Harry Benson

Harry Benson, the Scottish photographer who came to America with the Beatles in 1964 and never went back, was faced with a lot of questions from fans at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens on Saturday.

How did you convince Willie Nelson to pose naked in a bath tub? Don’t ask for permission.

How did you get the photo of Bill and Hillary Clinton clinching like teenage lovers? Persuasion and patience.

Having photographed every U.S. president since Dwight Eisenhower, which was the most difficult? Barack Obama wasn’t fun. 

After touring the exhibit of his photos, Benson and his wife Gigi had lunch with Karyn Lamb, Francis and Jeff Fisher, Margret Horgan, David Miller and Jane Manus. Then Benson signed books, starting with his latest, “Paul” (McCartney.) Benson, who had taken a number of images of Muhammad Ali, was wondering why there were no boxers worth shooting these days. I didn’t have a good answer. If there were a boxer worthy, Harry would have him in focus.

A curated compilation of award-winning photographs shot by Harry Benson over his seven-decade-long career featured on Quest’s October 2019 cover.