{"id":31069,"date":"2017-03-15T10:33:49","date_gmt":"2017-03-15T14:33:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=31069"},"modified":"2017-03-30T16:16:39","modified_gmt":"2017-03-30T20:16:39","slug":"meet-a-pro-sony-artisan-and-filmmaker-ben-moon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-a-pro-sony-artisan-and-filmmaker-ben-moon\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet a Pro: Sony Artisan and Filmmaker Ben Moon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I stood at the bar of the Ace Theater in downtown L.A. waiting for a man who had made me sob&#8230;I mean, like, ugly crying. We hadn\u2019t actually met before, but photographer and filmmaker Ben Moon\u2019s, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/P2zQbsEGh_Q\">Denali<\/a>,\u201d a documentary about his last days spent with this dying dog, had captured my heart&#8230;as it had about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/adventure\/features\/ben-moon-denali-puppy\/\">15 million other viewers<\/a> after it went viral online a few years ago.<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<div class=\"iframe-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/122375452?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/center><a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/122375452\">Denali<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/feltsoulmedia\">FELT SOUL MEDIA<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\">Vimeo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The 41-year old Sony Artisan and portrait photographer had agreed to meet with me on the eve of the annual Yeah Field Trip photo convention we were both attending in Lake Arrowhead, California. The four day \u201cmeetup\u201d is a chance for creatives and artists to unplug, make art and get inspired, all while hanging out on a beautiful campsite with nature as our biggest muse. The convention organizers were hosting an opening night party at the hipster hotel hangout in downtown L.A. and invited all attendees and convention workshop leaders to the party.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31071\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31071\" style=\"width: 1786px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31071\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_074-bio.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of Ben Moon. Meet a Pro, Adorama\" width=\"1786\" height=\"2500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_074-bio.jpg 1786w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_074-bio-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_074-bio-732x1024.jpg 732w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1786px) 100vw, 1786px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31071\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Portrait of Ben Moon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And it definitely was a party. I showed up early to a dancefloor full of young photographers and filmmakers all excited to meet and travel to the mountain together in the morning to share ideas and inspiration. Knowing a little bit about Moon\u2019s story from the film, I knew that he himself had survived a particularly aggressive form of cancer. After a seemingly miraculous recovery, he is cancer free, but even so, I wasn\u2019t expecting the vivacious, ball of energy that ended up walking into the room. Only five minutes deep into our first conversation, Moon was already thinking out loud about trying to find a good spot to surf in the morning after the all-night dance party.<\/p>\n<p>Moon is an avid surfer and rock climber, and it\u2019s not unusual for him to burst into a spontaneous climb of his immediate environs (even if it\u2019s just a patio archway) as he did at one point while we were waiting for a Sony meeting a few days later during the convention.\u00a0 Guided by his sheer joy and sincere appreciation for being alive, Moon\u2019s portrait work is a love letter to humankind.\u00a0 Capturing the energy of the soul, that is otherwise transient, Ben\u2019s photos memorialize his subjects.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31076\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31076\" style=\"width: 1667px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31076\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_130811_castlearete_0295.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1667\" height=\"2500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_130811_castlearete_0295.jpg 1667w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_130811_castlearete_0295-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_130811_castlearete_0295-683x1024.jpg 683w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1667px) 100vw, 1667px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31076\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sonnie Trotter climbing the stunning Castle Arete on Castle Mountain near Banff, Alberta. Sam Eastman is belaying. \u00a9 Ben Moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31075\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31075\" style=\"width: 2160px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31075\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_120218_joshuatree_1523.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2160\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_120218_joshuatree_1523.jpg 2160w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_120218_joshuatree_1523-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_120218_joshuatree_1523-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2160px) 100vw, 2160px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31075\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sonnie Trotter throwing a flag on the classic and committing boulder problem Planet X in Joshua Tree National Park, California. \u00a9 Ben Moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31074\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31074\" style=\"width: 1484px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31074\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_111116_TheProphet_446.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1484\" height=\"2160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_111116_TheProphet_446.jpg 1484w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_111116_TheProphet_446-206x300.jpg 206w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_111116_TheProphet_446-704x1024.jpg 704w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1484px) 100vw, 1484px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31074\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">All alone on El Cap, and in the evening glow, Sonnie Trotter sends the crux A1 Beauty pitch during the second ascent of &#8220;The Phophet&#8221;, a bold and dangerous route rated 5.13d R that was established on the right side of El Capitan by Leo Houlding and Jason Pickles. Will Stanhope is the belayer and Sonnie&#8217;s partner during the 5 week push working on the route. Yosemite Valley, California. \u00a9 Ben Moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Moon is a self-taught photographer who never really planned on making a career out of his hobby.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve shot for Patagonia for the last 15 years and they call me their &#8216;utility guy&#8217; because I shoot climbing and surf and lifestyle, and you know all of the other outdoor adventures,\u201d says Moon.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSurf has been something that has always inspired me and now that I live on the Oregon coast I have been surfing a lot more consistently.\u00a0 When I was sick with cancer, and through any hard experience, I always go to the ocean, because that is what refreshes me and grounds me and reminds me that there is something far bigger than myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite the ocean being one of his biggest muses, Moon didn\u2019t grow up near the beach. Born in New Orleans and raised in Western Michigan along the shores of the Great Lakes, Moon went to school to study sports medicine. After having trouble finding a job in his field and going through some personal life shifts that ultimately led him to move to Oregon, he decided to pick up a camera and start shooting as a hobby. \u201cMy first camera was a Nikon N90s. I was shooting everything on Velvia 50 and Provia 100 slide film back in those days. It was hard to learn back then, you know. You had to send it into the lab, and if you&#8217;re a third stop off, your photo is no good and there wasn&#8217;t the immediate feedback you have now. But I&#8217;m really grateful for that because it taught me a lot. I shot on film with the Nikon rig for five years before I switched to digital using Canon cameras for a decade. Now I&#8217;ve been using the Sony mirrorless system for the last two and a half years.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31080\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31080\" style=\"width: 2099px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_151202_DanielNorris_0553.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2099\" height=\"1400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_151202_DanielNorris_0553.jpg 2099w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_151202_DanielNorris_0553-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_151202_DanielNorris_0553-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2099px) 100vw, 2099px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31080\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Ben Moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31079\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31079\" style=\"width: 3000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31079\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_151129_DanielNorris_0380.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"3000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_151129_DanielNorris_0380.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_151129_DanielNorris_0380-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_151129_DanielNorris_0380-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31079\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Ben Moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31078\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31078\" style=\"width: 2800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31078\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_150107_maui_135.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2800\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_150107_maui_135.jpg 2800w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_150107_maui_135-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_150107_maui_135-1024x731.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2800px) 100vw, 2800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31078\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maui. \u00a9 Ben Moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Although he is now enjoying commercial success, it was a long and winding road that led him here. At 29, Moon was traveling out west, living in a camper van with his dog, Denali.\u00a0 He spent his days shooting film, picking up commercial work for Patagonia and other outdoor companies, and the rest of his free time surfing, rock climbing, and generally exploring, \u201cwithout a care in the world,\u201d he recalls.\u00a0 It was around that time that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.<\/p>\n<p>Moon says of the diagnosis, \u201cIt definitely shifted my perspective a lot. I mean suddenly you&#8217;re forced to focus on survival and living in the moment and all those things that initially were kind of important &#8211;\u00a0 photographing people\/athletes at their peak performance, like on the hardest climbs or on the biggest waves &#8211; it kind of became a lot less important.\u201d\u00a0 Moon started to look at his connections with others and friendships in a whole different way. Especially his connection with his most loyal friend, Denali.<\/p>\n<p>After the film was so well-received, Moon says it was the thousands of letters and emails he received from people he had never met that really helped him to shift his focus. Moon explains, \u201cThe letters really made me realize how important it is to get real with your story and be authentic and vulnerable in your storytelling.\u201d\u00a0 In an era of highly curated social media stories, sometimes that realness gets lost. What is left, says, Moon, is a \u201ccraving to be able to connect with others and see what\u2019s deeper, not just the pretty part of our lives.\u201d\u00a0 The filmmaker credits this revelation with inspiring his next project.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31077\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31077\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31077\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_140822_Filippa_1097.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2997\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_140822_Filippa_1097.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_140822_Filippa_1097-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/benmoon_140822_Filippa_1097-683x1024.jpg 683w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31077\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Ben Moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31081\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31081\" style=\"width: 1365px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31081\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoonPhoto_AriShapiro_040-Edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1365\" height=\"1911\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoonPhoto_AriShapiro_040-Edit.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoonPhoto_AriShapiro_040-Edit-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoonPhoto_AriShapiro_040-Edit-731x1024.jpg 731w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1365px) 100vw, 1365px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31081\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Portrait of Ari Shapiro, NPR international correspondent, in Portland Oregon. Photo \u00a9 Ben Moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cAfter dealing with cancer, I feel like it shifted me to want to connect with others more and I started a portrait project that I just call the Faces project.\u00a0 I use natural light and an 85mm lens to make portraits of some of the people who have inspired me most. Right now, I&#8217;m using the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/isoa7r2.html\">Sony A7Rii <\/a>and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/iso8514gm.html\">85mm f\/1.4 G Master lens<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 It&#8217;s such an amazing combination&#8230; with so much detail,\u201d says Moon.\u00a0 Shooting his subjects anywhere he can find a similar quality of natural light, he then processes the images in black and white, giving them an almost tintype feel. Speaking about the project, Moon explains, \u201cI eventually want to do a book and a show, but it has been a really fun project over the years just to give back, you know, and capture the people that have inspired me, but also just to be able to show who they are to the world as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the Faces project, Moon says that his future plans are to \u201ccontinue pushing myself and learning new mediums that will get me out of my comfort zone. I\u2019ve been working on writing a memoir about my friendship with Denali and my experience with cancer, growing my career, and all the experiences in between.\u201d\u00a0 Moon says he\u2019s spent the better part of last year working on the book proposal, and explains, \u201cwriting is almost the most basic of all the art forms, yet one of the most challenging.\u00a0 When I\u2019m filming and photographing, I\u2019m capturing what\u2019s in front of me, but with writing, I have to dig deep and find that story.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 But the filmmaker says that writing and visual storytelling work organically together, explaining, \u201cEssentially, all the pictures we take, no matter how we share them in social media or films, it all comes back to the story. Writing has taught me a lot about crafting a story, and photography teaches me a lot about composition and how to capture a lot of elements in a single frame.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31072\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31072\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31072\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoon_070421_oz_ddive_010.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoon_070421_oz_ddive_010.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoon_070421_oz_ddive_010-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoon_070421_oz_ddive_010-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31072\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Belinda Baggs ducking underneath a wave in New South Wales, Australia. \u00a9 Ben Moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31073\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31073\" style=\"width: 2230px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31073\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoon_091022_Nelscott09_237.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2230\" height=\"1487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoon_091022_Nelscott09_237.jpg 2230w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoon_091022_Nelscott09_237-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoon_091022_Nelscott09_237-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2230px) 100vw, 2230px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31073\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aerial image shot from a small single engine Cessna plane of professional surfer Peter Mel outrunning a 25 foot plus wave after it broke while competing in the 2009 Nelscott Reef big wave surf contest in Lincoln City, Oregon. Contestants were using the assistance of personal watercraft for transport to the reef which is nearly 3\/4 of a mile offshore, as well as for safety and to tow in to catch the waves. image \u00a9 2009 Ben Moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31082\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31082\" style=\"width: 2051px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31082\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoonPhoto_KB-LakeLouise_050.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2051\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoonPhoto_KB-LakeLouise_050.jpg 2051w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoonPhoto_KB-LakeLouise_050-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/BenMoonPhoto_KB-LakeLouise_050-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2051px) 100vw, 2051px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31082\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 2014 Ben Moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Moon explains that becoming a Sony Artisan and switching to Sony\u2019s mirrorless system has really helped him reach some of his photography goals.\u00a0 \u201cThe Sony sensors are phenomenal in regards to the amount of detail I can pull out of the highlights and the shadows.\u00a0 In my portrait series, I feel like I can really capture the depth and feeling that I\u2019m looking for. The new G Master 85mm lens is insane.\u201d\u00a0 Moon also appreciates the intuitiveness of the camera\u2019s custom buttons and seeing a live view of the exposure in the viewfinder, describing how useful it is in the field, \u201cWhen I&#8217;m in the moment, like hanging off a cliff a thousand feet off the ground, I don&#8217;t have a lot of time to check the back of my camera and play around with in the settings. I&#8217;m watching my exposure in real time and know that everything is dialed in. It keeps me in the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But ultimately, Moon wants other photographers to know that it isn\u2019t the camera you decide to use that will make you a successful photographer.\u00a0 For those looking to make a career out of photography, Moon advises, \u201cJust go shoot what you love.\u00a0 I feel like I&#8217;ve been trying to do what I love for the last 15 years, and it keeps working.\u00a0 So just really try to capture the moments that you really appreciate, and then others will appreciate it as well. Don&#8217;t follow a trend, just be yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To see more of Ben Moon\u2019s work visit his website at: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.benmoon.com\/\">https:\/\/www.benmoon.com\/<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ben_moon\/\">@ben_moon<\/a> on Instagram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Moon is a self-taught photographer who never really planned on making a career out of his hobby.  Although he is now enjoying commercial success, it was a long and winding road from living in a camper van with his dog, Denali, to making a film that would touch the hearts of millions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":165,"featured_media":31083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17773,10714,10715,17770],"tags":[12289,14423,14422,1910,5994,14051,10726,11323,11180],"class_list":["post-31069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camera-reviews-photography","category-features","category-photo-features","category-photography","tag-adventure-photography","tag-ben-moon","tag-denali","tag-lifestyle-photography-1910","tag-meet-a-pro-5994","tag-meetapro","tag-sony-a7rii","tag-sony-artisan","tag-surf-photography"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Meet a Pro: Sony Artisan and Filmmaker Ben Moon - Adorama<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Moon is a self-taught photographer who never really planned on making a career out of his hobby. 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