This week I had the privilege of talking with Howie Stern, an internationally recognized trail running photographer who lives in Silverton, Colorado. Howie has gained a reputation for going out and getting the gritty shots in his quest to capture the human essence of trail running. His photograph of Jasmin Paris finishing Barkley turned heads of trail runners and fans of endurance sports around the world. If there’s a big race going down somewhere in the world, he’s probably there with a view like no one else. I met him this summer at the Animas Forks aid station during the Hardrock 100 on a day he will never forget, as you’ll understand by the end of the episode. In this episode, he talks about his life journey from his youth in California in which he almost became a heavy metal guitarist, through the twists and turns that led him to Silverton where he carved out a niche for himself in one of the highly competitive world of professional photography. In addition to photographing ultramarathons, Howie also runs them. He’s a 10 time Hardrock finisher. As this podcast goes live he will be running in the 2025 Tor des Géants in the Aosta Valley of the Italian Alps, a truly epic endurance running event. I’m sure you will enjoy his very human story. More great episodes are on the way. Please subscribe to the Trail Love podcast while you’re here.