WHAT I DO:

Hi, I'm Ben Lehman - Professional photographer and visual storyteller based in Paonia, Colorado.

-Need custom-crafted images that will showcase and tell the story of people, products, organizations, and events in a way that helps them stand out from the rest? Great - let's talk!

-Need fabulous fine art for your walls featuring far beyond Colorado's western slope to invigorate the aesthetic in your home or office? Excellent - I can help.

-Need creative portraiture and artistic editorial-style photographs that capture who you really are? Super - I'm here for you.
 

If you have a custom application in mind, we'll work together to manifest it. 

WHO I AM:

First and foremost, I am an explorer.

Beginning my journey in the New Orleans area, from a very early age I've never been satisfied with second-hand accounts - always gravitating towards the authentic experience of being fully present. This inquisitive nature served me well on backpacking trips as a Boy Scout, backcountry guiding for the Outdoor Education program while studying at Georgetown, and as a conservation worker and environmental educator in national parks from Alaska in North America to New Zealand in the South Pacific. I was delighted to realize a dream in 2005 by accepting a job with the digital media team at National Geographic's Explorer's Hall headquarters in Washington, DC before heading south to the Andes mountains in Ecuador for two years of service as a conservation volunteer with the Peace Corps. Upon returning I embarked on a life-affirming thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, winding 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, a camera never far from my hand.

Throughout all of these experiences, a sense of awe and gratitude combined with a desire for responsible stewardship has characterized my adventures. Blessed with the chance to experience the lessons of serenity, healing, and self-challenge found in wild places, I recognized that that without more people to care for the wild parts of the planet, their future (and thus the future of humanity itself) would remain imperiled. It is my sincere hope that my nature and landscape works inspire viewers to explore and seek to form a personal connection to the beautiful world in which we live. For those who are not able to make the journey themselves, I intend that the images offer viewers a sense of peace and beauty to counteract the stresses and inconveniences of modern life. To traverse the wild world and inspire people with the profound variety of form, natural exuberance, and love that exists in all corners of the globe - that is the dream that I live every day! When I am able to serve and empower responsible businesses and organizations by meeting their needs for custom professional photography, that's just lagniappe...