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Front Runner on the Move: Justin Kauffman

Front Runner on the Move: Justin Kauffman

- 2024-10-04

Photographer and cinematographer Justin Kauffman is happiest when capturing cutting-edge content of the great outdoors. He’s also an endurance athlete who often goes into extreme environments just to get the shot. Front Runner recently spoke to this inspiring content creator and travel addict.

© Justin Kauffman

Why have you made Whitefish, Montana your home?​

Whitefish and Montana are my ideal places to live as I love being close to the mountains and I can quickly get out on an adventure. It's a small town that relies upon tourism, so you’ve new people passing through all the time, but you still see friendly local faces, which always makes me very happy!

© Justin Kauffman

What’s the toughest physical thing you have ever done?​

The hardest thing to date has been something called the "Mountain Picnic" and the concept for it originated in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It consists of riding your bike 20+ miles to an alpine lake, swimming a mile across that lake, summiting a mountain, and then doing the swim and bike ride again to get back to where you started. My brothers and I’ve done two now in the Glacier National Park and even though they're long days, they're an incredible amount of fun and mentally tough. You can read more about it HERE.

What’s the next adventure on your bucket list?​

There are several endurance challenges or adventures that I’d like to do, but in terms of new places and locations I’d love to explore more of Norway, especially in the summer for midnight sun. I would also like to go back to South Africa and the surrounding countries.

© Justin Kauffman

We’ve seen lots of pictures of Front Runner Roof Top Tents, but you took one where a couple are standing on some rocks in the distance and they’re beautifully framed in the tent's open door. Explain the thought process when shooting unique images like this?​

I love this image and wish I could take all the credit, but it was a group effort. When shooting in locations like this it's sometimes overwhelming and easy to get carried away. We’d been shooting close to the tent and through it, but it wasn't until we walked away to take a little break that they saw this image, and then I knew what we had to do. We used a longer lens to compress the image and make the couple look bigger in the tent even though they were far away. This is one of my favorite things about creative projects and trips with friends - you never know where or when inspiration is going to come or come from.

© Justin Kauffman

You once did a shoot in Lesotho, the Mountain Kingdom, what did you think of it?​

The Mountain Kingdom just blew my mind. Everything there was unique, and it truly felt like we were on another planet, specifically one from the world of Star Wars. As we drove around you would see shepherds with their sheep carrying large staffs or rifles and it was a reminder of just how hard certain landscapes can be. Even though the people looked tough and hardened, they were incredibly kind and without the generosity of the local chief it wouldn’t have been possible to camp on the edge of the 192-metre high Maletsuyane Falls waterfall.

© Justin Kauffman

Tell us about your toughest assignment ever. ​

Winter is always an interesting challenge, especially for filmmaking. On one hand it's nice because if the camera and lens are cold enough then the snow won't stick to the lens as easily, but you also risk the batteries dying quicker and your hands suffering from the cold gear.

One of the toughest days I've had was trying to film skiing in Whitefish during sub-zero temps. I was using a big camera gimbal at the time, and every time my fingers touched a piece of metal it felt like I was instantly getting frostbite. For weeks afterwards my fingers were numb and sensitive.

Describe your ideal weekend at home.

A fun weekend almost always entails me getting outside to some extent: hiking, backpacking, running, or cycling. If the weather isn’t ideal then I like to have down days at home like everyone else and work around the house, but I prefer to wake up early and get outside. I love staying up late to catch the sunsets.

© Justin Kauffman

One needs a decent ride to do the type of work and adventures you do. Tell us more.​

A reliable vehicle is crucial for what I do! Especially one that has clearance, 4x4 capabilities, and can haul gear. I’m always lugging around camera cases or camping gear and my Front Runner products help make this easier. Plus, it's awesome to be able to have a tent on top of the car.

© Justin Kauffman

What are your favorite bits of Front Runner gear?​

Wolf Pack Pro’s and Stratchits are my two favorites followed closely by the Under Rack Table and Kitchen Utensil Set. I use the Wolf Pack Pro’s to carry just about anything that will fit into them. The weatherproof Typhoon Bag is also great, and I love how much gear it carries.

© Justin Kauffman

Any packing tips for other adventurers?

One of the things that I like to do with my Wolf Pack Pro storage boxes is to label them and use dividers so that I can group the different types of gear. I’ve most of my cooking gear in one, night items in another, hiking equipment in another, and camera gear in another. I also find that thinking ahead helps as well, especially when stacking everything in the back. I try to have a plan in place, so I don't have to unload things all the time and constantly reshuffle the stack.

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