On this episode of The PHYS Podcast, Tyson Martin sits down with National Geographic Explorer, photographer, filmmaker, and conservation storyteller Ben Horton for a conversation about adventure, purpose, impact, and the belief that photography can help change the world.

For more than two decades, Ben has built a career documenting stories at the intersection of exploration, environmental conservation, science, and human resilience. His work has taken him from the remote Arctic to the mountains of Mongolia, from the coastlines of Central America to communities throughout Asia and beyond.

But for Ben, photography has never been solely about creating beautiful images.

It's about creating meaningful ones.

Images capable of informing, inspiring, and occasionally influencing real-world change.

Over the course of more than sixteen years working with National Geographic, Ben has become one of the most respected adventure and documentary photographers in the industry, seamlessly moving between editorial storytelling, conservation work, television production, and large-scale commercial campaigns.

His career has been defined by an uncommon ability to operate in wildly different environments while remaining focused on a singular goal:

Telling stories that matter.

One of the earliest examples of that impact came during a photojournalism investigation on Costa Rica's Cocos Island, where Ben documented illegal shark poaching operations and traced the trade through international markets.

The resulting work was presented directly to government officials and contributed to the expansion of marine protections and the creation of stronger safeguards for critical ocean ecosystems.

It was a powerful reminder that photography can do more than document change.

It can help create it.

Since then, Ben's work has taken him deep into some of the world's most challenging environments, including a 60-day dogsled expedition across Ellesmere Island alongside legendary polar explorer Will Steger, documenting the realities of climate change in the Arctic.

His assignments have ranged from searching for the lost tomb of Genghis Khan in Mongolia to hosting National Geographic's Extreme China, while also producing major commercial campaigns, including the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue featuring Olympic and professional athletes.

Few photographers have successfully bridged documentary storytelling, conservation work, television production, fine art, and commercial photography with the consistency and integrity that Ben has demonstrated throughout his career.

Today, based between Park City, Utah, and Baja California Sur, Mexico, Ben continues to pursue both client assignments and personal projects, including his acclaimed fine art book Baja Bound and his exhibition The Art of the Unseen.

In this conversation, Tyson and Ben discuss what it takes to build a career around exploration, why immersion is essential to meaningful storytelling, and the responsibility photographers carry when documenting places and issues that matter.

In This Episode:

• Ben Horton's journey to becoming a National Geographic Explorer
• Building a career through storytelling, conservation, and adventure photography
• Investigating illegal shark poaching on Cocos Island
• How photography contributed to marine conservation efforts in Costa Rica
• Documenting climate change during a 60-day Arctic dogsled expedition
• Searching for the lost tomb of Genghis Khan in Mongolia
• Hosting National Geographic's Extreme China
• Balancing documentary projects with large-scale commercial campaigns
• Creating the fine art book Baja Bound
• Why immersion leads to stronger photographs and deeper stories

Ben's work reminds us that photography is far more than a visual medium.

It is a tool.

A language.

A responsibility.

The strongest photographs do not simply show us what happened.

They help us understand why it matters.

Whether documenting endangered ecosystems, remote cultures, athletes, explorers, or communities facing change, Ben approaches every story with curiosity, respect, and a commitment to authenticity.

This conversation is an inspiring exploration of National Geographic storytelling, conservation photography, adventure, exploration, environmental advocacy, and the power of visual storytelling to influence the world around us.

Whether you're a photographer, filmmaker, explorer, conservationist, journalist, or someone passionate about meaningful creative work, this episode offers valuable insight into what happens when purpose and craft align.

Because the most important photographs are not always the ones that get seen.

Sometimes they're the ones that create change.

Follow Ben Horton

Instagram: @benhortonphoto
Website: www.benhorton.biz

Book: Baja Bound

Exhibition: The Art of the Unseen

Featured Projects

• National Geographic Explorer
• Cocos Island Shark Conservation Investigation
• Ellesmere Island Arctic Expedition
• Extreme China
• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2025