Benjamin Spaniel,
the wilderness explorer
Tell us a little about yourself and what you do every day
I'm Benjamin - a wilderness explorer I'd call it. I love being in nature and I find my energy there. It's a good place to recharge my "batteries".
I go to the beach or the forest several times a week, good places to clear my head in a busy and stressful everyday life - work, two children every two weeks, training and friends.
I take a dip in the sea almost every day, and that's all year round. It makes me feel healthy and it is also very refreshing. I use it as therapy and helps me control my breathing and relax…
After having children, I don't travel as much as I really want, so most of my photography is when I'm with them, or when I'm out for a walk.
I started last year to travel a lot in Denmark instead, I discovered that it has much more to show, more than I thought. Denmark has a very fantastic nature.
How did your adventure with photography start?
I started traveling back in 1999 where I was around most of Southeast Asia for 6 months. At the time I only had a cheap Olympus analog camera, so the pictures didn't turn out that well. I got hooked - and found that "travel is living" I started traveling a lot in Europe and did a lot of fishing and photography there.
Photography was still secondary, and fishing was the main priority – the picture was just proof of what I had caught. I have been a sponsored angler for almost 5 years, for some of the biggest brands in the UK carp fishing industry. In 2005 I had the opportunity to go to the Amazon (Brazil) – a place I had always dreamed of!
A good friend of mine was going there to fish and photograph for a new book he was writing, and he invited me. I bought my first DLSR camera there (Nikon D200), and then the whole photography adventure took off. Here, fishing became secondary and photography the main priority. Just being there was amazing. I took almost 7000 pictures in 14 days, and when I caught a fish it was just a bonus.
What do you like the most about traveling?
I love meeting new people, cultures and seeing amazing destinations. I find wild nature and animals around the world very fascinating.
Portrait photography might be my favorite style. Taking pictures of poor people and seeing how happy they actually are even though they don't have a home makes me thankful for how good my life is, even in troubling times... It inspires me.
What is your favorite trip that you have done?
It's a difficult question to answer. The first time you go to a new destination is always special. There are so many new impressions and your expectations are often high.
But I love Brazil, especially the jungle. I have been there three times, and I would love to go back. It's a gigantic country, and there are so many crazy things to see. The nature, the food, the culture and fantastic people. The last time I was there I lived in a small village next to the Indians - it was indescribable.
Why do you think you match with Fat Moose so well?
Fat Moose has a very flexible range of clothing for the versatile outdoorsman – which I am.
From nice light rain jackets to fleece, and very warm thermal jackets. I love the design, relaxed and clean, and it is both in my everyday life and in my free time in nature.
What is your favorite Fat Moose item?
It can be fleece products – shirts, jackets and vests. I love the product, it's my favorite jacket since the 80's where I got my first fleece jacket ever!
The Fat Moose design and color is very simple and down to earth - I really love it. I always have my jacket in the car, ready for the harsh Danish weather.
Thanks Benjamin - keep traveling, enjoy life and spread joy.
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