John Batdorff is an award-winning travel and street photographer in Chicago and a nationally recognized authority on black and white photography. Splitting his time between Chicago and Montana, John enjoys the solitude of the countryside as well as the bustling city, finding subjects to photograph in both places.
John has authored several books — including “Black and White: From Snapshots to Great Shots,” “Travel and Street Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots,” “Nikon D7100 From Snapshots to Great Shots,” and “Plug In with Nik: A Photographer’s Guide to Creating Dynamic Images with Nik Software.” He especially loves black and white photography because of the strong compositions, textures, and timeless feel. Growing up in the newspaper industry, he “learned to visualize things in black and white,” and he has used that ability to create his own monochromatic style including high-contrast, highly-textured images.
John’s work has been featured in the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the Travel Photographer and Digital Photo Experience.
John and his partner Staci, the studio manager, lead destination workshops in Death Valley, Yellowstone, New York, and Italy. They also offer several workshops in Chicago and private mentoring in photography and Lightroom in their studio in Chicago.