I discovered Ben Staley’s portraits via social media. I was blown away by the casual intimacy, by how well he “saw” the subject, and disarmed them long enough to capture that essence.

After some due diligence, where I learned that Staley, “was born in Alaska and raised without electricity or running water,” we struck up a text conversation that covered everything from photography to climbing, from writing and storytelling to sleep hygiene on the road, and eventually his work as a cameraman, director and documentarian. I marveled that he went from spending “a lot of time in the backcountry on horseback and sleeping in a tepee” to withstanding the urban pressure cooker that is Los Angeles and the film business in general.

One night in November 2014 I was organizing some camera gear and realized why I had held onto a Leica M6 body when I hadn’t shot film in a decade: it was for Staley. I understood immediately that he would put it to use and make cool art with it. I knew it would grow on him and force him also to grow. I told him I had it and that he would have it as soon as he showed me proof of a lens purchase, i.e. let’s meet halfway. He mentioned an upcoming job that might justify the purchase. I wasn’t in any rush. Rather, I was certain.

I wrote, “whatever happened in the night the other night—whatever visitation I received—after the few exchanges we have had and looking at your work, learning what little I know of your story, I had the epiphany that ‘this is the perfect camera for him and I am in a position to do something.’ It was just right. A bit selfish of course, but what isn't? I want to see what you do with it. It's also part of how I am relating to people and the world these days .... so, piece it together and I'll hold up my end.”

He did so I did. We met for the first time in a Ventura gym where I was helping teach a seminar in the middle of a three-week road trip. He brought the lens. I brought the camera body. Ben has burned through dozens of rolls of film since that day and we continue to discuss the differences between silver halide and 0s and 1s, recognizing the place and use for each, and pushing a little outside of those zones as we progress.

Ben came to Utah in May 2018 to work on a pilot documentary and stayed an extra day just to spend a bit of time together. Thirteen hours later, after coffee and breakfast, conversation, a podcast, more talking, a hike, a sunset picture session, a filling dinner at the Bayou, and the promise of future collaboration we all went to sleep—exhausted and super-charged at the same time.

That set the tone for future visits and there have been a few in SLC as well as two trips two Death Valley for what we sometimes refer to as meetings of the Fantasy Photographer League. The first rendezvous out there started with a group text, basically, "meet at this campground on this day. Bring firewood and a camera." And we did, to experience and fulfill the words Ben shared on his website, "Images found in the imagination before a flickering firelight. Narrative architecture flowing forth from multiple voices. Untrained. Unrefined. Instinctual oral tradition. Bits of books and movies and experiences and memories and second hand hearsay. Stories."

That link-up resulted in a Zine titled Collaborate 2 (published in early-2020) which features words and images contributed by all seven photographers who found themselves together in Death Valley for 36 hours in late-2019.

Photographs are not Ben's bread and butter. In fact, he makes a living shooting moving images. In his own words he has, "made independent films, dozens of music videos, commercials, documentaries and television programs for Netflix, Discovery Channel, Nat Geo, History Channel, A&E, Spike, Red Bull & many others." While COVID-19 shut down a lot of production in 2020, prompting Ben to seat a YouTube channel to share art and adventures, ideas and imagery, he has returned with a vengeance in 2021, documenting stories in Peru and Africa and, as I write this, I believe he is back out there, on the road, making art. Ben is a storyteller and he draws stories out from all who find themselves around him. That art appeared to have been lost ... but with Ben it is alive, well, and thriving.

Ben has been on the podcast.

Michael, Ben, and all of the cameras a fellow might need.

Ben Staley

Margaux Alvarez

Brian Enos