The best time of the year (for photography)

Post by @aows

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I can feel it -- the weather is changing, the light is shifting, the mood is transforming. The best time of the year for photography is upon us.

The days are getting shorter, making it easier to catch both sunrise and sunset. The Sun now travels lower across the sky, creating a softer, more subtle, more beautiful light. Temperatures are finally pleasant.

Don't get me wrong, I had a terrific summer in San Francisco -- fun times filled with great photography on the streets of this beautiful city. But I am so ready to hit the road. Soon. Very, very soon.

No other place I’d rather be

The feeling is always there, some days I’m barely aware of it; other days, it almost hurts: the desire to hit the road again. And yet, there’s no place I’d rather be than San Francisco right now.

It feels strange. I haven’t been in a situation like this in years. My “normal” is to be always on the move, nowhere for too long. But I keep scanning the map and I find nothing: there’s nowhere I want to go*.

The summer doesn’t inspire me. The bright sun and the heat make me feel miserable most of the time. I much prefer those gray cloudy days, slow rainy afternoons, and the magical foggy mornings. And of those mornings, I’m getting plenty here.

I spent the last two summers in Norway and Scotland, grayscale times I cherish now. I want that, I need that. So I’m learning to work on the same spots over and over, trying to find what I failed to see before. And while my desire to go somewhere is still there, I’m starting to love it. A project is building up here, I think. We shall see.

Come around September, though, I’ll be more than ready to hit that open road again. Where to, it doesn’t matter.

* By car, that is. I guess I could always take a flight to somewhere exotic on the other side of the world, but you know, I can’t afford that.

Scars of a road trip

I’ve talked about the scars of war before. How cameras and lenses are meant to be used rather than left on a shelf.

This belief of mine was put to the test during my latest road trip across the West. I got snow, heavy rain, intense winds, and storms. I shot along the coast, in the rainforest, in the high desert, amidst the red landscapes of Utah, and on sand dunes. It was exhilarating at times, frustrating at others.

Twice, I dropped my cameras.

The first incident happened at the Painted Hills in Oregon. My video camera (a7iv) took a bad fall while I was recording myself on a windy late afternoon. I was rushing everything and failed to properly secure the tripod.

My heart skipped a few beats when I turned around and saw the destruction. I feared I’d lost the camera. Fortunately, it was “just” the 17-28mm lens that broke on the mount.

Now, that lens lives in my a7iv as I use it all the time for my videos. So hastily, I purchased another copy (a used one) on eBay. It turns out that was another bad, rushed decision on my part. Because once I got home a few days later, I managed to put the “broken” lens back together, and it seems to work just fine! So now, I own two 17-28mm lenses.

That wasn’t the end of my gear related accidents, though. A couple of weeks later, in the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado, I dropped my stills camera in the sand.

This was a rare accident. I don’t remember what I was doing with my video camera, but I thought that holding the a7riv between my legs was a good idea. I often do it without any trouble. However, this was a very, very windy day. I lost a bit of balance at some point and I instinctively tried to correct myself by shifting one of my legs, which made the camera fall into the sand. Thankfully, these cameras are well sealed and nothing bad happened. I cleaned it with the air blower, and that was it.

We are all one road trip older now -- my cameras and I. They bear new scars, and I probably grew some new gray hairs. We stumbled, we fell, but we stood back up. We are prepared for the next adventure. Unsure if any wiser than before, but certainly still strong enough.

UK road trip wrap up

I just sent the first newsletter in months, but it's a good one as it summarizes my recent road trip across Scotland and other parts of the UK. It includes links to all the videos and it comes with some of the best images I made.

I also updated this website's archive with those photos and even more, check it out here: scotland, england and wales.

Working From the Car

I watched with interest the recent presentation of Apple's AR/VR headset, Vision Pro. I was hoping for a use case that wasn't playing games, watching TV, or pretending to be a legless avatar.

While Vision Pro seems to be a device geared towards consumption for the most part, I can see huge potential on the productive side of things as well.

I was very happy to see that the headset can work as a portable, private, and pretty big monitor to a Macbook. As someone who doesn't have a permanent home, much less an office, this can be a big deal for me. Especially when I'm on the road.

During photography road trips, I spend most nights in my car, where space is... well, very limited. I still haven't found a way to work on my computer for long periods of time that is comfortable and doesn't break my back.

An AR/VR headset could solve this problem. I can't wait for the day I can have a 27" virtual monitor (or two, or three) to work on Lightroom and Final Cut Pro in the back of my small SUV.

I'm still a bit skeptical (is the resolution of the headset going to be enough for this use case?), even more considering the price point of this thing, but I'm excited for a future where I could work from anywhere as comfortably as I would in a proper office.

After an end, a new beginning

This is it. I'm back home after spending the last 4 months driving across Europe, mostly Norway. An incredible journey I'll never forget.

There will be time for me to reflect on the trip, but as of right now, I'm feeling a bit empty inside. It will take some time adjusting to the new reality, like it did when I first hit the road back in August.

And then, once I get used to being at the same place, once I established a routine, it will be time to leave it all behind again. This is what I do. Where to? When? For how long? I have some ideas, but I will know when the time comes.

This is the end of this (short) period of my life. This is the beginning of a new one.

Living on the road for photography: is it worth it?

After 2+ months living on the road for photography, I have some thoughts.

Small SUV conversion ~ 3-month photography road trip across Norway living in my car

My car has been my home for several weeks now. I sleep in the car, I eat in the car, I change my clothes in the car, I work in the car, I rest in the car, I cook in the car.

This is the easy and cheap "conversion" I did to my small SUV for a 3-month long road trip across Norway. Built and designed with photography in mind.

My biggest road trip yet

I'm on the road again. Big time, as I embark on a 2-month long adventure. My biggest road trip yet.

3 days on a train traveling from San Francisco to Chicago

When I was looking for options to travel from California to the Midwest, one stood out: the train. I love trains, the route was absolutely gorgeous, and it was much cheaper than flying. What was the catch, then? Time.

This was a long trip, as we spent 56 hours on a train. If you add the almost 4 hours we waited at the train station, then the whole trip was a whopping 60 hours.

And yet, I'm so glad I did it. Something I will never forget.

Photography road trips

I love road trips, especially photography road trips. Over the years, I got to go on quite a few across all the United States. These are a few tips, tricks, advice and some lessons I've learned over time.

Leaving is always hard

After months comfortably spent at home, I’m finally back on the road. This trip will take me to amazing places, some new, some very familiar. Even though I’m really excited about what is to come, I’m also struggling. And this is a familiar feeling.

You see, this is a solo trip. I will be alone for the next month, even a bit longer, and that’s a drastic change from my boring routine. Today, for example, I didn’t talk to anyone. Not having service for most of the time doesn’t help the feeling of isolation, either.

Then there are the unknowns. Only uncertainty is certain.

The only way forward is to embrace whatever might come my way. But it can be hard at first, while I’m still breaking from my everyday habits and comforts.

In just 3 days, I’ve gone from camping in 85 degrees, surrounding by starving mosquitoes, to freezing temperatures, snow, and carrying bear spray wherever I go. I’ve already had to take the car to a repair shop. I’ve driven 2,000 miles across 6 states. I’ve seen bison, and mountain goats. Vast plains, jaw dropping peaks, and pristine lakes. And this is just the beginning!

I know I will have an amazing time (I am already), but shrugging off these uncomfortable feelings might take a few more days. Change is never easy. But, in most cases, it’s worth the fight.

The long way back home

This is the last video from the road trip. It documents the long drive back home, after 3 months on the road. Hairball was kind of falling apart, so that made the trip a bit... interesting. I hope you enjoy it.

Catching up

Nothing lasts forever, and this trip wasn’t going to be an exception. I’m back in Indiana after 3 incredible months on the road, a time I spent trying to take it all in as much as I could. I don’t know when I’m going to have the chance to hit the road again, so I gave it all I had.

That means I pretty much put everything else on hold. Among other things, my exercise habits, this blog, and email.

I’m catching up now: I’ve started to exercise again, this post is the first of hopefully many to come here in the blog, and I’ve replied to a few emails that had been patiently waiting for a response for a while. I will be getting back to people on social networks soon, too. If you tried to contact me and I haven’t gotten back to you by the end of this week, please try again.

Being back is bittersweet: it’s great to be with family again, and having a routine makes me feel more energized and healthier. But I miss the road already, all the sunrises and sunsets I saw out west over those stunning landscapes.

As this part of my photography journey ends, the first snowstorms of the season here in the Midwest are already signaling the beginning of the next one. I can’t wait to take my cameras out once the white powder takes over these landscapes.

Night and Day photography at the Alvord Desert, Oregon

The Alvord Desert is one of my favorite spots in Oregon. A remote place in the vastness of SE Oregon, we first visited this place a few years ago during Thanksgiving. It was a trip I will never forget.

In this video, I remember that trip, and try to make new memories… and images. The weather didn’t cooperate as much as I’d have loved to, but we still had a great time.

Hiking Mt Timpanogos, Utah

Mt Timpanogos, in the Wasatch Range, rises almost 12,000 feet above sea level. The view of the Salt Lake valley and the neighboring mountains was something I had to check out in person. So I did.

This is not an easy hike: 15 miles round-trip and almost 5,000 feet of elevation gain. Count on 4-5 hours to reach the top. Because I was recording myself and had to walk back and forth many times to retrieve the camera, my hike clocked at 22 miles and 6,000+ feet elevation gain. It took me almost the whole day.

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Despite its difficulty, it’s a pretty popular hike: I did it on a Friday, and the trail was pretty busy. Plenty of people in their late 60s (one man was celebrating his 68th birthday by summiting the mountain) and even kids.

If you are planning on doing this hike in late summer / early fall, make sure to bring plenty of water. There are a couple of streams at the beginning, but nothing after that.

The trail is well maintained and easy to follow, although it requires some scrambling in the last section, where you should expect loose rocks. Even though people climb this mountain year-round, I’d definitely not do it (at least the last section) with snow or ice on the ground.

When it comes to photography, the place offers plenty of opportunities for great images, but I wasn’t very happy with what I got. The weather and nearby fires didn’t help, it was kind of bland and hazy day. The hard climb takes a lot of your physical and mental energy as well, so I found it difficult to focus on making images. But I’m glad I went for it: a mostly peaceful hike to a beautiful peak with stunning views.

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How we travel

We are moving again, leaving Colorado and heading towards Utah. In this video, we talk about how we travel, why we do it this way, what we carry with us, and I make some images in Salt Lake City.

How to make the most of a photography trip

There’s never enough time at a location. That was definitely what happened to me in my recent visit to Rocky Mountain National Park. A beautiful and huge place, and only 2 days to enjoy it.

In this video, I share some tips on how to make the most of a photography trip, so we can go back home with as many good images as possible.

Nasty weather, happy photographer

I am on the road again! And what better way to start the trip than with an unexpected snowstorm at the beginning of September. I welcomed and embraced the snow, and tried to make good images at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Nothing lasts forever

Hello, friend, from somewhere in Iowa.

I’m typing this on my iPad from the passenger seat of our truck. Today, we left Indiana after being there for a couple of months, as we head West in the search of new adventures.

We’ve “moved” several times in the last few years. It doesn’t get any easier. Leaving behind a place and a routine, the comfort and safety they provide, and the people you shared your life with even if only for a few weeks, is always hard. And in some ways, the uncertainty of a road trip can be a bit scary.

I’ve come to realize that all of this is a good reminder, though: nothing lasts forever. Memento mori, some say. This is a fact we all are aware of, but it can get lost in the everyday, automatic behaviors we engage in.

Knowing that we only have a few weeks left of whatever we are doing, of wherever we are, and of whoever we are with, makes me enjoy all of it a bit more. It makes everyone around us that way.

It wasn’t too long ago when we were saying good bye to everyone in Spain over meals and drinks, or when we were celebrating being back with our loved ones in Indiana. This week, it was time to enjoy the last few days with them.

Even though I always try to keep in mind how lucky I am to even be alive, this approach to life has made me even more aware. Every day is special in a different way.

Take it all in today. Because we aren’t going to be here tomorrow.