Stop Faking

Stories to Fit Your

Content

I help travel & outdoor brands
tell and distribute stories

My Latest Film

Climbing For Furely

Now streaming on PBS, Climbing For Furely, tells the story of Epic Bill overcoming grief while attempting to climb Denali in Alaska

I Help Adventurous Brands Tell Stories & Distribute Them

I work with a limited number of travel & outdoor brands who want to weave real experiences throughout their marketing using storytelling.

Whether through long-term partnerships or one-off projects, the focus is always the same: honest, narrative-led content that reflects the people and places we adventure.

  • A launch is a story with a deadline. Most brands treat it like an announcement. The best ones treat it like a beginning.

    Rather than a single hero shot or a one-day shoot, I build the narrative around your product before, during, and after launch — showing what it does in the hands of real people, in real places, doing real things.

    Because nobody buys a product. They buy what the product makes possible.

    These partnerships typically include:

    • Photo + video built around the product in its natural environment

    • Story-driven content that leads with experience, not specs

    • Assets for web, social, and campaign use

    • A content arc that carries momentum past launch day

    Best for brands that want their product to mean something — not just sell something.

  • Your ambassadors are already living the story. I just show up and document it.

    Rather than fabricated campaigns or one-off shoots, I embed with your athletes and ambassadors — on the route, in the field, deep in the season — and build a body of work that reflects what they actually do.

    This is long-term storytelling for brands that know their people are their best content.

    And it works both ways. When an athlete's story is told well, their personal brand grows too. More reach, more credibility, more value — for them and for you.

    These partnerships typically include:

    • Photo + video from real athlete and ambassador trips

    • Story-driven content built around their actual experiences

    • Content the athlete can use across their own platforms

    • Consistent visual language across a full season or campaign arc

    • Flexible production that follows the athlete, not a rigid brief

    Best for brands whose ambassadors are worth following — and who want content that proves it.

  • Expeditions don't wait for perfect conditions. Neither do I.

    I embed with teams heading into the field — remote climbs, open ocean crossings, overland traverses, polar expeditions — and document the full arc of what it actually takes to get there and back.

    This isn't adventure tourism content. It's the real thing. The planning, the hardship, the moments nobody staged, and the ones nobody expected.

    I've worked across all seven continents. I know how to move in the mountains, function in the cold, and keep shooting when things get hard. The gear works. The body works. The story gets told.

    These partnerships typically include:

    • Full expedition documentation — photo and video from start to finish

    • Real-time content for social during the journey

    • Long-form film or photo essay on the back end

    • Distribution strategy built around the Follow The Journey framework

    • Content the brand, the team, and the athletes can all use

    Best for brands, teams, and organizations doing something worth documenting — and who want someone who can actually keep up.

  • Some stories can't be told in a single shoot. They need time, distance, and the kind of moments that only happen when you stop rushing toward the end.

    I build long-form brand narratives for companies that have something real to say — a founding story, a shift in direction, a decade of work worth documenting, a community worth showing the world.

    This isn't a highlight reel. It's the full arc.

    These projects typically include:

    • Multi-day or multi-location documentary-style production

    • Photo and video woven into a single cohesive narrative

    • Long-form brand film or series

    • Supporting assets for web, social, and campaign use

    • Distribution strategy to make sure the story actually reaches people

    Best for brands that have earned a story worth telling — and are ready to tell it properly.

  • Great content dies without a plan to get it in front of people.

    Most brands invest heavily in the shoot and almost nothing in what happens after. The result is incredible work that gets posted once, performs okay, and disappears forever.

    I've built a proprietary distribution framework — Follow The Journey — that phases content release across four stages to generate sustained organic reach without paid media. It's driven over 1.1 million views in a single 30-day window across LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram, and newsletter.

    I consult with brands on how to apply this framework to their existing content and upcoming projects — so the story doesn't just get told, it actually gets seen.

    This typically includes:

    • Audit of current content distribution and where it's falling short

    • Custom Follow The Journey strategy built around your brand and platforms

    • Content phasing plan from pre-trip through long-form release

    • Guidance for your internal marketing team on how to post with context and authenticity

    • Optional ongoing consultation as the campaign rolls out

    Best for brands that are already creating good content — and are tired of watching it go nowhere.

Recent Campaign

Make it more.

A photo & video campaign for Big Agnes

My Principles

Lived Experience Over Staged Content

The work starts with being there.

Time in a place, real conditions, real moments—this is where the strongest stories come from. The goal isn’t to manufacture content, but to document something that actually happened.

Story First, Always

Every project is built around a narrative.

Whether it’s a campaign, a film, or a body of work, the focus is on creating something cohesive—something that holds attention because it means something.

Depth Over Volume

Fewer, better projects.

I work with a select group of partners to build work over time—allowing for consistency, trust, and a stronger point of view.

Built to Last

The goal isn’t just content for now.

The work is created with longevity in mind—imagery and stories that can live beyond a single campaign, and continue to carry value over time.

Trusted By:

(and 152 additional brands)

Let’s Work Together

If you're interested in working with us, complete the form with a few details about your project. We'll review your message and get back to you within 48 hours.

Testimonials

  • “I would highly recommend Dalton Johnson for his exceptional talent as a wilderness and nature photographer/videographer. His ability to capture the beauty of the natural world is awe-inspiring. Dalton and his team consistently produces images that captivate the imagination and engage audiences with stunning visual narratives. In our work together at Outward Bound, Dalton has also demonstrated remarkable adaptability and professionalism, consistently delivering high-quality work even in challenging environments.”

    -Ginger Naylor CEO at Outward Bound

  • “Dalton Johnson is a talented visual storyteller. I had the pleasure of working with him on an image and video project at Klean Kanteen. They brought a wealth of creative ideas to the table and flexibility to adapt to brand needs and timelines. The final deliverables were of highest quality and drove substantial engagement across channels. Dalton and his team have a unique mix of creativity and understanding of brand side needs. I highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a visual content partner.”

    -Ian McWilliams Director of Brand & Marketing at Klean Kanteen

  • “Dalton Johnson has become a go-to for the Big Agnes Brand when it comes to needed content. Their great to work with and their attention to the details of what a brand needs from their content is always on point. Especially coming from a brand that may have a different eye than the rest of the industry.”

    -Rob Peterson Marketing Specialist at Big Agnes

  • "Dalton is an autonomous contractor you can count on. You ask him for something and he delivers."

    -Mark Pattison VP The Arena Group

  • "I had the pleasure of working with Dalton during my time leading marketing at Gregory Mountain Products, and he quickly became a consistent and stellar partner to collaborate with. Dalton has a talent for crafting creative, tangible projects that make it easy for brands—big or small—to participate meaningfully. He’s incredibly thoughtful in how he structures opportunities, always finding ways to align goals while offering flexibility in scope and pricing. On top of that, he’s reliable, communicative, and consistently delivers on what he promises. Beyond all of that, Dalton is simply a great human, he's kind, collaborative, and genuinely fun to work with. Any brand would be lucky to have him on their side."

    -Lindsey Malone Marketing Lead at Gregory Mountain Products

  • “Dalton Johnson is truly my go-to photographer for anything adventure or outdoors-related. Dalton and his team was always open and great at collaborating on projects, and I trusted that any project we worked on together would deliver incredible results. They have a knack for finding the perfect location, models and angles and knows the great outdoors like the back of his hand. I highly recommend Dalton and look forward to the next time we are able to work together again!”

    -Madaline Spinks Art Director at Swiftwick Socks

  • “I enjoyed working with Dalton on a photo and video project because he shoots quality work that highlights the best areas of our local landscapes. Also, Dalton was easy to work with because he was very communicative, willing to answer questions, and submitted work in a timely manner.”

    -Becca Poskin Social Media Marketer at Experience Scottsdale

  • "Dalton is a one-of-a-kind creator. He excels at bringing stories and campaigns to life for both visual and written mediums. I’ve worked with Dalton for over three years on various projects and he always delivers above expectations. He's a strong communicator, asking intentional questions to understand the goals of a project and regularly gives project updates to ensure everyone is on the same page."

    -Esther Drebelbis Marketing Manager at Big Agnes