ABOUT | Mysite

About Bollin Madison Millner, Jr.

I am a Richmond, VA based photographer passionate about capturing the quiet poetry of every day spaces - often just outside my door.

Although my passion for photography started early - in the late 1960s as a teenager I experimented with my Grandfathers’ Kodak Autographic Jr. camera from the 1920s - life’s demands paused that pursuit for a number of decades. You can see a photograph of my Grandfather's camera a the very end of Gallery 2. I still have it!

Finally, in the 1990s I renewed my interest in photography and purchased my first “serious” camera, a Minolta 35mm single lense reflex. Currently I shoot with a Sony Alpha 7iii. I also enjoy experimenting with a Canon PowerShot. Since my retirement in August 2019 my photographic journey has entered a new, happy, and creative phase.

Because of my natural curiosity and my commitment to ongoing investigations of photography -through museum and gallery shows, web sites and an ever-growing collection of photography books - I am constantly learning more about the art of photography. I also have enjoyed formal classes, at the University of Richmond, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Studio School, and online. Some of what I have learned is shared in my blog which may be reached by clicking the "Blog" the link above.

My Exhibitions & Recognition

Solo Shows

"Life Goes On: Flowers to Seeds" Opening January 22, 2027 at Art Works Galleries in Richmond, VA. Flowers are compelling at every stage of their life cycle. The images in this exhibition include flowers in full bloom as well as those in decline, yet still visually captivating. Ultimately, a flower’s purpose is to produce seeds that enable plants to reproduce, and some seeds are themselves objects of remarkable beauty. This exhibition includes a series of photographs of milkweed seeds, whose unique forms and intricate structures make them especially striking subjects.
“A License to See” (15 images) – Art Works Galleries, Richmond, VA (closed July 2024). Five works sold.
“The Hope of Something Better” (27 images) – Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences, Rocky Mount, NC (May – August 2022). Six works sold.

Recent Exhibitions (2023 – 2026)

Amy Chan of the University of Virginia, selected two of my photographs to be including in the All Media Show at Art Works in Richmond, Va. The show opened on July 24, 2026.
My submissions to the 2026 edition of Black and White Magazine's single image contest may be viewed at this link: https://www.bandwmag.com/photographs?search=Bollin+Millner

Selected for the annual juried “Simply Photography” show for several years at Art Works, in Richmond, Va. including the January 2026 exhibition where "Downtown Richmond 2" (featured in Gallery 2) won third place.
Included in the All Media Show at Art Works (July 2025), with my tulips tryptich, featured in Gallery 1, earning an Honorary Mention from juror Naomi Chung.
Selected for a number of exhibitions at Crossroads Art Center in Richmond, Va including “All That Jazz" (Mar – Apr 2025) and “Flowers” (Sept 2025)
Additional works featured in juried shows at Art Works, Artspace in Richmond, Va. (“Jazz” Feb – Mar 2023) and the Photographic Society of America Member Showcase (Mar 2023 and also April 2026)
Two photographs were displayed at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center Galleries (Nov 2024 – Jan 2025) and the “Moment in Time” show at Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center (July 2025). Both exhibitions were sponsored by the Camera Club of Richmond.

Collections and Commissions

My work is held in private collections in Raleigh, NC, Hermosa Beach, CA, Charlottesville, VA, and Richmond, VA. Permanent acquistions have been made by Virginia Commonwealth University Childrens Hospital and by Stifel Investment Services, Rocky Mount, NC.
Commercial clients include Lighthouse Instruments brochure campaigns (2023 - 2024) and Kai'li Millner Interiors (website photography). In 2026 I produced publicity photographs of John Winn and Irene Ziegler, the writing team for the musical "Safety", which premiered at the Firehouse Theater in Richmond.

I’m an active member of the Photographic Society of America and the Camera Club of Richmond. I invite you to explore my galleries, drop me a line via the Contact page, or follow my reflections and projects on my blog.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Joel Meyerowitz has said, “Once you have a camera in your hand, you have a license to see." This license has encouraged me to slow down, stop, reflect, ponder, and frame the world around me. I celebrate the quiet poetry of ordinary spaces. When I see and then make a photograph, I capture a unique moment with its own form, power, and beauty. I value minimalism and seek to capture a sense of harmony and peace, where the discrete elements in the frame relate to one another in compelling ways.

(Please note: Portions of this website have been edited in accordance with suggestions generated by AI)