Ben developed an early interest in photography during high school in Wilson, North Carolina. His final senior project on photography set him on a quest to find the best shot wherever he went. After earning a Bachelor of Arts from Colorado College, Ben traveled to Australia, India, and Eastern Europe, taking photos along the way before returning to the United States to work as a wilderness and mountain bike guide in Utah. The beauty of the Utah landscape deepened his love of photography.

Ben took old film cameras he found at flea markets, garage sales, and pawn shops, along with his love for mountain biking and photography, to Bolivia in 2009. He lived in La Paz for two years, working as a climbing and mountain bike guide. The high Andes, cities, and people served as sources of inspiration, and taking photos of everything Bolivia had to offer became an everyday obsession.

In 2011, Ben experienced a traumatic brain injury in a bike accident in Bolivia and now lives back home in Wilson. Despite the effects of aphasia, impaired vision, and limited use of his right side, his love of photography and creativity stays strong. He takes photos with an iPhone instead of film cameras, but his particular sensibility and perspective are always evident in his images, whether he's capturing small-town life, the details he notices, the beauty of nature, his travels, or the people he encounters.

Ben was honored to be included in the 2017 and 2018 American Center for Photographers (ACP) Eyes on Main Street outdoor photo exhibit, a photography festival in Wilson featuring 100 photographs by 100 prominent and emerging photographers from over 40 countries. Ben’s photos were featured in a 2013 show at the Arts Council of Wilson, To Bolivia and Home Again, at 217 BrewWorks, and in the 2025 exhibition Time: A Journey, Memories, and Change at Through Moments ACP, Wilson.