Mary Jane Bent

Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, I went to a Quaker school called George School in Bucks County, PA, and graduated from Mount Holyoke College a long time ago! It was a good beginning for a person who enjoys the world around her and, even more, the people around her.

After the first few years of recording my children’s antics, I realized how much I loved the photography that I was doing. I had the good fortune of being mentored by a wonderful medical photographer, Marvin Rabinovitz, who hired me part time at Allegheny General Hospital, where I developed many more skills. That began the long saga of my photography career.

I was fortunate to work at a job which allowed me to do what I loved during regular hours so that I could be available to my sons. I remained at Allegheny General for 22 years, growing from a volunteer to a senior photographer to the Director of Photography for the system.

When the parent company went into bankruptcy, I found myself developing a freelance business. One day, I was asked if I’d like to do some temp work for the University of Pittsburgh which turned into a full-time position and I worked there until I retired.

I now take photos of random things which catch my eye and of the people about whom I care and of an occasional person who just intrigues me. Most of all, though I photographed in black and white for a long time, I simply love bright color, so my photos have frequently taken a new direction.