*** Add your own Memories of Ben to this Thread if you would like, so we can keep them all in one place.
PS. If you have a photo that reminds you of Ben, please post it here too.
As most of you know by now Ben passed away yesterday morning, Saturday June 3rd 2023.
Ben was a friend to many of us here, but to say he was a friend isn't enough. For many of us, he became more like family. He really epitomized the idea of our community here at FocalWorld being a Family, and it's one of the reasons he was cornerstone and pillar of our community. He was friendly, welcoming. Always helpful to new members. Even with photography that was of a type Ben wasn't familiar with, he always had an encouraging word to the person posting it. His positive encouragement will truly be missed.
Ben was always very humble about his photography. He had world class photos he had taken, and even with them he was asking how they could be improved. Ben was always learning and sharing. Asking questions and sharing tips. He was a photographer who gave back to the community.
Though Ben was well into his 80's he was always learning. While landscapes was his forte, over the last 4 or 5 years while he was privately dealing with his cancer, Ben learned about B&W, Infrared, Milky Way, Astro and timelapses. I remember a few years back that one of our members had posted a few timelapses. Over the next 6 months, Ben and I both were learning together how to best do timelapses. We would share with each other the best intervals to use, how best to set up our cameras. And then Ben because interested in learning how to capture Milky Way photos, and so at one of our FocalWorld meetups at Skyline, Factory Butte and Temples of the Sun and Moon, we worked together as Ben learned how to focus his camera in dark, what his best exposures where, etc. It was a fun time, and Ben went on to keep capturing the Milky Way and night sky as he would practice at his favorite local location, Christmas Meadows in Utah.
As Ben and my friendship grew, we had more get togethers, but also we would call on the phone every week or two. Especially when I was traveling and on the road, I would give Ben a call to just chat and talk as the miles passed by. I quickly learned though to not call on Wednesdays as that was the day he would get together with a bunch of his friends at a local restaurant, and while eating lunch they would spend hours solving the worlds problems as he told me.
Ben was also an inspiration in that even with dealing with cancer and in his 80's, he would work out daily in his home gym. Many times I called him and he would answer the phone out of breath, and he would say he was lifting weights. Staying in shape was important, and if Ben answered the phone out of breath, I knew I had caught him working out.
Ben is going to be missed, he lived a full life. It was a fun life, filled full of adventure and humor. He lived a life that many could learn from.
During one of our group meetups, back in 2018 Alan, Rick, myself and Ben met up in the Grand Tetons. We had so much fun together. Ben showed us a couple of his favorite locations, and they were really great locations to photograph from. As I looked back over my photos from that trip, I will share one that I took, that when I saw it this morning instantly reminded me of Ben as he heads off into the great beyond! This is from Schwabachers Landing in Grand Teton National Park.
This is a link to some of Ben's great photography that I have compiled for Ben.
Words, won't be enough. The memories of Ben are great, and words just won't be enough to express our gratitude in knowing Ben.
Jim
PS. If you have a photo that reminds you of Ben, please post it here too.
As most of you know by now Ben passed away yesterday morning, Saturday June 3rd 2023.
Ben was a friend to many of us here, but to say he was a friend isn't enough. For many of us, he became more like family. He really epitomized the idea of our community here at FocalWorld being a Family, and it's one of the reasons he was cornerstone and pillar of our community. He was friendly, welcoming. Always helpful to new members. Even with photography that was of a type Ben wasn't familiar with, he always had an encouraging word to the person posting it. His positive encouragement will truly be missed.
Ben was always very humble about his photography. He had world class photos he had taken, and even with them he was asking how they could be improved. Ben was always learning and sharing. Asking questions and sharing tips. He was a photographer who gave back to the community.
Though Ben was well into his 80's he was always learning. While landscapes was his forte, over the last 4 or 5 years while he was privately dealing with his cancer, Ben learned about B&W, Infrared, Milky Way, Astro and timelapses. I remember a few years back that one of our members had posted a few timelapses. Over the next 6 months, Ben and I both were learning together how to best do timelapses. We would share with each other the best intervals to use, how best to set up our cameras. And then Ben because interested in learning how to capture Milky Way photos, and so at one of our FocalWorld meetups at Skyline, Factory Butte and Temples of the Sun and Moon, we worked together as Ben learned how to focus his camera in dark, what his best exposures where, etc. It was a fun time, and Ben went on to keep capturing the Milky Way and night sky as he would practice at his favorite local location, Christmas Meadows in Utah.
As Ben and my friendship grew, we had more get togethers, but also we would call on the phone every week or two. Especially when I was traveling and on the road, I would give Ben a call to just chat and talk as the miles passed by. I quickly learned though to not call on Wednesdays as that was the day he would get together with a bunch of his friends at a local restaurant, and while eating lunch they would spend hours solving the worlds problems as he told me.
Ben was also an inspiration in that even with dealing with cancer and in his 80's, he would work out daily in his home gym. Many times I called him and he would answer the phone out of breath, and he would say he was lifting weights. Staying in shape was important, and if Ben answered the phone out of breath, I knew I had caught him working out.
Ben is going to be missed, he lived a full life. It was a fun life, filled full of adventure and humor. He lived a life that many could learn from.
During one of our group meetups, back in 2018 Alan, Rick, myself and Ben met up in the Grand Tetons. We had so much fun together. Ben showed us a couple of his favorite locations, and they were really great locations to photograph from. As I looked back over my photos from that trip, I will share one that I took, that when I saw it this morning instantly reminded me of Ben as he heads off into the great beyond! This is from Schwabachers Landing in Grand Teton National Park.
This is a link to some of Ben's great photography that I have compiled for Ben.
Words, won't be enough. The memories of Ben are great, and words just won't be enough to express our gratitude in knowing Ben.
Jim
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