THESE SIX MINDSETS CAN DESTROY YOUR BUSINESS IN 5, 4, 3…
The 6 Worst Mindsets a Creative Photographer Can Have Regarding Their Art and Business
Creativity and business might seem worlds apart for many photographers. After all, the pure artistic expression of photography is often thought to be free from the constraints of business.
But if you’re looking to sustain a career in photography, balancing both worlds is crucial.
While there are several positive mindsets that can propel your success, it’s equally important to be wary of the insidiously bad ones.
Here are the six worst mindsets a photographer can adopt regarding their art and business:
“My Work Speaks for Itself”
Sure it does, Bucky, but see, no one cares.
Why it’s detrimental: While confidence in your work is essential, this mindset assumes that just because you produce photos, clients will automatically come knocking. In reality, even the most talented photographers need to market themselves, network, and actively communicate the value they bring.
Shift to: “I’m proud of my work, and I’ll show it to anyone who has a pulse.”
“I Should Lower My Rates to Attract More Clients”
Yep, that’s a fast track to fry cook in a fast food chain owned by a clown.
Why it’s detrimental: Undercharging not only undervalues your skillset but also sets a precedent that can be tough to break out of. When you price too low, you might attract clients who don’t appreciate the true value of your work, leading to burnout and dissatisfaction.
You can’t make enough money to move ahead while slipping farther and farther into the swamp of the cheapass photographer abyss. And wait till you decide you have had enough and try to raise those stupid low rates. Your “clients” will run screaming away, calling you a rip-off con-man-girl-person.
(I know, I know… lose money on every sale but make it up in volume.)
Do you even hear yourself?
Shift to: “My rates reflect my quality, my professionalism, and my expertise. I bring it all to every job I do and I’ll focus on clients who understand and value that.”
“I Don’t Need to Learn Business; I’m an Artist”
Yes, I’ve been hearing that a lot from photographers who have lots of time to make art since they aren’t, you know, working.
Why it’s detrimental: Dismissing the importance of business knowledge means missing out on opportunities to grow and sustain your creative endeavor. You might be an amazing photographer, but without understanding finances, marketing, or client relations, your business might suffer. And you’ll end up in one of those forums on FB or Quora whining about how everybody else gets a break but you, and it is, oh my god, so unfair. I mean… I never!
Shift to: “I’m creative to my very core, but I’ll master the business side to fuel my passion.” You could add, “I’m not stupid…”, — no, don’t do that. Just whisper it a little when it’s dark.
“Every Opportunity is a Good Opportunity”
Sure it is. Remember Bitcoin, and that snazzy NFT thing you bought from that big-name Internet photographer for $10K that is now worth absolutely nothing? What a great opportunity that was. You can also sniff glue.
Why it’s detrimental: This is the ‘say yes to everything’ approach. While it’s tempting, especially when starting, not all opportunities align with your brand or long-term goals. Overcommitting can lead to exhaustion and might even detract from pursuing more fitting, lucrative ventures.
And in full disclosure, I recommend a starting photographer say yes to everything… everything that won’t hurt them, or another photographer, or have them taken advantage of. You still have to do your research, there’s no one-size-fits-all for anything. Except for steering wheel covers, I am told.
Shift to: “I’ll carefully evaluate every opportunity to ensure it aligns with my values, both personal and business.”
“Feedback and Criticism Are Personal Attacks”
Not usually, my thin-skinned weenie with slight narcissistic leanings. Most of the time, it is about the work.
Why it’s detrimental: Art is personal, and it’s natural to be protective of your work. However, seeing every piece of feedback or criticism as an attack can stifle your growth. It can make you weak, and steal your confidence. Constructive criticism is absolutely vital for improvement, and negative feedback can offer insights if viewed objectively. Without your penchant for everything being a personal attack, you may actually learn something valuable. Life-changing even. (It happened to me at a critique in San Francisco… I can still remember the moment.)
Shift to: “I welcome heartfelt and much-needed feedback as an avenue for growth and differentiation.” You don’t have to follow anyone’s guidance, but it is great when someone goes out of their way to try and help.
Evolving your mindset is just as crucial as honing your photographic skills.
By recognizing and addressing these detrimental mindsets, you’ll be better positioned to explore the intersection of art and business with resilience and success.
And now for the big-daddy of all bad mindsets for photographers:
“I charge by the hour, and materials, for the work I do.”
Awesome. If you are a good shooter, I’ll just hire you to come shoot jobs I bid on — I can keep what’s left over and make sure you get your hourly rate.
Why it’s detrimental: Because it doesn’t make sense in a value-driven business like photography and art, and misses the entire point of why we do what we do. We don’t sell a commodity like canned tuna, or those meat stick things hanging on the rack by the checkout stand looking kinda gross and greasy, and, damn, I hate those… Sorry. Got a little off track there.
We charge by the value of the gig. The needs and desires of the client give a photograph an intrinsic value. If we start viewing it as if it were simply a byproduct of our hourly effort and 32MB of storage space on a card, then we have lost the plot, Sherlock.
A photograph that will bring in a 4% increase in sales for a microchip company may equal millions and millions of dollars. That photograph is worth more than 3 hours, an SD card, and a basket of fish and chips for lunch.
Now, for sure, many photographers don’t think they are charging by the hour, but it is rare for me to be discussing their pricing and not have it come up in some sort of way. Day rate. Project rate. Per shot.
There’s nothing wrong with those as a framework, but ONLY as a framework. The value of the image must be calculated into the total somehow.
Of course, there are workaday shots like catalog stuff and cute kitty pattern oven mitts that must be shot on white for Amazon, but those are what they are. And yeah, maybe that shot of the cute oven mitt goes viral and the company sells 3.7 billion of them.
Then you are reminded once again about that great NFT of the photographer making coffee in an ‘awesome’ animated GIF that you spent 10 large on. And the irony will make you laugh.
And the world will be back to normal.
Finding Your USP: It May Be Simpler Than You Think
Let’s have a meeting of the minds about that elusive USP (Unique Selling Proposition) everyone keeps harping about.
You might be thinking, “Is it some magical formula, or a secret handshake I missed out on?”
Nope! Establishing your USP is straightforward, and you’ve got all the ingredients right there with you.
Let’s break it down, step by step, in the simplest way possible.
- Self-Awareness is Golden. Start by looking in the mirror. Not literally (though you’re looking good, by the way!). Understand what you genuinely love about your business, your passion, and what you excel at. Are you the fastest, the most detail-oriented, or perhaps the most innovative in your industry? Nail it down.
- Ask Your Tribe. Sometimes, we’re too close to see clearly. Ask your clients, colleagues, even friends: what’s the one thing they think you do best? Why do they choose you over someone else? Their answers might surprise you and provide that lightbulb moment.
- Scope Out the Landscape. Take a casual stroll through your industry (digitally speaking). What’s everyone else doing? Where’s the gap? This isn’t about copying, but about identifying a niche or an unmet need that you can address.
- Pain Points are Key. Dive into the problems your target audience faces. If you can solve a pain point that no one else is addressing or do it in a unique way, you’re onto something golden. Be the aspirin to their headache.
- Keep It Real. A USP isn’t about crafting a fancy slogan that sounds good on paper. It should be authentic, a true reflection of what you offer. If it isn’t genuine, trust me, people will sniff it out.
- Distill It Down. Once you’ve gathered all this information, simplify. Your USP should be concise, punchy, and straight to the point. Think of it as your elevator pitch – if you can’t explain it in a few seconds, it’s too complicated.
- Test and Tweak. Put your USP out there, and don’t be afraid to gather feedback. Sometimes, a little tweaking based on real-world responses can turn a good USP into a great one.
Your USP is like your business’s fingerprint – no one else has the exact same one.
And while finding it might require a bit of introspection and detective work, the result is a crystallized understanding of your unique value in the marketplace.
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Unearthing Your Unique POV: A No-Nonsense Guide
Alright, pull up a chair, grab a cold one, and let’s hash this out.
We’ve all heard the chatter about the USP (Unique Selling Proposition), but there’s another way to go that’s equally, if not more, potent: the Unique Point of View (POV).
It really isn’t about what you’re selling, more about how you see the world.
Trust me, in an era where authenticity is more and more important, your unique POV may be your golden ticket.
I can hear you asking, “How on Earth do I figure out this POV magic?”
Fear not, intrepid creative person. We’ll break it down and find that unique lens through which only you view the world.
- Dig Deep Into Your Story. Every hero has an origin story, right? What’s yours? Your experiences, challenges, and personal narrative shape your perspective. Maybe you grew up in a multicultural city, or perhaps you switched careers three times. These experiences influence how you see and approach the world.
- Passions and Pet Peeves. What sets your heart on fire? And conversely, what grinds your gears? These strong emotions, whether love or frustration, can point towards a unique POV. If everyone’s zigging and it annoys you, perhaps your POV is all about zagging.
- Consume Widely, Reflect Deeply. Read books, watch movies, attend seminars – from outside your industry. Exposing yourself to varied stimuli can help refine your own viewpoint. As you consume, constantly ask yourself: “What do I think about this?”
- Engage in Conversations. Engage with people who think differently than you. Debates and discussions can clarify where you stand on specific topics. Sometimes, you find your unique POV by understanding what it is not.
- Write It Out. Heard of freewriting? Sit down, set a timer for 15 minutes, and write whatever comes to mind about your industry, passions, or experiences. No editing, no overthinking. This raw, unfiltered stream can be a goldmine for identifying your distinct POV.
- Your Values are Your Compass. What principles guide your life? Integrity, transparency, innovation? Often, your core values offer a clear lens into your POV. If sustainability is a key value, your unique POV might revolve around eco-conscious approaches in your industry.
- Seek Feedback, but Stay True. While it’s valuable to get external opinions, remember that your POV is inherently yours. Feedback can refine it, but don’t let it morph your perspective into a carbon copy of someone else’s.
The absolute bottom line:
Your unique POV is a blend of your experiences, values, and passions. It’s the specific angle from which you see the world, shaped by your journey. And while it might feel a bit daunting to zero in on, trust me, it’s there.
Keep looking and you will find it.
2021: MOTORCYCLE ROADTRIP 2021
The funny thing about motorcycle rides is how much time we put into planning them. We plan our routes, our side trips, our downtime. We pour over maps and look for twisty roads, then check them closely to see if they are paved.
We plan our planning even. We set aside time for the planning and then we plan some more.
And never does it go to plan.
Because that is not what motorcycling is all about. At least not solo motorcycling.
I travel alone on my bike.
Most of the time that is the way I like it.
It’s quiet. It’s without drama. It’s without small talk or meaningless interactions meant to dispel the silence.
I like silence and cannot do small talk.
Ever.
So I ride alone.
And due to that fact, I can change my plans in a heartbeat. No checking with anyone else. “I wanna go left today…” and off I go.
Plans be damned.
I’ll make new ones when I get to wherever I end up.
Occasionally I meet someone along the way and we have a perfectly short and polite conversation. Usually one centered around the fact that we are both outside on a motorcycle.
This trip was no different in many respects than most of my previous trips. I get on the motorcycle in the wee hours in Phoenix and head north. Wee hours because it is hot as hell in the sunshine, north because that is where it is less hot.
I have three escape routes north. Highway 87 to Payson where I decide if I am going through Utah or Colorado. I can make that decision other places along the route but that is the one where it makes the most sense.
The other route is Highway 60 northeast through Showlow and then over to New Mexico.
Where it is less hot.
Well, to be fair about it, almost anywhere else is less hot than Phoenix.
This trip saw me leaving the house at 5 AM, Tuesday, August 3. This is, well, according to the plan that I planned.
I headed north.
I went left through Payson and headed to Flagstaff. It was remarkably cool the entire ride.
Except that first hour heading out of Phoenix… already in the 90’s at 6AM.
As far as motorcycle roads go, from Payson to Flagstaff is a pretty good one. Mostly gentle turns, but a lot of them, and spectacular forest scenery. Elevation is over 6000 feet and the air is clean and cool.
Recent forest fire damage is now up to the road near Strawberry and Pine, and I can only imagine how terrified those folks were when that inferno was raging.
The bike is in tip-top condition this morning.
Got a new tire on the back, some fresh fluids, a full engine check, and a spanking new oil filter and crankcase of oil.
This is my first day on a motorcycle in quite a few months so I am gently getting used to it. Earlier in the summer I took a full day of motorcycle instruction in advanced riding techniques and they are coming in handy so far.
I practice a few U-turns in a parking lot in Payson, and then some slow-speed maneuvering between the parking lines. 20 minutes and I am getting it back pretty well.
This will come in very handy later in the journey.
Flagstaff traffic is crazy busy when I ride into the first of many road work challenges. This one has the traffic narrow to one lane and then we have to go through stoplight after stoplight in a narrow, choking pack of cagers on their phones.
We finally break clear of that and begin the turn to head north up through the Reservation.
Highway 89.
What a wonderful road. It starts near Wickenburg, AZ and heads north to the Canadian border just east of Glacier. I have ridden every mile of it at one point on my journey.
Wait… no, there is still a patch from Yellowstone up to Glacier that is on my list.
Next year.
North on 89 wipes out any thoughts of twisties and wide sweeping curves. Nope, it is pretty much a straight shot.
Through some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet.
It is hard to explain the feeling I have toward this land. It is mystical, magical, lonely, desolate, and beautiful. This land seems to not have changed much since its creation back when the meteors were causing hell on this floating ball of dirt.
Some of the landforms were created by dirt falling from the skies after the meteor hit what is now the Gulf of Mexico. Still in piles, still looking like someone dripped them onto the land.
Cliffs have sheer walls with the rocks at the base all but as perfect as the day they dropped eons ago.
My favorite place in the world is up here a ways.
The Vermillion Cliffs is a formidable edge of a plateau that begins in the rock deserts of southern Utah. It is home to slot canyons, incredible natural carvings (look up “the Wave”), and a rich history of early inhabitants.
89A gives me an opportunity to see them every time I go to Utah. I could go up through Page and get to Kanab a bit faster, but why.
I am me. On a motorcycle. I don’t need to get anywhere ‘faster’.
This part of Arizona is also hot. While not as hot as Phoenix, it is still hot. I stop to hydrate every hour, and use that time to get off the bike and move around.
Moving around once per hour at least is good for geezers. Prevents a lot of nasty crap that can happen when you sit for long periods of time.
I stopped on the north side of the Marble Canyon bridge and found a bit of shade to sit under and have another bottle of water.
That’s when it happened.
A small bus carrying a girls cheerleading team from somewhere near the coast pulls up to me and asks if I would like to help them work the kinks out.
“You can help reach the hard to get areas…” said one perky blonde.
OK, no.
That didn’t happen.
That was just the heat. It was actually a very nice Sheriff asking if I was OK.
“Just cooling off,” I said and he smiled and took off.
Probably to stop that bus full of cheerleaders.
At the far west end of the Vermillion cliffs, the road begins a winding climb from the heat-filled desert valley to a far cooler climate of the Kaibab Plateau and pine forest. You can feel the heat melt away and be replaced by much cooler temps.
By the time I reach Jacob’s Lake it is in the low 80’s and far more pleasant than the previous three hours or so.
Kanab is the destination, and it is still early. I figure I can spend some time at the outlook just before descending off of the Kaibab Plateau. It was surely going to be much warmer in Kanab, so I decided to hang around in the cool for as long as I could.
Devastation.
A fire has cleared the forest along the edge of the Kaibab. Across the road it jumped and everything, including the lookout, was burned and decimated.
These are moments of quiet reflection. Moments of rage, and sadness combined with the utterly hopeless understanding that we expect so much from things that have no understanding of expectations.
The forests are there until they aren’t.
Whether by man’s hand or lightning or some combustion somewhere, the forests are not immortal. They are not ‘ours’ any more than we expect ourselves to be immortal.
I ride down the west side and into Fredonia thinking about how that part of the world, that tiny, tiny part, is changed forever by a simple element; fire.
The bike is purring along.
My bike likes 65 MPH. It just gets smooth with a nice quiet rumble at that speed.
I pass several cops going east with lights flashing and eventually a Paramedic’s vehicle joins the high-speed race to where I just was.
The forest changed in what would be considered an instant in the grand scheme of things.
I think someone was experiencing a change of some sort behind me.
Up on the mountain somewhere, change was as inevitable as that fire was.
I decided to forgo a night in Kanab, it was still early.
There was plenty of sunshine left, so I got some gas an a cold diet soda and decided on a night in Cedar City. This would save me two hours on the following day and that meant more cool morning riding through the deserts of central Nevada.
Taking 89 north I looked for the Cedar City turnoff.
That road – from 89 to Cedar City – is one of my favorites. All the way up to a high pass somewhere around 10,000 feet. Along the way there is incredible forest scenery and the majestic Navajo Lake. Which was pretty low.
All the water is low in this area of the world.
The drought is taking its toll. The worst in recorded times out here.
The big lakes that we expected to be full forever… aren’t full anymore.
Navajo is fighting the good fight, and I wish it well.
The bike is beginning to feel like it is welded to my ass at this point and when I rolled up on the hotel – which was conveniently on the road I am going out in the morning – I quickly checked in, unpacked, and hit the shower.
Before turning in, I gave the bike a once-over. Check the tires, look tt over for any leaks or problems. As expected, good for the day.
My plans are to leave before dawn to get a jump on the road.
Tomorrow will take me right by “Great Basin National Park” and I am wondering if I will take some time out to go and see it.
For now, some writing and a few phone calls to make.
See you tomorrow.
NAVIGATION FOR THE 2021 MOTORCYCLE TRIP IN THE WEST
I will be keeping you posted on where and what I am up to on this year’s ride right here. I hope to post once per day and have it be a round up of the day’s ride.
I have made some changes this year and will be explaining how I prepared, how I packed, and how I negotiate the wild, wild areas of the western US.
BUY ME TACOS OR GAS?
If you would like to buy me lunch or a tank of gas (gas is so expensive for this beast) you can go here. I have a special gift for all who contribute.
Tacos or Gas…BE SURE TO PUT YOUR MAILING ADDRESS IN THE COMMENTS OR MESSAGE AREA ON PAYPAL.
2021 TWO WHEELS ON TWO LANES TRIP TO MONTANA
THE WANDERER IS NEVER LOST… JUST LOOKING FOR ANOTHER WAY TO GO.
This year I will be heading up quickly to Riggins, Idaho so I can ride the mountain road over to Lolo, Montana. After that it is anyone’s guess as long as I end up in Cody, Wyoming on Saturday night. Sunday morning I head for Red Lodge and then up to the top of Beartooth Pass for my birthday lunch. Perhaps a couple of cold tacos, a root beer, and a couple of Hostess Cupcakes. Yeah – that’s how I roll.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT GEAR FOR A LONG TRIP ON A MOTORCYCLE…
… requires knowing that bike inside and out.
And how much room there is inside directly impacts how much room you will need outside the bike.
I use a motorcycle backpack and duffle top that sits right behind me on the back fender. They work as a backrest as well.
The challenge is to keep the motorcycle balanced, so we try to keep as much as possible in line with the frame.
I have two saddlebags that hold far more than I expected them to when I first got the bike.
These bags have doors that open out instead of from the top down and that presents some good aspects and some negative aspects as well.
What is good is that you can reach almost everything with the door down. The negative is that sometimes things can shift and fall out when you open the door.
Not a problem unless you are parked in mud.
Ya know.
My bike: 2008 Kawasaki Nomad 1600CC V-twin.
Last year’s trip: the Grand Tetons at my back.
As you can see, it is a big motorcycle. And notice the trunk on the back.
That is where I put my cameras. It is lined with two layers of bubble wrap to keep the vibrations down, and the camera bodies and lenses are also dampened with bubble wrap.
There is a lot of vibration on a motorcycle and I don’t want anything coming apart.
I have removed the passenger seat and replaced it with a luggage rack so my overnight bag sits there.
The clothing I am taking reflects the possible highly diverse weather I may face.
Warm weather:
One long-sleeved tee-shirts.
One long-sleeved “Fishing” shirt to prevent sunburn.
One short sleeve tee-shirt.
One button-down western shirt.
Motorcycle jeans (with Kevlar sewn in).
One pair of regular jeans for when I am washing the other pair.
One pair of swim trunks/shorts in case I need to wash both pairs of jeans at the same time..
Two pairs of warm weather socks.
Sneakers for wearing off bike.
Baseball cap and Harley Cowboy hat.
Cold weather:
One long sleeve wool sweater.
One pair of cold weather socks.
One cold-weather jacket.
One cold weather face mask.
One cold-weather Ascot for keeping the neck warm.
I use packing cubes to keep all of the stuff organized.
Riding gear:
One pair of riding gloves for warm weather.
One pair of riding gloves for cold weather.
One warm-weather riding jacket with kevlar.
Wolverine boots.
Rain gear and boot covers.
Neckerchief.
Full face helmet with a full visor to keep out the cold air and rain.
Three pairs of sunglasses: one pair is very dark.
Camera Gear:
Nikon D750
Nikon F5
Lenses: 24-120MM, 50MM 1.8, 180MM f2.8 (maybe)
Hasselblad with 50MM Planar
Small tripod.
Very small tripod for a selfie stick and video.
iPhone 7 for video.
Gimbel
Rode mic for iPhone.
Wind guard for Rode mic.
LUMIX DCS80 for video/stills
Tascam Audio Recorder for ambient sounds
Miscellaneous
Satellite Emergency Phone/Texting with GPS tracking
Battery jumper and USB charging battery unit.
2 very bright flashlights.
Assorted chargers and cords and such.
Pocket knife.
Waist knife.
Mini-camp chair.
Umbrella.
First Aid kit.
Mini road flares (2).
Two USB chargers for iPhones
Toiletries bag.
Bike cover.
Communications:
iPad with a USB keyboard.
MacBookPro 13″
iPhone Max
I also have a couple of waterproof bags in case it rains torrents. Fits all cameras and electronics.
That may seem like a lot, but I do indeed have space in both of my saddlebags for something I may need to purchase along the way. I also have to have room for water bottles and a small bottle of single malt.
Don’t judge.
Imagine if I was packing to go on a camping trip! I have two more packs that fit on top of the saddlebags for camping gear, but I would probably have to rethink a lot of above to get all the gear on. It ends up piling very high, being very heavy, and really worrying me when I leave the bike.
All the gear goes into saddlebags, the trunk, and the travel pack I have on the seat behind me. It is covered with a waterproof cover and is bungee-corded from both sides to hold it stable.
The camera gear is protected in the trunk as well. I have lined the trunk with bubble wrap to get rid of the vibration that can destroy gear.
I will show you some photos from the road once I get it squared away.
For the first time in five years, I will not be riding the Moki Dugway. I am going to miss it.
I will be posting a page per day, so stick around or bookmark this page.
NAVIGATION FOR THE 2021 MOTORCYCLE TRIP IN THE WEST
I will be keeping you posted on where and what I am up to on this year’s ride right here. I hope to post once per day and have it be a round up of the day’s ride.
I have made some changes this year and will be explaining how I prepared, how I packed, and how I negotiate the wild, wild areas of the western US.
BUY ME TACOS OR GAS?
If you would like to buy me lunch or a tank of gas (gas is so expensive for this beast) you can go here. I have a special gift for all who contribute.
Tacos or Gas…BE SURE TO PUT YOUR MAILING ADDRESS IN THE COMMENTS OR MESSAGE AREA ON PAYPAL.
2019 TRIP:
STOP BEING IN LOVE WITH YOUR EXPECTATIONS
Stop being in love with your expectations.
Going out to make a photo?
Stop thinking about what it will look like.
It will not look like that.
Stop thinking about how you will shoot it.
You won’t shoot it like that.
Stop thinking about what everyone will say about the photograph you haven’t taken yet.
They won’t say any of the things you expect them to say.
Go into the world and clear your head.
Remove expectations of everything and anyone… and let the image reveal itself to you.
The image will indeed reveal itself when you stop thinking it is somewhere else.
We do not have to make a ritual of making photographs.
When we do, we remove the ability to see what is in our path and replace it with an expectation of what we think will be.
There are photographs all around you right now no matter where you are.
You cannot see them because you are in love with the expectations of your ideas.
You have expectations of how the context of making photographs should be and where you are now is not in that context.
Be quiet. Be still. Be open.
Once you begin to see the photos in front of you, the ideas will come flooding in and they will be in the right context.
The context of here, now.
Shoot more, suck less.
THE ROCKS OF COCHISE STRONGHOLD
I had the opportunity to visit my friends down near Benson and spend some time with them exploring Cochise Stronghold and spent some time in Bisbee.
It is a most fascinating place.
SUMMER HAS TRULY ARRIVED (2)
Summer is here.
I went for my morning walk and was dripping by the time I returned to the house. First time this year.
Oh well, I guess we got off easy in the spring. The days were hot, but the mornings have remained fairly mild.
Yesterday and today the light has been filtered quite warm. Wildfires raging east of town in a beautifully wild part of the state have rendered the usually blue skies into something more- well – brownish.
Damn.
I listen to podcasts and audiobooks when I walk by myself. And I try to take a photo every day on my journey.
SUMMER’S BACK… SIGH
Well, the heat is back in the valley for the duration of the next 4 months.
I am tired of the summers here, but at this point, a move to Montana or Wyoming is not possible. We keep looking for an opportunity, but it will take precious time.
Bri came in this weekend, so I got up at 4:50 and I met her out in east Mesa just before 6 AM.
A short drive to a little cactus park with a reflecting pool for an hour or so shoot. Bri is a great friend, and we always make photos together when the opportunity comes our way. It’s what we do.
At 7:15 it was already pushing 90 degrees so we called it and headed to the airconditioned car.
Always fun shooting Bri.
Next time we will do it in her neck of the woods which is much cooler than Phoenix.
I am a big supporter of Unsplash. If you are uncomfortable with that, I understand. But I do indeed like it, and believe it is good for the industry as a whole. Very good. (I have written about it extensively, google is your friend.)
LATE FALL COLOR IN ZION
It is no secret that I love Zion and the huge stone canyons and sheer rock mountains that define that little patch of grandeur in southern Utah.
I also find Zion one of the most challenging subjects to shoot. I struggle with the massive scale of the rock, the topography simply doesn’t fit within the frame the way I want it to.
And, no, not really all that interested in super-wides – they actually diminish the scale of it while trying to fit it all in the confines of the capture.
But I do love turning the camera on the smaller vignettes that happen seemingly everywhere. Whether along the river in the main canyon or on the east side in the highlands (my favorite area) where the details of rock, trees, and sand give us a fantastic tapestry on which to find little moments of joy.
We were driving out of the canyon when I spotted this little brightly colored tree in the distance. It was very late in the Fall, and most of the trees were barren. BTW, Zion in winter is my favorite time. Fewer people, spectacular tree bones.
We stopped and I hiked over to see this procrastinating beauty holding on to its color for as long as it could. The amazing detail all around it accompanied by falling leaves from taller trees gave the scene a sort of texture.
I took three snaps. The vertical was ill-advised, and the other two seemed to capture it well.
This was my favorite.
FREE PUBLICATIONS FOR YOU
BOOKS FOR YOU – NO CHARGE
Recently I decided to clean up my hard drives and simplify the way I am storing files. I discovered some cool gems that I had almost forgotten about.
Here are three publications I have produced over the years. Grab them if you would like a copy.
LIGHTING BOOK ONE
Produced from a set of blog posts from about the time of my CreativeLive shows. Not new, but the information contained IS indeed rock solid.
LIGHTING BOOK ONE (Portrait Lighting)
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY WITH SIMPLE GEAR COURSE BOOK
Written for the UDEMY class of the same name (Free on UDEMY) it covers a wide spectrum of ideas and techniques for shooting high quality portraits with simple and inexpensive gear.
PORTRAIT LIGHTING WITH SIMPLE GEAR COURSE BOOK
A SYSTEM FOR FINDING CLIENTS
If you are looking for a system for finding clients in your area, here is one for you. I could go into a lot of marketing platitudes and stuff, but all I will say is “this works”. Period. No matter if you are in a big city or in the country, it works. Not a secret, nor is it a trick. It is a system, tried and true, for finding and keeping, commercial clients. And it involves work.
I hope you enjoy them. If you do, drop me a line.
I am working on new ones for this year. Should be fun.
— don
COFFEE SHOP PROMO REVIEW
COFFEE SHOP PROMOTION
(COVER SHOT SHIRLEY YU)
Wednesdays are review days for my students. I am up at 5 AM and uploading the images to take a look at them before I get into the live critiques that start at 9 AM sharp and continue on through about 12:30 PM. Three classes an hour in length back to back.
Watching these photographers begin to grasp concepts that will drive their photography higher and higher is one of the true joys of being where I am now.
I did this stuff for over 50 years, so I feel I can add a bit of context to the teaching of the techniques.
We approach it from two sides: the technical lighting and composition and such, and the art of working for someone else – understanding layouts, creating concepts, and working with clients under stress.
Today was “coffee shop ad” review day and a few of these images were so cool. One of these photographers is a pro, the others are new but coming along so fast it is mind-boggling. Can you see the pro’s work?
This is only their third assignment, so I am eagerly awaiting the work that they will be producing a few months in.
AMY ROTH
BARBARA JAMES
CAROLYN ACUNA
DANIEL SPLAINE
DENISE COLEMAN
DERRICK ROSE
LESLIE SHARPE
AN AIRBORNE TOXIN
“WHITE NOISE” A NOVEL BY DON DELILLO
It has been several decades since I read Don DeLillo’s “White Noise”.
I cannot say it was my favorite novel at any time. I found it less to my liking than my friend did when he insisted I read it. Some of the wordplay is magnificent, and some feel a bit stilted, but it was a book I have not forgotten.
Part of it is about a plague-like airborne attack that kills and creates havoc for the world and the characters of the book.
The focus of the book is death, in all of its subtle and not so subtle existence. Or, non-existence as it were.
An excerpt:
“Why can’t we be intelligent about death?” I said.
“It’s obvious.”
“It is?”
“Ivan Ilyich screamed for three days. That’s about as intelligent as we get. Tolstoy himself struggled to understand. He feared it terribly.”
“It’s almost as though our fear is what brings it on. If we could learn not to be afraid, we could live forever.”
“We talk ourselves into it. Is that what you mean?”
“I don’t know what I mean. I only know I’m just going through the motions of living. I’m technically dead. My body is growing a nebulous mass. They track these things like satellites. All this as a result of a byproduct of insecticide. There’s something artificial about my death. It’s shallow, unfulfilling. I don’t belong to the earth or sky. They ought to carve an aerosol can on my tombstone.”
“Well said.”
What did he mean, well said? I wanted him to argue with me, raise my dying to a higher level, make me feel better.
“Do you think it’s unfair?” he said.
“Of course I do. Or is that a trite answer?”
He seemed to shrug.
“Look how I’ve lived. Has my life been a mad dash for pleasure? Have I been hellbent on self-destruction, using illegal drugs, driving fast cars, drinking to excess? A little dry sherry at faculty parties. I eat bland foods.”
“No, you don’t.”
He puffed seriously on his pipe, his cheeks going hollow. We walked in silence for a while.
“Do you think your death is premature?” he said.
“Every death is premature. There’s no scientific reason why we can’t live a hundred and fifty years. Some people actually do it, according to a headline I saw at the supermarket.”
“Do you think it’s a sense of incompleteness that causes you the deepest regret? There are things you still hope to accomplish. Work to be done, intellectual challenges to be faced.”
“The deepest regret is death. The only thing to face is death. This is all I think about. There’s only one issue here. I want to live.”
After the year we have had in this country, and the world, I think we all share that basic want.
We want to live.
If life is to move forward, we must get back to living like life means something to us. Yes, I want to live, but not if living is a death existence – fearing one moment to the next, hiding from friends, and worrying about a gentle bump in the grocery aisle.
That is not living.
That is walking death suspended in time.
Polishing Wood
WORKING WITH MY HANDS…
… has always been wonderfully enjoyable for me. I like to working with stuff to make something.
Something new.
Something better.
Restore.
Renew.
Hands make it real. Whatever I am working with becomes an extension of me. My efforts. My strength. My vision.
Even with photography, I enjoy the ergonomics and the tangible presence of the cameras. Some cameras feel like different photographs should be made with them. And some photographs demand the camera be the right one for the job.
That is to say, I wouldn’t make the same shot with an 8×10 as I would with my Lumix EDC.
And all in between.
Today I worked with wood. And oil. And rags to buff the wood into a beautiful luster.
It was pretty hard work moving those goliath-like shelving systems around and hand-rubbing every square inch twice. But it was oh, so worth it.
We love our big, heavy wood furniture but have been so busy that we have not had the chance to keep them shiny and oiled. The painters come next week and we are living in boxes and stacked furniture until they are finished.
We have had them for over 30 years and they still look new. In and out of fashion, the big, heavy, overbuilt furniture holds treasures from decades of travel, books full of inspiration, and the love of three beautiful children.
It is an honor to help preserve them.
“He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”
―
Hands. Strength. Wood. Texture. Life.
Below is just a small selection of the shelve units that were stripped of their treasures and given a double coat of oil and wax.
ONE PHOTOGRAPHER’S STRUGGLE WITH THE “SLUMP”
I have been a photographer for nearly my whole life. I was probably 12 when my dad brought me into his darkroom to see the photographs we had taken that morning come to life under his little enlarger. I had never seen anything so magical, so mystifying, so utterly fascinating.
I begged him for a camera. And he got me one.
A Kodak Brownie.
After we visited Durango for the first time with my camera I couldn’t wait to see the photographs I had taken. My dad developed the film, made the contact sheets and I was so excited I can still remember every square inch of that first contact sheet.
And the photos. Those photos I had spent so much time creating. I only had two rolls of film for that week so I made every image count. I worked so hard. I was INVESTED!
And there they were, right in front of me in two neatly dried contact sheets. Glorious contact sheets!
And the photos… were god-awful. Pathetic. Stupid, And to my 12-year-old brain they were a washout, a crash, a non-starter.
I knew it right then. I sucked as a photographer. (This is of course before the vernacular of ‘sucked’ was introduced into our, uh… culture, but you get the idea.)
The next weekend my dad wanted me to go with him to make some photographs for a magazine he had a commission to shoot for. I begrudgingly went, and he brought my Brownie since I had no intention of ever making another photograph as long as I breathed air.
We got to the location a bit early so he started walking around and just looking at stuff. We got up on top of the car, we walked to the other side of the shooting range (the assignment) and then he started making notes with a pencil on a small notebook.
I asked to see what he was doing and there were some drawings of the range and where he wanted to shoot from.
“Do you want to take some photos”, he asked?
I declined as any spoiled brat 12-year old would. My feelings were hurt, I was incapable of this majestic act of artfulness.
He handed me his Argus, and he started shooting with a Voigtlander as we moved toward a line of people waiting for us to make photographs for some magazine, somewhere.
I remember looking through the Argus and seeing the picture so very clearly, nothing like my Brownie’s plastic viewfinder. I began to tentatively make compositions in the frame and eventually I took 6 or 7 shots on that roll of film. This was an early 35MM so I still had 15 or so shots left on that roll of 24. It was Panatomic, my dad’s favorite film (and mine too a few years later).
I finished out the roll around the neighborhood and when I saw that contact sheet I knew I had found something really awesome.
That may have been the last time my dad ever shot that Argus. I bought film with pop-bottle money, learned how to develop the film and kept on shooting like a madman.
Then one of my friends got a set of drums and I was off on another adventure… another story for another time,
Photography has been a part of me for as long as I can really remember. Even on the road with the band I would shoot and shoot and shoot. I had discovered SLR’s, Kodachrome, and telephoto lenses by this time and I used every opportunity I could to make photographs.
I have been asked why I make photographs and the only answer I can give is that I must. I really feel that way about it. I HAVE to make photographs.
I love making music, but I HAVE to make photographs.
I am not sure that makes sense to a lot of people but if you have ever felt the need to do something so much that you would choose to do it over nearly every other thing available, then you know what I am talking about.
As I got older I made photographs for clients all over the US. I did editorial and advertising, but my first love was fashion photography. I loved the challenge of it. I loved the freedom of it. I loved the discipline of it.
And then one day, I didn’t.
When Heroin Chic began to be the rage, I took my leave of fashion photography. As a father with two daughters at that time (later a third) there was no way I wanted to be involved with that aesthetic.
And I turned my focus toward commercial. Product, people, food, architecture… in Phoenix you do a little bit of everything to keep those doors open.
As I have matured, I probably take fewer and fewer photos than I did when I was younger. I still must make them, but I am very picky about those I make.
This year started out pretty exciting. I have several businesses going, and some creative long term projects are coming to fruition or at least beginning to.
Then COVID.
Full stop.
For 2-4 weeks we were told.
I thought sure, we can do this. Take some classes. Learn some stuff. Write. Photograph.
Lots of plans.
But the reality is that it wasn’t a ‘creative interlude’ at all. In fact the farthest thing from it. It was stressful, it was horrible. People were getting sick. People were losing their businesses, their jobs, their families, their way of life.
And people were dying.
A creative interlude? No. Not really.
it is hard to be creative in a cell. It is hard to be creative when there is so much hardship all around us. It is hard to be creative when you are constantly waiting for the next shoe to drop.
Uncertainty doesn’t breed the best creative environment, especially when that uncertainly most certainly will change your life, your mobility, your interactions with others, and literally everything you do and have done for decades.
I began to get a bit, well, depressed I guess. I look forward with great expectations to my classes both the Project 52 classes and the free Tabletop classes we started when the great lockdown began. To see people creating and learning and WANTING to grow was the highlight of my weeks.
But it was equally hard to face some days knowing that as a photographer, a teacher, an artist that I and millions like me are simply non-essential.
I found a strange tiredness in my artistic endeavors. I started a project of the cactus and succulents on the front porch. I began planning a new agency (I should have much more news on that in September) and I tried to stay focused and positive. And for the most part, I succeeded rather well.
When I felt myself falling I would look at the work of my students, check out their websites and see so many incredibly talented people that I have had the opportunity to meet, work with, and mentor. I knew at those moments I was indeed essential.
I am an essential husband.
I am an essential father.
I am an essential Papa to two lovely grandchildren.
I am an essential mentor to my friends.
I am an essential part of this world as an artist.
I am an essential person.
So I planned a way to get out of the house and find something that had been lost while being cooped up. A bit of fun, a bit of freedom. A bit of two-lane therapy they call it.
I got on my motorcycle and took a ride.
Phoenix to Montana. I wanted to be on the top of Beartooth Pass on my birthday, and even with some really challenging bike issues, I was indeed able to do exactly that.
At 1:46 Saturday, August 8, 2020, I turned 71 on the top of Beartooth Pass, elevation 10,947 ft (3,337 m). I was alone on a motorcycle, and only a couple of tourists were there to chat with for a few minutes,
At the top of Beartooth Pass. The temp was about 38 degrees, I was freezing, the wind was brutal, and I was so happy I could have cried. I had planned this for a year, at the last minute it looked like it may fall through, but I made it. I am a happy dude when I took this shot.
But it was glorious. I took photographs.
I ate a Hostess Cupcake (actually two… heh) and all seemed to be right with the world.
As I drove little two-lane roads through Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming I felt the pressure fall away. Yes, there is a lot of devastation in our current world.
But there is a lot of beauty too. A lot of wilderness, and magnificent skies, and waterfalls, lakes, streams, rivers, and animals to be grateful for.
What changed my attitude was gratefulness.
Grateful to realize that while so many things change, some things remain the same.
Motorcycles still love twisty roads.
The wind is cold on the top of the Rockie Mountains even in August.
Rivers run clear and cold in Montana and Wyoming.
Deer, Elk, Antelope, and Skunks will stand and watch you pass before running off.
Tacos can be amazing even in Montana.
The ability to make a photograph is still a gift.
Being alone is a powerful time for growth.
I ride my motorcycle alone. I don’t even have a back seat for a passenger and I do not have any friends that ride who live nearby. I get on the bike and rarely speak unless it is getting keys at the motel or ordering tacos (BBQ is a great substitute) or chatting with strangers when looking over the most incredible landscapes you may ever hope to see.
Being alone, feeling the elements, being in the wind, and the total concentration it takes to swing a 900 pound bike through the tightest curves you have ever seen while also on a 9% incline… that is all concentration, baby. And it is good for the soul.
I don’t want to ruin it with small talk, disappointment, arguments over politics or what coffee shop we should stop at. Blech…. I stop whenever and wherever I want. No consultations with others, no consensus needed. Total freedom. (Except for gas stations, I stop at a lot of gas stations. My bike has a big appetite for Premium, and I never want to run out of gas in the places I go. Could be months before anyone comes along… heh.)
I am going back to Colorado this Fall, but I will be in an automobile. A motorcycle is conducive to deep thinking, long and lonely two-laners, and the thrill of the twisties.
But it is not conducive to making great photographs. And this time I want to take my real gear and spend 14 days making the photographs I cannot on a bike.
The desire to photograph has returned with a vengeance now. I am making 30 – 40 images per week. Not stuff to share, but stuff to remind me how much damn fun it is to simply capture the world as a photograph.
“I photograph the world to see what the world looks like as a photograph”. – Lee Friedlander.
Hey Lee… dude that works for me.
PS:
I am currently writing a book about my travels around the western states of the USA complete with photographs, maps, fun suggestions and hopefully entertaining stories of being on the road, alone, and going to places that are new and exciting. I will keep you apprised on its publication date.
12 DAYS: THE WRAP UP
It wasn’t what I planned.
It wasn’t even twelve days.
But I had a blast.
I missed seeing some things I have wanted to see for a long time, and I saw some things I hadn’t even planned on seeing.
The storm changed everything.
When I realized that I would be riding over Glacier in a rain storm I figured time to try another route. That happened the second day.
And then I saw some of the most beautiful land I have ever seen.
Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado… just wow.
I won’t go over what I have written in the previous days logs but to say that being on a motorcycle in the West is one of those things that soothe me, give me some clarity, and is something I never hope to lose.
I travel alone. But I am never lonely.
I ride where I want, stop when I want to, and meet new and interesting people whenever I can.
My bike is a Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad.
That is a big motorcycle with a V-Twin and saddle bags built in.
There is a certain comfort to that big machine not being blown around by passing trucks, or high desert winds.
And the longer I ride it, the more it just seems natural in its handling.
I took a class in slow speed maneuvering a few months ago in preparation for this trip and learned a lot about what I had no idea I was doing wrong.
This trip included many U-turns on two lanes of asphalt with no margin for error. I handled them just fine, for the most part.
I was chased by the storm for a few days, always seeming to barely out run it.
But it did catch up to me a few times and in Idaho I was caught in a flash hail storm that may have been the most dense rain I have ever experienced. Within a few seconds the water on the highway was 2 -3 inches deep, and visibility crashed to nearly zero.
I followed the slow car ahead of me to the side of the road where I simply put my head down and figured I would wait it out.
The rain was so dense I could not make out the kind of car only 6 feet away.
A pickup truck had pulled behind me (I realized after I could see a bit) and the string of cars was at least a half mile long after the initial 10 minutes of deluge. It continued to rain but I was able to keep going – slowly – as it finally dissipated. Within 30 minutes I had gone from dry to exceedingly wet to sunshine and rainbows.
Gotta love those mountains.
I found some incredibly beautiful roads, and some very challenging motorcycle roads.
Motorcycles like curves.
Motorcyclists call them twisties.
And I found some roads that were simply incredible on this journey.
In Nevada, the road from Milford to Ely has some incredible flatlands, but it also has some very cool twisties. Lots of sweeping curves – then miles of absolutely straight road through flats that were incredible.
Highway 89 from Logan, UT to Garden City, UT is also one twisted road.
It has some very tight corners, and they can surprisingly grow tighter as you are in them.
Not knowing the road, I was very careful with speed and that was a good thing on several of those tight, tight, turns.
Going over the mountains from Flaming Gorge (Manila, UT) to Vernal, UT will take you through beautiful mountains with lots of curves and then a quick descent from the bluff over Vernal to the valley below with a series of super tight switchbacks that are very fun, and very slow.
I had long periods of absolutel straight roads in Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming, but I didn’t mind because the vistas went on forever.
And the roads were nearly deserted.
I stopped to do a photo in Wyoming and was there for at least 10 minutes before a pickup rolled by.
Alone.
But never lonely.
It was quite cold when I was leaving Hot Sulphur Springs headed to the Rocky Mountain National Park.
I stopped at a little diner in Granby for some breakfast and got into a conversation with some adventurers who had just been over the mountain.
It was below freezing this morning, and wouldn’t be over 40 degrees before mid afternoon.
I am not prepared for that kind of cold so once again, plans had to change.
This was the point where I decided to leisurely make my way home and hope that next year gives me better conditions for riding those two passes.
I have ridden them before: Glacier during the big fires of a couple of years ago and the Trail Ridge Road last year on my fall color ride.
But my sights were set on Beartooth, but the storm had made it very, very cold as well, and I am simply not prepared for that extreme.
Next year Mt Gray and Beartooth.
I promise myself.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Next time I go out I am taking only my iPhone and my little Lumix pocket camera.
I don’t do photography on these rides.
If there is a place to pull over, fine… but there are ten times more places where a car can pull over than a bike.
And leaving the gear bungeed to the bike whilst I head over the hills for a shot… naww, why invite tragedy.
I got about 20 photos from the trip and that was just fine with me.
I went to ride.
To clear my head.
To see places from a new perspective.
To be in the wind.
And I accomplished that well, I think.
I wasn’t out for as long as I had planned, but I was out and back on my own terms and that means something to me.
Now to plan the winter ride to Louisiana.
All photos in this series were made with an iPhone XS Max.
Minimal editing (contrast mostly).
Ride free, my friends.
12 DAYS: DAY EIGHT, GUNNISON, CO TO GALLUP, NM
12 DAYS: DAY EIGHT, GUNNISON, CO TO GALLUP, NM
BRILLIANT BLUE SKIES DEVOID OF WONDERFUL CLOUDS... SIGHGunnison was cold overnight.
Really cold.
So cold that the motorcycle did not want to start.
I had to push it out into the sun, and then using my spare battery I fired up a hair dryer to try to warm the engine enough that the oil would allow it to start.
But I got her to chug and wheeze to a nice start in about 10 minutes.
And then she purred like a kitten for the rest of the day.
I was now officially an hour and a half later than I wanted for a departure time.
Because, as I said – it was damned cold.
I did get a chance to ride along Blue Mesa Reservoir – the one that was empty last year.
Not empty this year.
You can see it in the header shot above. Stunning lake.
Thank goodness it is back to normal for the people of this region.
The ride from Gunnison to Montrose is really a beautiful 80 miles, but honestly I didn’t feel like stopping since all I was focused on was getting off this mountain and into a coffee shop.
Which I did eventually in Ridgeway.
This was a tough day for me.
I had spent 6 months planning this trip only to have it go south on the third day out due to a massive (unexpected) storm system that brought 15 – 25 degrees drop in temps to the mountains.
But even for the disappointment, I also had a blast going to places I had never seen before and were still on my bucket list.
So fewer days, but still great days.
Wyoming is simply incredible, and northwestern Colorado s breathtakingly raw. And the parts of Utah I finally got to visit made me realize I really must spend more time in this great area.
This is my kind of land. Vistas that don’t quit. Roads that go forever. Mountains in layers in the distance.
This song kept playing in my head when I was in these areas:
“I grew up a-dreamin’ of bein’ a cowboy
And lovin’ the cowboy ways
Pursuin’ the life of my high ridin’ heroes
I burned up my childhood days
I learned all the rules of a modern day drifter
Don’t you hold on to nothin’ too long
Just take what you need from the ladies, then leave them
With the words of a sad country song
My heroes have always been cowboys
And they still are, it seems
Sadly, in search of, but one step in back of
Themselves and their slow movin’ dreams”
Waylon… gone too soon and still missed so much.
After getting a bit warmer from Montrose down to Ridgeway, I steeled up for the last of the really cold passes: Red Mountain Pass.
But first I got to visit Ouray, a unique little village in the Colorado Mountains. This view is taken on the east end of town as you climb the switchbacks up the side of a nearly vertical wall.
Damn I love that road… The Million Dollar Highway.
Dangerous, twistie-delightful, two lanes of sheer beauty in some of the most spectacular mountains in North America. What’s not to love.
I didn’t do much photography on the road from Durango to Gallup.
I simply wasn’t interested in the bright blue sky.
The light was crappy and I figured the hell with it.
I didn’t want to even waste any exposures on something I knew was not what I wanted.
I did stop a couple of times for water, and to walk around a bit – something I do about every 60-75 miles. Gotta keep that circulation pumping ya know.
One of the things you find a lot of out here are cattle guards. Cows will simply not attempt to cross these rails so they are put in as ways for vehicles and folks to cross the fence lines but not lose livestock.
Once you get into New Mexico and Arizona, you see a lot of this over your handlebars.
And that has its own sort of beauty.
I will be back in a day or so with a wrap up.
I had so many wonderful experiences on this trip it would be hard to note my favorite, nor would it be easy to quickly tell anyone about them.
But that is what it was all about… experiencing something different.
Alone without commentary.
See you out on the road.
Rubber side down.
12DAYS: DAY SEVEN, HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, CO TO GUNNISON, CO
This was a cold morning and cold most of the day.
Hot Sulphur Springs is an example of what not to do with a town in the middle of literal paradise. The town is dirty, scruffy, not very attractive for anyone who would consider stopping.
I hope we have a national discussion on this sort of thing.
Before we lose what he have left.
Anyway, I headed out to Gunnison, CO bundled up for the cold air.
I had wanted to ride over Trail Ridge Road, but it was about 24 degrees up there this morning and that is NOT gonna find me on a bike.
So I had to make changes to the changed plans.
Roll with it… I believe that is the best way.
I love the rural settings and the many ways folks find to make their fences meld together. Gotta keep those cows and horses off the roads.
I rode by a couple of goat farms – one had about 1000 miniature goats – and damn do they smell. The odor of goat urine was so strong I couldn’t even stop to make a photograph.
Dayam.
One of the things about a place that has snow half the year is the amazing damage it does to the pavement. The roads were mostly pretty good.
But damn, there were a few that were a sort of “heads up – hole in the road’!
I am not a hot rod on my bike, and I can usually negotiate the ruts and bumps… but I gotta tell ya…
The Eisenhower Tunnel going east is a mess. The ruts from the big trucks are deep and when the bike would slip down into them it was really a dangerous situation.
And you are in the middle of fast traffic with the bike going squirrely until you get up on the top of the center ridge and ride it as best you can.
CDOT… I am really amazed they have not fixed this problem.
A BIG SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF YOU WHO BOUGHT ME A LUNCH OR A TANK OF GAS.
I am so appreciative.
I will be printing something special and have it in the post to you by end of the month. The image(s) will be signed, and numbered and will be exclusively yours. They will not be sold or used for anything else.
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE… OR AT LEAST MONTANA
Buy me lunch or a tank of gas and I will print and mail you a personalized one of a kind postcard from my trip. Cards will be posted on September 28th.
Loveland Pass holds a special place for me.
The first time I rode over Loveland was the time I went up to Denver to retrieve my motorcycle. I had to fly home with a damaged back and left my motorcycle with a friend in Loveland. Which is actually quite far from Loveland Pass.
I couldn’t even hike when I stopped at the top.
I was damaged physically, and that sort of damaged me in my self esteem.
I wanted to be able to hike up on top of a small knoll. I demanded that of myself.
And I did it this time. No problem (other than the total lack of air at that altitude).
The view is so spectacular that it takes your breath away anyway.
Next up was Leadville.
Leadville is the highest incorporated town in the US.
10,430 feet above sea level. The “Two Mile High” city.
They had their flags at half staff for the 9/11 memorial.
I had the most expensive Reuben sandwich I have ever had.
I love love love Monarch Pass.
Great wide twisties, and the altitude is nearly at the edge of timberline.
I hadn’t noticed the Gondola thing before and figured what the hell. Let’s go up top.
Now, gentle reader, it is imperative for you to understand how much I hate gondola rides.
I really really really hate that feeling.
But I wanted to see from the top of the mountain so I shelved the angst and just got on the damned gondola.
The view was worth the ride.
In the wind.
Swaying.
Anyway, this is the trailhead that goes 26 miles to Salida.
Better going down than up, I would guess.
12 DAYS: DAY SIX, VERNAL, UT TO HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, CO
12 DAYS: DAY SIX, VERNAL, UT TO HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, CO
BEAUTIFUL, MAJESTIC, DESOLATE LANDSCAPE THAT STRETCHES TO INFINITI
Yeah, starting to look pretty scruffy there.
I’ll fix it when I get home… and feel all great about it. Heh.
But let’s talk about northern Colorado.
Damn… what beauty.
A lonely and endless landscape.
And man does it stretch out in front of you.
Here the sky meets the earth with a sudden impact that is breathtaking to behold in every direction.
The sound of the motor is all that accompanies you along the road dotted by cattle guards and the occasional pothole.
Pickup trucks are the preferred vehicle for locals, while the tourists zip by in fancy mini-vans and imported sports cars.
I like to sit and watch the cars come by… every fifteen minutes or so.
Maybe.
This is when it hits you just how alone you are in the vast land that surrounds you.
And how important your vehicle is to survival.
I can only imagine getting off the road here and having trouble.
Without a SAT-Phone or similar, it would be a long time before someone found you.
And I suppose that may not be all bad.
I have a profound dislike for crowds, traffic, and the general ‘big city’ bustle.
But I wonder if this may test my longing for being somewhere where things move a lot slower.
Or not.
Damn, I love this stuff.
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE… OR AT LEAST MONTANA
Buy me lunch or a tank of gas and I will print and mail you a personalized one of a kind postcard from my trip. Cards will be posted on September 28th.
I went through Steamboat Springs.
Massive traffic in the middle of mountain paradise.
It was like a total disconnect for me. Like a big city planted right in the middle of the Colorado wilderness.
Lots of Cannabis stores and ‘dispensaries’ interspersed with a wide and very diverse collection of restaurants and spas.
NOT… my kind of town.
The road from Vernal to Hot Sulphur Springs didn’t have any twisties, or challenging switchbacks.
Just a lot of incredible beauty and a nice, simple hiway.
12 DAYS: DAY FIVE, LOGAN, UT TO VERNAL, UT
It was great to have a lovely BnB to get warm and dry in.
That was a heck of a storm yesterday.
I am wondering about how much water came down in a short time as I start up Hiway 89 out of Logan headed to Bear Lake.
(Motorcycle jargon ahead)… this was a very twisty and potentially dangerous road. The twisties were furious one right after another and some of them were farther around than you would expect. Add to that they would get tighter as you finished them and it made getting your line a bit of a challenge. This is a recommended road for intermediate and advanced riders.)
I kept my speed well in check. I don’t push my luck on a 1000 pounds of steel.
It was cold. Almost unbearably cold.
I decided to put my rain jacket on since it makes a great wind break.
That and the very cold weather gloves helped get me through the canyon.
As the sun broke over the edge, the pine trees and plants would begin to steam. It was truly a sight to see.
After coming out the other side I was face to face with a huge lake.
Wow – Bear Lake is not only super big, but it is also very clear.
Put it on your ‘go to’ list for some great summer adventures.
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE… OR AT LEAST MONTANA
Buy me lunch or a tank of gas and I will print and mail you a personalized one of a kind postcard from my trip. Cards will be posted on September 28th.
The miles of Wyoming I saw from the border to Kemmerer and off to the border of Utah were some of the most incredibly beautiful and haunting roads I have been on.
They call Wyoming the big sky country – and it is simply the best description of this incredible land that I could think of.
Views that seemed to go on forever. Mountains in the distance and then more behind them seemed almost like a painting.
How could they be that incredible.
OK, it sounds like I am in love with Wyoming.
OK, perhaps a bit.
I know I want to go back.
I want to take one or two of those little dirt roads that lead off to places like Snake Canyon, and Devils Crieek, and Shorties Mesa.
I had some great Mexican food in Kemmerer, then started the long prairie part of the trip.
Then I got close to the Flaming Gorge Recreation Area.
I headed on over to see the magnificent lake, but had to return to Manila to take the road to Vernal over the mountains.
And we had some twisties there, folks.
The mountains between Flaming Gorge and Vernal are high, rugged, and heavily wooded.
And when you get to the flatlands where Vernal lives, you have to come down a set of 9 switchbacks (two runaway truck ramps) that will take your breath away if you are not careful.
Very careful.
Here is a view from up in the mountains.
12 DAYS: DAY FOUR, JEROME, ID TO LOGAN, UT
Well, a good subject would be how the weather people get it so wrong – so often.
But we aren’t gonna do that.
The storm that blew in was incredibly large and covered most of the state of Idaho and Montana, and would be lingering for at least three days. I had no desire to ride three days in the rain, so I had to pull the plug on Glacier this year, and head out a bit more south to escape as much of this system as I could.
Looking at the map for interesting routes, I decided to head down to Utah via routes that looked super interesting.
And in fast changing mountain weather, I knew they would be.
The weather looked promising as I left the storms of Twin Falls and headed southeast.
I chose Logan, UT because there was a section of 89 I had not ridden before, and I wanted to get it under my bike while I had the chance. More on that road later… it was amazing.
I found a road that went through a protected grasslands area because it looked cool, and Google showed it as a very awesome route.
But it was closed after 34 miles of riding – with a storm at my back.
I had to turn around and ride straight into the damn storm… although I was very lucky to miss the really tough weather. I could see what I missed by the huge puddles in the road, and streams running on both sides of the little two laner.
The place where I got gas was now unaccessible to my motorcycle… there was so much water, I couldn’t see the gravel lot.
Good thing I got gas going into the road… it would have been very hard to negotiate that gravel and dirt under two inches of water.
The skies were turning very interesting with entire cloud formations “falling” to the ground with incredible amounts of rain.
I knew I had to get to Logan as quick as possible because the forecast was for the storm to intensify in the Utah area.
And that meant freeways… sigh.
I made it to Logan and had a wonderful BnB experience.
(NOTE: I will list the AirBnB’s I stayed in that were really unique and wonderful… you may need that info some day).
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE… OR AT LEAST MONTANA
Buy me lunch or a tank of gas and I will print and mail you a personalized one of a kind postcard from my trip. Cards will be posted on September 28th.
It’s always disappointing when your plans go awry, but I have always tried to find another path as quickly as possible.
I hate red lights and traffic jams, so I will always try to find an alternate route.
(This drives my wife crazy sometimes, but I hate being stuck because other people decided to do the same thing they always do.)
This turned into a very eventful afternoon when I was caught unawares by a blinding hail storm. Within 20 or so seconds visibility dropped to almost zero. I pulled off behind a set of tail lights and turned my blinkers on. A guy in a pickup behind me offered a seat so I hopped in and we talked about – the weather.
Since at the moment the weather was possibly a very scary thing.
It started to clear and I got out and back on the – now very wet – bike.
We started out slow and as the rain eased up I was able to get to Logan, UT with mostly dry clothes.
At this point i had already put on my rain pants, so I was mostly dry… mostly.
The clouds behind me sorta looked like this.
And they meant business.
I ended up on some incredible little rural roads, often the only vehicle for miles.
That was really fun.
12 DAYS: DAY THREE, ELY, NV TO JEROME, ID
So many times when travellers get together someone starts talking about this road or that one.
The road from Ely, NV to Twin Falls, ID is one of those roads I would mention.
Not for the twisties, or the hairpin turns or the majestic views of mountain tops, but for the land.
The incredible amount of land that you see.
Most of it untouched. There are very few roads leading off into random parts. There are even fewer on the sides of the mountains that surround the valley where the road is planted neatly.
Straight as an arrow. As few corrections as possible.
Now the reality is that this kind of road is boring to a lot of us motorcyclists.
We want curves, we want hairpins, we want to lean the bike and create perfect lines through impossiible curves.
This road offers none of that. At all.
It is a ribbon of road through an almost alien landscape.
No people.
No towns.
No houses.
No restaurants,
No gas.
Mad Max would feel right at home.
The last time I came through here on my bike I hardly had enough gas to make Ely after filling in Wells. I couldn’t explain it but that put me at about 24 MPG and that didn’t make sense.
My mechanic took the injecter system apart and cleaned it and recalibrated the exhause mixture.
This time there was no problem at all and I got about 40 MPG which is great for a cruiser this size.
Woohoo.
Every once in a while there would be a road – two tracks in the desert actually – leading off to places like Duck Creek, and Spruce Mountain. Most of them had gates you could open but this one was closed shut.
“The way is shut…: I thought to myself.
Because I am a geek. Don’t judge.
I wonder what was out there.
I wonder if I will ever know?
I spent some time shooting fun “light and shadow” stuff in a little town called McGill. It is just north of Ely.
There were some great newspaper clippings in the windows.
Apparently it was a big deal back in the 50’s. Mining, railroading, land development.
Then something happened. I don’t know what it was, but I could probably look it up.
Something that led to the town being nearly abandoned – at least the downtown part.
Cute storefronts closed.
Newspaper closed.
Restaurants, bakery, shoe store… closed.
This place should be a gold mine.
I don’t know exactly how to do that, but with gambling and it being the only town between Ely and Wells, it should be a destination in and of itself.
Towns give up though, don’t they.
“We’ve always done this and we don’t know how to do that.”
So very sad.
There will be a marker on the spot in a few more decades I imagine.
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE… OR AT LEAST MONTANA
Buy me lunch or a tank of gas and I will print and mail you a personalized one of a kind postcard from my trip. Cards will be posted on September 28th.
I simply marvel at the beauty all around us.
I wonder if the people living in this remarkable place find it to be remarkable at all?
Maybe they get out of bed and begin the day bitching about all the mountains and wishing for some “goddam rush hour traffic”!
Perhaps familiarty breeds a sort of blase relationship between what someone like me sees once every five years and what they see every stinking morning they put their boots on.
I like to think not.
But you get a chance to think of a lot of stuff when you are going perfectly straight on a motorcycle for about 3 hours – stop for gas, and do it again for 3 more hours.
Thinking and getting out of the way of giant trucks who want to go 100 MPH or so.
We have a good relationship, me and them truckers.
If they start to get too close, I will slow down and give them an easy shot to pass me.
I love this landscape.
I am not in a hurry to get through it.
Below are two more shots from McGill this morning.
12 DAYS: DAY TWO, FREDONIA, AZ TO ELY, NV
What a great day on the bike.
I love seeing places I have only seen in winter all fleshed out in summer looks.
Although I have been to Kanab and Cedar City many times, it is usually in the winter.
Today I saw the green, the immense mountainous green.
Weather was amazingly nice. Started out cloudless, but by the time I had reached Cedar City a few thunderheads emerged to the north.
Then while I had lunch (tacos, of course…) the sky filled with incredible texture and thunderheads everywhere.
Just outside of Cedar City I ran into some smoke from a nearby wildfire, but the road seemed to take me around it and up in elevation. I only smelled the fire for about 30 minutes, then it was behind me and in front of me was beautiful, clear air.
There’s a beauty to this kind of desert that is hard to explain. It has depth due to the rolling hills, and it has texture that the AZ desert I am most familiar with doesn’t have. Lots of scrub bushes, and a thick, dry, grasslike plant that glows in backlight and adds color to the desert floor.
The color of gold and yellow. It is still a desert, but it is one that gets a lot more moisture than the Sonoran desert gets.
I was surprised by all of the incredible mountain scenery that surrounded me. The map didn’t indicate that to me, but I need to learn to look more closely. The road was 70% mountains.
And then came the prairies. I guess it is what they call the ‘basins’. These are massive valleys that slope down to the bottom, then climb back up on the other side. I went through two very large and one large and each had mountain passes between them.
BTW, when I left Milford (cute town) the sign said 83 miles to next services.
And those services were two unmanned pumps next to a trailer. Insert CC and get gas.
Wow… the expanses were incredible.
And BTW, it was another 65 plus miles till I saw another gas station so if you go, take a few gallons along in a can.
Thunderstorms were all around me but all I got were a few drops and a couple of dozen miles of recently soaked pavement.
And did I mention how lonely these roads are. I stopped to make photos for 20 minutes and not a single vehicle passed me.
Eery.
Ely, Nevada is an interesting little town. I don’t know what makes it tick, or why it even exists here other than as a place for the weary traveler who happened to end up on Highway 50, “The Loneliest Road in America”. It is where the 50 meets the 93… another super lonely road I will be taking tomorrow as I head off to Twin Falls, ID.
Lots of old stuff in Ely, but the outskirts are bustling with new fast food, quickie marts, and auto parts stores.
All in all it was a super lovely day.
Now, on to the photos.
The roads seemed almost like a post apocolyptic adventure… long, straight, and lonely.
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE… OR AT LEAST MONTANA
Buy me lunch or a tank of gas and I will print and mail you a personalized one of a kind postcard from my trip. Cards will be posted on September 28th.
My kinda diner.
Serving my kind of lunch.
More barbed wire and old wood.
A couple of the vistas that I was privy to today.
12 DAYS: DAY ONE, PHOENIX TO FREDONIA
I knew it was going to be a long day.
And I knew it was going to be a warm day… I just didn’t really realize how warm it was going to be up at Marble Canyon and Cameron.
Scorching hot. My water bottles got too hot to drink and I really went too long without hydration. But it cooled off nicely when I got to the Kaibab Plateau and I spent an hour soaking in the cool pines of Jacob Lake.
An ueventful morning to Flagstaff (where the traffic was horrendous… really, what’s up with that?), and the coolness of the rim from Payson uo was simply gorgeous.
Looking for some camping spots? Check out Clint’s Well and the adjacent one across the street. Lovely and fairly deserted.
I met a few guys in Cameron who were from Denmark, and we chatted a bit. Every year they bring their motorcycles over and ride the US for 90 days. They had about 15 days left so they were heading up to I75 and then east to eventually end up in Florida. Nice guys, lots of miles on those machines.
When I got to Marble Canyon the north side was open. I have never seen that side open so I stopped and did a little rearranging of my gear.
And left my electronics bag sitting on the bike.
It was not there when I got to Jacobs Lake.
Untold fortune lost including iPhone Gimbel, 8 new SD Cards, every charger I brought, my Nikon battery chargers, and three Nikon batteries.
Well, we live and learn.
Don’t try to repack when it is hot, miserable and you have not had enough water.
So travel has changed now and I go west to Hurricane in the morning (yeay, Walmart) for chargers and batteries.
Then up the freeway for about 20 miles to Cedar City and off to Ely. It won’t slow me down, but it is not the route I wanted to take.
Traveling alone can be a real twist sometimes, and although I love it, I find myself missing the opportunity to share what I see.
Got to Fredonia and looked for an iPhone charger… nope. So I more than likely will not have service tomorrow morning. I’ll get the phone charged in my trunk charger, but dang… this is a problem.
Oh wait… I have a charger on the bike. I can indeed charge my phone tonight. That is all I was really concerned about.
So on to some images from today.
Just outside of Flagstaff about 30 miles on Lake Mary Road.
The sandwiches at McAllister’s Deli were superb. I recommend it, although when I think of the Navajo Res, a ‘deli’ is not what comes to mind. It is just as you drive into Cameron from the south. Great prices, amazing food.
Glacier National Park during the fires, 2019
Sometimes I think taming the west can be summed up into one word: Barbedwire.
Is that two words? Grammerly is OK with barbedwire so we’ll go with that.
I didn’t shoot the Vermillion Cliffs this day. There was quite a bit of haze in the air and I will be back up in a few weeks hoping for better views. But I did get some shots of the valley and the Kaibab Plateau with some major thunderstorm clouds.
These storms will brew up in an hour or so, blow wind like crazy and dump a ton of rain… then just dry up like nothing really happened.
I rode through the remnants, but never had to put my rain gear on.
And this is how we are rolling this week.
The daily video:
12 Days on a Motorcycle: The Gear
CHOOSING THE RIGHT GEAR FOR A LONG TRIP ON A MOTORCYCLE…
… requires knowing that bike inside and out.
And how much room there is inside directly impacts how much room you will need outside the bike.
I use a motorcycle backpack and duffle top that sits right behind me on the back fender. They work as a back rest as well.
The challenge is to keep the motorcycle balanced, so we try to keep as much as possible inline with the frame.
I have two saddle bags that hold far more than I expected them to when I first got the bike.
These bags have doors that open out instead of from the top down and that presents some good aspects and some negative aspects as well.
What is good is that you can reach most everything with the door down. The negative is that sometimes things can shift and fall out when you open the door.
Not a problem unless you are parked in mud.
Ya know.
My bike: 2008 Kawasaki Nomad 1600CC V-twin.
As you can see, it is a big motorcycle. And notice the trunk on the back.
That is where I put my cameras. It is lined with two layers of bubble wrap to keep the vibrations down, and the camera bodies and lenses are also dampened with bubble wrap.
There is a lot of vibration on a motorcycle and I don’t want anything coming apart.
I have removed the passenger seat and replaced it with a luggage rack so my overnight bag sits there.
The clothing I am taking reflects the possible highly diverse weather I may face.
Warm weather:
Two long sleeved tee-shirts.
One short sleeve tee-shirt.
One button down western shirt.
Motorcycle jeans (with Kevlar sewn in).
One pair of regular jeans for when I am washing the other pair.
One pair of swim trunks in case I need to wash both pair.
Two pair of warm weather socks.
Sneakers for wearing off bike.
Baseball cap and Harley hat.
Cold weather:
One long sleeve wool sweater.
Long Underwear.
Two pair cold weather socks.
One cold weather jacket.
One cold weather face mask.
One cold weather Ascot for keeping the neck warm.
I use packing cubes to keep all of the stuff organized.
Riding gear:
One pair riding gloves warm weather.
One pair riding gloves cold weather.
One warm weather riding jacket with kevlar.
Wolverine boots.
Rain gear and boot covers.
Neckerchief.
Full face helmet with full visor to keep out the cold air and rain.
Three pair of sunglasses: one pair very dark.
Camera Gear:
Nikon Df DSLR
28, 35, 50, 85, 180mm primes + 24 – 120 zoom.
Nikon F4 analog camera
Ten rolls Kodak Gold ISO 200
Hasselblad with 50MM f4 Planar (maybe)
Small tripod.
Very small tripod for selfie stick and video.
iPhone 7 for video.
Rode mic for iPhone.
Wind guard for Rode mic.
LUMIX DCS60 for video/stills
Miscellaneous
GPS Tracker for real time tracking.
Battery jumper and USB charging battery unit.
2 very bright flashlights.
Assorted chargers and cords and such.
Pociket knife.
Waist knife.
Hatchet.
Mini camp chair.
Umbrella.
First Aid kit.
Mini road flares (2).
Two USB chargers for iPhones
Toiletries bag.
Bike cover.
Communications:
iPad with keyboard.
MacBookPro 13″
iPhone Max
I also have a couple of waterproof bags in case it rains torrents. Fits all cameras and electronics.
That may seem like a lot, but I do indeed have space in both of my saddle bags for something I may need to purchase along the way. I also have to have room for water bottles and a small bottle of single malt.
Don’t judge.
Imagine if I was packing to go on a camping trip! I have two more packs that fit on top of the saddle bags for camping gear, but I would probably have to rethink a lot of above to get all the gear on. It ends up piling very high, being very heavy, and really worrying me when I leave the bike.
All the gear goes into saddle bags, the trunk, and the travel pack I have on the seat behind me. It is covered with a waterproof cover, and is bungee corded from both sides to hold it stable.
I will show you some photos from the road once I get it squared away… I figure by Ely, NV I should have it nailed down.
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE… OR AT LEAST MONTANA
Buy me lunch or a tank of gas and I will print and mail you a personalized one of a kind postcard from my trip. Cards will be posted on September 28th.
PLANNING A MOTORCYCLE TRIP AS A PHOTOGRAPHER
PLANNING A TRIP BY MOTORCYCLE IS SOMEWHAT MORE CHALLENGING THAN PLANNING ONE BY CAR
For one thing that is obvious; no trunk, backseat, or places to put most anything that would be bigger than a backpack. That also means no place to hide important and sensitive stuff from rain, snow, fog, or bugs.
So you have to pack smart… and light.
Something I did not know the first time I headed out with a mountain of gear bungeed to the bike. It damn near towered over me from the back and I often wondered where it would end up if I had to snap the breaks on hard.
Probably on me.
Problematic to say the least.
It also means that clothes must be very carefully chosen. It can be very cold in the mornings and steaming hot in the afternoon – and if you are travelling along the wilds of the west, changes in elevation can bring even more temperature variations.
That means cold weather riding gear, warm weather riding gear, rain gear, and off bike attire – all that fits in a small backpack and a couple of side bags that already have extra oil, tools, a tarp, and more.
Planning… and couble checking the space.
I have a big bike, and it can hold a lot of stuff – maybe more than most – but packing for two weeks is a challenge for sure.
No wasted space – and no space wasted.
Items that will be accompanying me include two bright flashlights, an emergency kit, a GPS emergency locator, an axe, knife, radio, camp chair, camp umbrella, a small ice chest for water, a motorcycle cover and lock kit, extra batteries, a jumpstarter, battery charger, and a whole host of small things meant to take care of umexpected emergencies on the road.
I also carry a few small towels and cleaner for the motorcycle if it gets too dirty on the muddy northern routes.
PLANNING A PHOTOGRAPHY ADVENTURE ON A MOTORCYCLE
Aahh… that is a bit more tricky even.
Planning a ride is somewhat easy if your goal is to ride and see.
Planning to go on a photography shoot is a lot different – and I have decided that is NOT what I am doing on this trip.
There is only so much gear I can take on a trip like this and I have to think about damage, theft, weather, and things that may not be as much under my control as they would be in a secure vehicle.
For instance, I cannot leave my motorcycle on the streets while I go walking around unless I have already checked in and left my gear at the room.
I use a system of cable locks, but any enterprising shithead worth their salt can get through them.
So economy and safety play a big roll in what I pack, and how I pack it.
There is also the idea of getting up before dawn and heading to locations for that beautiful early morning light. Well, that probably won’t be me because moving my bike into places where that would be advantageous – in the dark – is above my motorcycling skill set and NO, I ain’t gonna try to be all macho and do some trail-riding on a 900 lb bagger.
So getting “killer” landscape shots are not on my list of to-do’s. Yes, if they are there in front of me I will be a snappin’ fool, but they are not the photography reason for the trip.
My goal is to make the trip itself the story – the fodder for the imagery. There will be great light, not so great light, available light, and probably some downright crappy light.
Doesn’t matter. I am creating a photo document of the journey.
I am bringing a small flash unit, umbrella, and stand in case I get the chance to make a portrait or two and need some auxiliary lumens.
But I also am fine with totally natural light reportage style for this adventure.
I hope to turn this into a promo I can use for the next 6 months.
If you follow along you will see it take shape… I think.
Download and print image “I’d Rather Be Riding” for personal use if you like.
I AM NOT CAMPING… BUT…
I still wanted it to be fun accomodation wise.
So I got on AirBnB and booked some very cool, different types of places to stay.
From a carriage house to a cabin on a lake, a room in the old Idaho Governor’s Mansion to a room in a former girl’s school, the places I am staying are for the most part interesting themselves.
I did have to use some regular motels on the journey.
No cheap AirBnB’s in Ely, NV or White Sulphur Springs, or Durango… but I still got cool accomodations… and get this:
The entire trip’s accomodations cost less than $640… ALL of it.
It is a lot of fun to try stuff that is different than the norm, and I hope to have some great stories from these unique venues.
THE RIDE PLAN:
I leave on September 5 and head for Fredonia, Arizona, a small town on the border of Utah.
Then it goes like this:
Ely, Nevada
Twin Falls Idaho
Salmon, Idaho
Kalispell, MT
Great Falls, MT
Laurel, MT (Billings)
Saint Anthony, ID
Vernal, UT
Hot Sulphur Springs, CO
Leadville, CO
Durango, CO
Home
I had to make a decision of whether I was a photographer taking a motorcycle or a motorcyclist taking some cameras. I chose the latter.
If I were going to Glacier to make great photos, I would spend time there instead of riding through.
This is a solo motorcycle trip, and I hope to get as many photographs of stuff and people as I can, but I am NOT on a photography journey.
I am feeling very good about that, and maybe I won’t come home so distraught that I didn’t make “enough” good photographs.
What I have decided to do is to document my ride. Tell the story of the trip, illustrate the fun of it all.
I hope to post daily – hence the links on the side of the page.
See you all back on September 17th.