Alum Telling Stories With His Pictures

For as far back as Ben Cleeton '13 can remember, his parents encouraged him to pursue an artistic career. So it was no surprise when, as a 2nd grader at Geneseo Elementary, he brought his own art show to school one day. "I had found objects and sculptures and paintings. I did a lot with dragons and there were some masks too," he recalls. A story about his art show was featured in the local newspaper. Little did he or anyone know at the time, it was the beginning of him showing off his work to large audiences.

Just two months ago Cleeton came to the Onondaga Community College campus to shoot pictures for the New York Times. "I was excited! I'm familiar with this place. It was sweet to come back." Cleeton was photographing "Girls Going Tech," an event sponsored by Micron which introduced 8th grade girls to STEM-related careers through a series of hands-on activities and small group conversations with women in STEM-related industries. He shot hundreds of photographs, one of which appeared in the New York Times.

Much of the foundation for Cleeton's career success can be traced back to his time on the OCC campus. He graduated from Pittsford Sutherland High School in the Rochester area in 2011 and decided to come to OCC after visiting campus with his father who began his college education here. Bill Gandino started attending OCC when it was located in downtown Syracuse at Midtown Plaza, and completed his Liberal Arts degree at the current campus on Onondaga Hill. He was also a photographer and Vietnam Veteran. Photographs he shot during the war would eventually be part of a gallery exhibit at OCC.

When father and son visited campus, they were shown around by one of Gandino's long time family friends who was also an OCC professor, Deb Haylor-McDowell. "I felt very comfortable with her and I knew right away OCC was where I wanted to go to college," Cleeton said.

While his primary focus of study was Photography, OCC's curriculum required him to take several Art classes which broadened his horizons. "It was difficult but I grew up an artist and it was challenging in a good way. The mix of Art and Photography was really challenging and helped me a lot." One of those Art classes which spilled over into his photography was Color Theory taught by Professor Haylor-McDowell. Cleeton says principles learned in that class are something which are part of his work every day. 

Cleeton completed his OCC degree in 2013 and transferred to Syracuse University where he would earn his bachelor's in Photojournalism two years later. But even while he was a student at SU, his connection to OCC continued to open doors for him. One of his OCC Professors, Jim Scherzi, specialized in food photography and commercial work. One of his clients was Jersey Mike's, the submarine sandwich chain. He hired Cleeton to work with him after he graduated from S.U. "Jim was a huge help. He taught me things like how to open your own business, how much to charge, things like that. He gave me the confidence to get started and develop my clientele. I'd get some work from him and develop my clients along the way."

While Cleeton was a student at S.U., he started working on an independent project he titled, "The Town." It was an extensive series of photos and videos which illustrated how challenging life was in Syracuse for those living in areas with the highest incarceration rates right next to the elevated portion of Interstate 81 and on the city's south side. He's turning his work into a documentary series and two photo books. The first book will be titled "Green Eyes" after a gentleman whose stepdaughter he met while attending OCC. Cleeton photographed Green Eyes while he was out on bail and about to go to jail. The photos help tell the story of his family and how his incarceration impacts all of them. "As I was shooting this I realized a lot about myself, including that I was pretty good at fitting into any setting and making people feel comfortable with my presence."

2019 was a year of highs and lows for Cleeton. Throughout his life his biggest booster was his mother Elaine, a Sociology professor at SUNY Geneseo. "She loved the arts, really encouraged me to pursue it, and was a huge supporter." Dr. Elaine Cleeton passed away that year at age 68. That same year he applied to the New York Times for a portfolio review. The process is extremely selective and provides those chosen the opportunity to speak with editors from newspapers across the country. Cleeton was invited, impressed the New York Times, and a month later they published something of his titled "Ghost Town." "Once this happened, I got a huge boost. I started getting more work from them and it's really taken off." The New York Times also hired Cleeton to shoot photos for a story on the elevated portion of Interstate 81 which passes through Syracuse and the effort to remove it.

Ten years after receiving his first college degree, Cleeton's professional future is looking bright. "I think my career is right where it's supposed to be. I miss OCC. SU was great, but there's something about OCC I missed when I was at SU. You can really stand out here and professors will gravitate toward you and really help you if you show your interest and take initiative. You don't always have that at big universities."