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In a follow-up to his Best of Show win for a photograph of a California poppy at last year’s San Benito County Fair, BenitoLink freelance photojournalist Adam Bell was named Best Photographer in the Hollister Freelance 2026 “Best of San Benito County” poll.
Bell’s competition included Blush Studio, Marisa Duran Photography, Monique Marquez Photography, and Stacy Kutz Photography.
In a statement to BenitoLink, Duran was gracious in her praise for Bell.
“Adam works incredibly hard,” she said. “I admire his commitment to his work. He has so much enthusiasm for photography, and anyone who speaks with him can tell he loves it. It is so cool to see him and his work honored and acknowledged this way.”
Bell, 30, was totally surprised by the honor, even calling the Freelance office to confirm the email that announced his win.
“They said, yes, you won an award,” Bell said. “And I’m like, ‘What?’ I was very shocked. I know a lot of people in this county know who I am, and Hollister knows me very well. But I didn’t know that I was that well-known. It blew my mind, just a little.”
Bell’s interest in photography began seven years ago, when he was drawn to capturing scenes of local beauty as he rode through the county on his electric bike.
“I love how when I take pictures of landscapes it’s like I’m taking a picture of history,” he said. “A picture can last forever, you know, and you can look at it 20 or 30 years from now and remember what that day was like.”
He began posting his images online and developing his social media skills, working with Growing Hearts Garden Center and attending the special-needs support organization Hope Services.
In January 2023, Bell began freelancing as a photographer for BenitoLink which, at the time, had its offices in the Community Foundation Epicenter Building. Bell, who used the building’s Wi-Fi to work on his social media, said he was drawn by the excitement of watching the reporters in action.
“I saw everyone working on their stories there,” he said, “and it seemed to be super cool. I thought, ‘You get a lot of action in this place,’ and I wanted to do that job so bad.”
Since then, BenitoLink Managing Director Leslie David said Bell has constantly improved as a photographer.
“Adam works on new angles and on covering his bases better and better,” she said. “He tries to predict what shots we need. He can handle a parade, which is hard work with a lot of detail that a photojournalist has to get right.”
Bell gradually moved from contributing photos to creating photo essays and writing articles, beginning with an April 2023 story about the Hollister Downtown Association’s annual Spring Clean-Up.
“Adam adds a lot of positive elements to the news organization,” David said. “He is enthusiastic and is always trying to learn more. Having autism can create challenges, but he works with and around them.”
Bell sees his writing as following in the footsteps of his grandmother, Paula Bell, author of “High Tech Writing: How to Write for the Electronics Industry.”
“She would be very proud if she saw me writing for the news,” he said. “She loved writing, and I want to take her passion and keep it going forever.”
Running parallel to his work with BenitoLink, Bell has been expanding his business in every way he can. His table full of prints for sale has become a feature at pop-ups such as live music nights at Mad Pursuit and the weekly Downtown Association Farmers Market. His prints are also for sale at local businesses such as Cafe Con Leche, New Beginnings and Pack and Prints.
Bell’s photography services also include portrait photography, which recently found a happy customer in Araceli Vela, whose father, former Hollister High vice principal Antonio Vela, chose Bell to shoot his daughter’s graduation photos.
“I think the reason Adam was chosen,” she said, “is because they knew he would do a wonderful job and that his services were going to be top-notch. And they certainly are, in my opinion.”
Vela said she was impressed by Bell’s family-friendly nature and his professional demeanor.
“He’s just a very fun person to be around,” she said. “And the way he positioned my family members and me for certain photos, and made sure that certain settings looked the way that they needed to, was phenomenal. If you want a good job on your photos, he’s the right person.”
The success of his businesses and his work with BenitoLink has made Bell confident enough, after eight years of attendance, to leave Hope Services. Bell said he benefited from his time at Hope but now feels he has outgrown it.
“I thought to myself,” he said, “I got a lot of things on my plate, and I feel like I am being successful. I’m getting paid. I’m doing everything that I need to do. Why go to Hope? I feel like I’m ready to be on my own and take on more of what I want to do.”
Adam Bell is on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. He also has his own website with photographs.
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