Climbing Photography By Ben Herndon

Ben is a freelance photographer/writer based in Moscow, Idaho. His work is the result of following around a handful of genuinely-cool people who just happen to play hard in some stunningly-photogenic locales. He has yet to find a more aesthetically-pleasing form of photography than pretty people doing stuff outside.
Ben’s journalistic background means he attempts to tell the whole story, whether through a single shot or an entire essay. His ongoing goal is simple -- to do justice to the relationship between hardcore people and beautiful environments. And also to not go sterile from photographing on a rope for hours.
Capturing that moment, photographer Ben Herndon told National Geographic, "For this shot the real challenge was the constant dripping water from the icicles on the cave ceiling above. And there was the small possibility of Craig skewering me with his crampons. I decided to move directly underneath Craig. The trick was to time the shot when he was looking down to find feet placement, so you end up with this sprawling profile on top of the intense eyes."