Sometimes, you quit your dayjob and take your tiny hybrid cross country in an attempt to find yourself, find your work, and get lost. I took 10 days to drive cross country, Detroit to Los Angeles, to do some photography I've never done before, but always wanted to try. Read on and see more images after the jump.
By the time I hit Las Vegas, it had been over 3,000 miles of empty highways, national parks, small towns you don't even notice, and the occasional buffalo to break the landscape. A couple nights spent in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, followed up by desert camping in Joshua Tree National Forest brought me back to summers spent at camp in Canada, and my inner Ansel Adams made an attempt (not developed yet) at serious landscapes with 4x5 film.
I saw my first rodeo in Cody, Wyoming, in what was a daily event for them in the summer, bought a new cowboy hat that I really want to wear back in NYC, and probably won't. In California, I randomly picked a diner that just happened to be featured by Anthony Bourdain on 'No Reservations'-and it was the best breakfast food of my life.
My camera lived under my legs in the car, I'd take nothing shots out the window while driving that never seemed to work out, but I'm glad I have them anyway. A few bottles of Jameson disappeared in the cold nights spent outside, and the slightly warmer night in Vegas took its toll as well.
One of the challenges was learning how to use 4x5 film-between keeping track of exposed frames and how to store them in a box still half full of unexposed film. As well as the 8x10 that still has a bum lens that won't focus to infinity (hopefully to be replaced for the return trip).
But having that much time in the car, you learn about yourself, others, and remember why you do what you do. It was one of the most liberating experiences of my life, if not also a little harrowing when you're not sure if you can make it to the next town and find a motel that's still open with vacancies.
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