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Ben Garvin

Minneapolis documentary photographer & filmmaker

Each time I pick up the camera, I try to capture the world as it is. To listen without judgement, create space where subjects feel safe and heard, and be there for moments that highlight our shared humanity.  My work focuses on documentary storytelling for journalism, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations.

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(Recent editorial work  includes video coverage for The New York Times documenting federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.)

Telling stories and creating change through moment driven photojournalism.

Ben Garvin filming with a cinema camera among people carrying protest signs.

Moment-driven, human-centered filmmaking that puts people at ease to capture authentic stories--from run-and-gun field production to cinematic multicamera interviews.

Close-up portrait of an older man with blue eyes, a white beard, and a yellow mustache.

Drawing on a 25-year career in photojournalism for major newspapers and The New York Times, I specialize in capturing the unposed, defining moments of real life.

Ben Garvin holding a drone controller on a roadside with a drone hovering nearby.

FAA-certified drone cinematography and high-resolution stills--capturing unique perspectives that add cinematic scale and a fresh point of view to any project.

People reviewing footage at an editing workstation with video timelines and color grading tools on the monitors.

A full-service creative partnership with producer Lindsey Seavert and editor Renny McCauley -- from initial scripting and storyboarding to polished documentaries and snappy social media cut-downs. 

Love Them First

I co-directed, shot, and edited Love Them First, a duPont-Columbia award-winning feature documentary following Minneapolis principal Mauri Melander Friestleben as she fought to lift Lucy Laney Elementary (  a school at the bottom of Minnesota's underperforming list for two decades) off "the list."

It won the 2020 Alfred I. duPont Award, one of journalism's highest honors. More importantly, it's the most meaningful work of my career and proof that film can make a real difference in the world.
 

Available on Amazon Prime and YouTube.

Moment driven, beautifully shot video revealing the humanity in all people.

Commercial Clients

Xcel Energy

Macalester College

Carleton College
University of St. Thomas

University of Minnesota
IES Medical Group
Children's MN Hospital

Chicago Marathon

Marine Corps Marathon

Editorial Clients
New York Times

Washington Post
Wall Street Journal

PBS Newshour

VICE News

MPR News/APM Reports

Getty Images

Kartemquin Films

Atlantic Pictures

Frequently Asked Questions

Ben Garvin wearing headphones and holding a professional video camera outdoors.

About Ben Garvin

Minneapolis documentary filmmaker and video journalist Ben Garvin has spent over 25 years capturing the moments that define our shared humanity. 

 

From his duPont Award-winning film Love Them First to his recent work for The New York Times documenting the federal ICE surge in Minnesota, Ben brings a journalist’s perspective and a filmmaker’s heart to every project.

Let's Work Together

bengarvin@gmail.com
612-910-1499 (mobile)
2717 E 42nd St
Minneapolis, MN 55406

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© 2026 by Ben Garvin Media.

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