Eleanor L. Bennett

Eleanor L. Bennett (born 1996) is a British photographer and visual artist. As a result of various successes in competitions and in obtaining publication by major charities and organisations, her work has been continuously exhibited around the world since she was 14 years old.

Early life
Eleanor Bennett was born on the 24th February 1996 at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport and lives with both parents, Danielle Katrina Boyd and John Nigel Bennett, in a country cottage near Stockport, Greater Manchester. Bennett’s grandfather is author Douglas Boyd and her step-grandmother is British flautist Atarah Ben-Tovim. Bennett briefly attended Disley Primary School, but is mainly home-schooled as permitted under Section 19 of the UK Education Act 1996.

Photography
Bennett’s work first came to public attention in 2007, when she was 11 years old, winning the Woodland Trust Mixed Media Art Competition, and in 2009 the first Woodland Trust Nature Detectives Photography Competition. Her photograph was later selected as one of those given away by the Trust as free computer wallpaper in a 2010 promotion. She won the same competition at 13, and the National Geographic Kids Competition at 14. Bennett was the overall category winner as well as "humour" winner in the UK. In the same year Bennett won the World Photography Organisation youth award, Papworth Hospital Trust Photographic Competition (overall winner, under 16 category), and the Mencap 2010 Photography Competition, leading to inclusion in an exhibition which toured Britain. She was also the winner of the 2011 Winstons Wish Calendar Photography Competition, and provided the cover picture for the February 2013 edition of The British Journal of Psychiatry. Bennett was the overall winner of the National Theatre Port Urban Photography Competition, 2013

The area where Bennett grew up features heavily in her work She has taken numerous photographs in Buxton, Disley, Cheshire New Mills, and Derby. This has led to exhibitions in these locations on repeat occasions, her work being exhibited at the Devonshire Dome, New Mill's Artlounge Dark Colours Exhibition, and publication in the 2012 edition of the Disley tourist guides, as well as being published in local newspapers such as The Macclesfield Express and the Stockport Express.

In April 2013, Bennett won the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)Young Environmental Photographer of the Year competition and her winning photographs were exhibited at The Royal Geographical Society building, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 from 10 April – 3 May 2013.

Bennett’s photography has been published in the Telegraph, The Guardian, the BBC News Website, The Big Issue and on the cover of books and magazines in the UK, the United States and Canada (see below).

Bennett cites the natural world, crime, fashion and faces as her main inspirations, as well as photographers and artists such as Russian artist, sculptor, photographer and graphic designer Alexander Rodchenko and American National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. She currently uses a Panasonic FZ38 for most of her work.

Exhibitions and Publications
Bennett’s photographs have been published in exhibitions and magazines across the world, including the Guardian, Escape into Life, and the National Geographic Kids Magazine. She was also the only person from the UK to have her work displayed in the National Geographic and Airbus ‘See the Bigger Picture’ global touring exhibition, during the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity 2010 and was the youngest artist to be displayed in Charnwood Arts Vision 09 Exhibition and New Mills ArtLounge Dark Colours Exhibition. Bennett's latest exhibition, of more than 15 photographs, was held at the Marburae Gallery Macclesfield, Cheshire.

Other exhibitions include:


 * The Jardines del Buen Retiro, Madrid, during the International Book Fair (31 May - 14 June 2011)
 * The Rockefeller center (13–17 September 2010)
 * Zoological Society of London (17–23 May 2010)
 * United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)in Paris(2010)
 * The Environmental Photographer of the year Exhibition (2011)

Bennett’s art is globally exhibited, having shown work in, amongst others, London, Paris, Indonesia, Los Angeles, Florida, Washington, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada, Spain, Germany, Japan and Australia.

Book and Magazine covers
Bennett’s work has been used widely on the covers of magazines and books.


 * Otoliths on-line magazine, southern spring, 2011
 * Pavan, and Other Poems by Gary Beck
 * Stone Highway Review ISSN 2162-3686 (print), 2162-3678 (online), (Volume 2, Issue 1).
 * Recovering The Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing (July 2012, Vol. IV, No 3) ISBN 978-1615991655
 * Scene4 Magazine (April and August 2012) ISSN 1932-3603
 * Cicada Magazine (November/December 2011)
 * Six of the Best from Gold Dust (selection of short plays).
 * The Filth (magazine) Issue 7
 * Neon literary magazine. Issue 31
 * The Manila Envelope literary and art magazine. Issue: Summer 2012
 * Downer magazine. Issue 5, August 2012
 * Hobo Camp Review on-line magazine, Issue 14, summer 2012
 * Vine Leaves Literary Journal (Issue 3, July 2012)
 * Quarter After literary magazine (Issue No 2, July 2012)
 * Dark Fire Fiction webzine for horror readers and writers (Issue 58, July 2012)
 * The Ofi Press Magazine of Mexico City (Issue 19, July 2012)
 * Glint Literary Journal (Volume 3, Spring 2012)
 * Kids' Magination (Issue 11, June 2012)
 * Brittle Star literary magazine (Issue 30)
 * ''Gold Dust Magazine (Issue 21).
 * The Nexxuss arts magazine (Volumes 19 & 20)
 * Of Maia’s Mist by Wil Ogden (novel) ISBN 978-1463799328
 * Dawn Killing Darkness poetry zine, May 2012
 * Stickman Review magazine Vol 2, No. 1
 * "Life Force Magazine"

Articles
Articles by and about Bennett have appeared in The Guardian, The Contemporary Literary Review, Penduline, Arc Magazine, Relate Magazine and many other publications.

Charities
Bennett’s work has been sold to aid charities such as Great Ormond Street children’s hospital, Love Drop and The Red Cross