 years in a row by the Arkansas Press Photographers Association and winning the Grand Prize for Editor & Publisher's Photos of the Year in 2004. Ben lives with his wife and two children in Little Rock, which has been his home for over 20 years.

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