Westcott Top Pro Photographer

Benny Migliorino (Migs) is a Long Island, NY–based environmental portrait artist and filmmaker. With a distinctive blend of technical skill and creative imagination, Migs transforms everyday locations into cinematic, big-budget productions through his mastery of lighting and composition. His work reveals the personality and culture of anyone who steps in front of his camera.

Throughout his career, Migs’ compelling images have been published in magazines such as Long Island Pulse, Nikon World, Popular Science, Shutterbug, Field & Stream, and Popular Photography, among others. In 2015, he published a book with Amherst Media: Alternative Portraiture: Artistic Lighting and Design for Environmental Photography, which educates readers about the role of light in portrait photography. In 2020, he self-published his coffee table book: Project Face Mask, a personal project documenting the impact of COVID-19 on the local workforce and community.

Expanding his creative range, Migs has also established himself in cinematography, producing corporate and business films in a documentary style that engages audiences with authentic storytelling rather than overt sales pitches.

In 2020, he immersed himself in the historic art of wet-plate collodion photography, a process practiced by fewer than 1,000 people worldwide. His dedication to preserving this rare craft was recognized in 2023 when he received a $10,000 grant from the New York State Council on the Arts for his project Portraits with Purpose, which highlights fellow creatives.

Benny considers himself more of a historian than simply a photographer, documenting people and moments with the intent of preserving them for future generations.

“I wake up every morning upset—not because I have to go to work, but because I just wasted hours sleeping when I could’ve been documenting.

Benny Migliorino's Favorite Westcott Gear:

 

Articles by Benny Migliorino

On Location Rapid Box Beauty Dish Final

On Location with the Rapid Box Beauty Dish

This shoot in Sayville, N.Y., involved a last-minute location change. Lauren (the subject) is a chef and owner of a catering hall and market and she was participating in a farm-to-table style fundraiser in Patchogue Village, where I live on Long Island. I had volunteered my services, taking photos of each of the five chefs who were cooking special dishes for the Island to Table event.
Environmental Portrait 1

Environmental Portraiture vs. Location Portraiture

In this informative article and video, New York environmental photographer Benny Migs discusses the differences between environmental portraits and location portraits. Environmental Portraiture I get this question a lot: “What is an environmental portrait”? Environmental portraits are taken of people in an environment that they live, work, rest, or play in.
Modern Pin-Up Photography 9

Modern Pin-Up Photography

The shoot starts with the Yaphank Garage, a restored 1930's-era gas and service station that these days is a museum. It's about 15 minutes from my home in Long Island, New York, and I pass it countless times, each time thinking, I've got to do a shoot here.
Benny Migs - Final Portrait

Speedlite Setup for Portraiture

To capture this portrait of a musician, photographer Benny Migs utilized a four-speedlite setup. Three of these speedlites were modified by the softbox. These 3 speedlites were mounted on the , allowing Benny to maximize his light output. This bracket mounts onto any standard umbrella shaft, like the framework featured in the Apollo softbox series and in most photography umbrellas.

Real Deal Review – The Rapid Box Speedlite Kit

Team Westcott sent portrait and wedding photographer Benny Migs the Westcott Rapid Box in return for a product review. And that's exactly what Benny did in this Real Deal Review video.  Based in Long Island, New York, a majority of Benny's shoots are on-location. This working photographer appreciates the Rapid Box's simple set-up and quick tear-down abilities.