01/28/2026
๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌโฆ โค๏ธ
Iโve been a photographer since 1988, and for decades Iโve had the honor of capturing lifeโs moments for so many people. Along the way, Iโve collected countless storiesโclients who became friends, images that became memories, and photographs that carried far more meaning than I ever could have imagined in the moment I pressed the shutter.
Giving someone a photographic memory is a gift that has always meant everything to me.
And nowโฆ there is this image.
When I captured it in June of 2023, I had no idea the weight it would one day hold. I didnโt know this young man thenโbut I know about him now. His name is Ben (Benjamin) Brown. A true Montana cowboy. A hard-working rodeo hand who showed up, day after day, to help make rodeos happenโespecially with Brash Rodeos in the Kalispell area.
I attend rodeos, brandings, and ranch events to create fine art for my portfolio and my Etsy shop. But this photo became something more. It captured a quiet, honest moment of a man who was essential to his communityโsomeone who worked behind the scenes so others could shine.
Ben tragically lost his life last week, and my heart aches knowing he leaves behind a precious little boy. This image has since become a focal point within the rodeo community, and I am humbled beyond words that my camera captured a moment that now helps tell his story.
I am so deeply sorry for the loss of Ben. And I am profoundly grateful that, without knowing it at the time, I was able to preserve a moment that reflects the man he was.
May Ben walk in Heaven with God and rest in beautiful peace. โค๏ธ
____________________________
** Per receiving several requests, a framed canvas print copy of this can be ordered at this link: https://montanamoments406.etsy.com/listing/4448441471