a common experience

scenes, stories, and lessons from an unlikely hiker

a common experience by Benjamin F Smith | Make Your Own Book

a common experience is a collection of autobiographical short stories that took place between 1998 and the present. a common experience started out as a "fine art" photography book. The text was merely to provide some quick background and context on each image.
However, as the book progressed, the text became as, or even more, important than the images. As the details of each image were elaborated into words, the intention of my book morphed from an art book, to a collection of scenes describing how my life was changed by the stories accompanying each image. The story behind each image, I realized as the book progressed, was the essence of each picture and the thing that made each image so visually powerful and important.
a common experience is not a hiking book, or a guide book. It is an autobiographical journey set in the Colorado landscape. Hiking and climbing in a common experience provide only the context and subject matter for my photographic interests, and the classroom where I was able to face fears, meet challenges, share experiences, and create a record that will hopefully be read by many.