Ben Moon

Jacob Jonas @jacobjonasthecompany is incredibly talented artist, choreographer and cancer survivor. Along with his company @__jjtc__ he has collaborated with renowned many musical artists and created powerful and groundbreaking works that transcend the norms of the dance world. At age 30 Jacob was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma, caused as a side effect of the drug he had been prescribed to control his Crohn’s disease symptoms. I first reached out to Jacob this winter after seeing an unflinching series of portraits he had documented during his cancer journey that are featured in his memoir Cemented Beauty. After few in-depth conversations, he invited me to come speak on a panel with him during the premiere for his new project Keeping Score, a three part performance about the trauma that led to his illness, the cancer journey and returning life after facing his mortality. Witnessing Jacob and his company bringing this deeply personal and vulnerable work to life was a profoundly healing experience for me as I related to many aspects of his journey. We shot these portraits just moments before he stepped onstage for an all day performance of Keeping Score at @broadstage_sm . I asked Jacob to tap into the feeling of where this project all began and the purpose behind creating it which brought forward many emotions in him. The hug we shared afterward was a deep knowing of what both of us have experienced in both our cancer journeys and in sharing those stories publicly through our art. The moment was captured by @joshuabgeyer . #jacobjonasthecompany #moon_faces #bwportrait

New YouTube Video is OUT! My buddy Ben has created such an awesome life for himself on the Oregon Coast. It was so fun getting to hop into his world for the day and give you all a glimpse of what the life of Ben Moon looks like. Link in Bio🌲 • Filmed by @learmiller & @gothbabemusic Edited by @gothbabemusic

GFC 🤝 Rivian Community Event this Saturday 🤠 Join us this Saturday, April 19 at the Rivian Venice Space for a meet and greet with our friend @ben_moon 🤘Come on by to check out the V2 pro on Ben's R1T and ask us any questions you may have! Link to RSVP can be found in our story 🤙 Date: Saturday, April 19 Time: 10AM-2PM Location: Rivian Venice Space 660 Venice Blvd Venice, CA 90291 #gofastcampers #rivian #rivianr1t

This past year has been a metamorphosis, a time of reflection and growth. For those who are not familiar with my story, I am a photographer, filmmaker, athlete, author and public speaker. I’ve worked as a freelance creative for 23 years, getting my start as an adventure photographer for companies like @patagonia (thank you Jane Sievert) as I traveled to rock climbing destinations throughout the west with my late pup Denali, living out of a Subaru wagon and later a camper van. The time I’ve spent in full-time #vanlife now totals over seven years. I survived a battle with colon cancer at age 29, and spoke about that journey in a short film and tribute to my dog called “Denali” that reached millions worldwide. This story was shared in much great details in my memoir  “Denali: A Man a Dog and the Friendship of a Lifetime” that was published by @penguinbooks in 2020, just as the pandemic immobilized the globe. Around that time I built my home here on the Oregon coast with the help of my dad and close friends, a journey I am now chronicling for my second book.  I am a @changemakertalent speaker and an ambassador for @rivianofficial . As my 50th birthday approaches in April, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to use my skills as a storyteller and the lessons from all the challenges I’ve overcome to be a help to others. This creative path continues to motivate me and there are some exciting new things on the horizon that I will share more about soon! As we all face these times of uncertainty, I’ve been been thinking about a quote from @lancearmstrong ’s memoir It’s Not About the Bike: “We have unrealized capacities that sometimes only emerge in a crisis.” My sister gave me a signed copy of this book twenty years ago, as I underwent surgery to remove the colorectal cancer tumor. During that time of disorienting struggle I recognized what matters most is our relationships, community and those we can be a help to —  all things that feel even more relevant today.  #moon_faces #bwportrait

Moments of cosmic wonder… Witnessing the aurora at my home beach was a surreal experience. To share the moment with my good friend @jonswiftmusic - the legendary astrophysicist, musician and surfer - was even more special. We ran around laughing and snapping photos as the moon set over the ocean and the sky shifted tones from red to pink to green. It is mind blowing the color and detail modern camera sensors can pick up beyond what’s visible to the naked eye. These images were captured with the @sonyalpha A1 and my favorite lens for nighttime imagery, the tiny but powerful #sonyalpha 14mm 1.8 GM. The first two images are 30 second exposures shot at f1.8 and 800 ISO. The third image was a 2 second exposure at f1.8 and 12800 ISO. I rarely use a tripod for still images — for these I used the amazingly lightweight and stable @peakdesign carbon fiber Travel Tripod. #sonyambassador #shotonsony #aurora

Great weekend. @ben_moon earned his blue belt! …and we got some fun rolls in with our crew!@gracie_technics_troutdale @gracietechnicsbeaverton @technicsjiujitsu

Dr. Shireen Rahimi @dr.shireenrahimi is an underwater filmmaker, marine anthropologist, and @natgeo Explorer whose work highlights human connections with the ocean. Shireen is dedicated to telling stories that encourage action to preserve our natural world, especially below the surface of the ocean where she documents the scientists working to preserve it and the impacts of climate change on tropical coral reefs. I met Shireen at @theohanafest where we shared the Storyteller stage on a panel with @mclain.david and @andy_mann about the power of story. Thank you Shireen for all the deep conversations, laughs and the work you do to protects our oceans! Shot on the @sonyalpha A7CR and the new #sonyalpha 85mm 1.4 GM II at f/2.5. I love this compact combo for its high resolution, beautiful bokeh, and fast autofocus - so wild to have a kit this phenomenal that weighs half of what I used to carry for portraits like these. #moon_faces #sonyambassador #shotonsony #oceanguardians #bwportrait

What a weekend it was—we’ll be buzzing for a while! We can’t thank everyone who made this happen enough. We’re immensely grateful to all of you who came out and embraced what felt like the first real days of a Maine fall. Despite the misty and chilly conditions, we were thrilled to welcome both new and old friends to our space. A heartfelt thank you to our incredible vendors for showcasing their crafts, to our generous sponsors for their support, and to everyone who attended—whether you came to discover Surf Re-Evolution, stumbled upon us, have attended all 11 re-evolutions, connected with our community, or were simply in it for a good time. We appreciate each and every one of you! Stay tuned for more on what took place at #SurfReEvolution 2024 🤙 🙏 @finisterre @edurabuildingsystem @allagashbrewing @drinkspindrift @parley.tv @thenevadahotel @kitsupplyandco @lonesprucecreative @outerknown @theopbox

New episode out now with Ben Moon (@ben_moon ), a photographer and filmmaker who often captures moments in the outdoors – including around his passions of rock climbing and surfing. Dogs have been important companions for Ben throughout his life. His dog Denali was a sidekick in his late 20s and into his 30s as Ben dealt with divorce, lived out of his van, wandered the great outdoors, created a career in photography and filmmaking, and recovered from being diagnosed with colon cancer at 29 years old. Their journey is captured in the short film Denali, which has now been seen by two million people, and a memoir of the same name that Ben wrote in 2020. Now in a new phase of his life, Ben is learning from his current dog Nori about the satisfaction of being rooted in a place, and finding community there. In this conversation, Ben speaks with Dr. Sharon Holland (@theprofessorstable ) about his journey with Denali and Nori. To hear the episode, visit dogsavethepeople.com at the link in our bio. 🐶🎙 You can also listen and subscribe to Dog Save The People on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

David Burnett @davidburnettfoto is a legendary photojournalist who is a personal hero of mine. He has received countless awards and accolades over his illustrious 60 year career, but it is David’s humility, kindness, insatiable curiosity and his continual motivation to make new imagery that make him a true joy to share time with. At age 78 he could easily rest on his laurels but he continues to make timeless images, and will gladly take the time to tell you stories about how his photos were made. Some of my favorite images from his archive are the iconic photographs he captured with Bob Marley at home in Jamaica and on tour in the 1970’s, found in the book Soul Rebel. David is also known making images at the Olympics with a very unique camera to shoot sports with, a 1950s Graflex Speed Graphic medium format camera with a 1943 AeroEktar 178mm f2.5 lens. Please check out his work at davidburnett.com Thank you for the endless inspiration David! Truly grateful to call you a friend. This portrait was shot during our time at this year’s #sonykandotrip with the @sonyalpha A1 and the phenomenal new #sonyalpha 85mm 1.4 GM II lens at f2.5 - it’s smaller, sharper and faster than the original version, with the most incredible bokeh. #moon_faces #sonyambassador#bwportrait #shotonsony

Sometimes life’s about speeding up, sometimes it’s about slowing down… finding your right speed makes all the difference

No one knows how to explore in the R1T as well as adventure photographer @ben_moon . We are so happy to finally be able to collaborate and get him in a proper camper for that truck that he’s stood by since the beginning 🙏 Come check out our first prototype on Ben’s personal truck this weekend at the @overlandexpo PNW 🙌🏼