The US is a big country, a pretty big one
Full of beautiful places and public land, it is perfect for road trips
I love road trips, they are my favorite way to travel and to make images
I just came back from one.
I had a little bit of everything: snow, rain, sun, even tornado warnings
I had troubles with the car
I dropped a camera in the ocean
I saw plenty of wildlife: elk, moose, bold eagles, seals…
I got eaten by mosquitoes
I froze in the mountains of Montana
and I got bathed by the ocean breeze at the Oregon coast
As usual, so many memories and stories, the best part of a road trip
And this was just one of many road trips that I got to do over the years
While the miles fade away with time, the memories of those places stick with you
As do the images that you make
These are some of the thoughts, tips and lessons I’ve learned over time about photography
road trips
Got a full car, packed with a lot of stuff
Every trip is different in its own way
A trip during winter will be very different from a trip during summer
Winter is cold, days are short, nights are long, driving is not possible at times, batteries
die quickly...
Summer is hot, days are long, nights are short, there are mosquitoes, you need sunscreen,
thunderstorms are a threat
We need to be prepared for the season
Don’t bring a lot of stuff but make sure to have everything you are going to need with
you
Otherwise you might have to get out of your way and waste precious time
As you can see, I have a lot of stuff in the car
I've been living off the car for the last 2 weeks or so, since I hit the road again
Try to keep the car as organized as possible, everything should have a home
Over time, you’ll memorize where everything goes and it will make your life much easier
Have the car inspected, change the oil and make sure that everything looks good before
hitting the road
A car failure is always bad, but it’s even worse if it happens in the middle of nowhere
and you have to cancel your plans
Even then, anything could happen at any moment
My car was good to go and it broke down on day 2 of the road trip
So it's only day 2, I already got 3 lights on
I really hope they can fix it, otherwise I don't even know if this trip is going to happen
at all, so...
fingers crossed
Oh no, oh no...
Accidents happen, they definitely happen to me, so it’s always useful to have a backup
camera, if you can
Also spare batteries and memory cards, and stuff to clean your lenses
Try to keep everything organized in pouches
It looks like a mess, it is a mess now
If you are going to live off the car, the gear you don’t bring with you when you are
out taking pictures will have to stay behind in the vehicle
Probably not a good idea to leave valuables in the car, so try to bring only as much gear
as you can fit in your backpack
It must fit in my camera bag
When it comes to power, bring more batteries than you think you’ll need, especially if
you are camping
A few external batteries to charge them are also recommended
Maybe even bring a solar panel, they can be very useful if you get sunny conditions
In any case, charge everything up as soon as you have access to an outlet
Camping is not as bucolic as some might want you to believe
It can be very uncomfortable, noisy, it gets cold and hot, you have to deal with bugs
and daily chores like doing laundry can take much longer than they’d take otherwise
Rain can also ruin your whole trip
I actually had to get a cabin a couple of nights during this last road trip to avoid
snow and rain
otherwise I’d have been sitting either in the tent or the car for hours
I love camping, though
I spent almost a month sleeping in a tent during this last road trip
Camping is usually affordable even in highly desirable locations
And sleeping outdoors makes me feel more connected to the landscape
I find it much easier to get out and start taking photos when I sleep in a tent compared
to getting out of a nice bed in a hotel
You can also camp in public land, usually for free
I don’t do it very often, though, because being able to book a place is almost must
for me
I’m usually out taking photos until very late, well past sunset,
and knowing that I’ll have a place to go to right away to rest for the next day is
important
I don’t want to look for a camping spot in the dark
Hotels and airbnbs are a better option but much more expensive of course
You get better rest because you have a better bed, and less noise
you don’t have to worry about powering your devices
and if you stay for a few nights, you can leave valuables behind knowing they’ll be
safe while you are out during the day
This might sound silly, I have food for days here
This might look very silly, but this is very important for what I'm trying to achieve during
this trip
Another plus of lodging is the fridge
If you are camping or living off the car, your options are very limited unless you have
an expensive rig
I usually go to the grocery store once every few days and get as much food as I can fit
in the fridge
This last time though, because I didn't have a fridge, I visited the store as often as
I could to buy fresh veggies and fruit
I still had to rely on plenty of packaged food in places where that was not possible
but it was just a month so it was ok
This approach might not be sustainable for longer periods of time, though
In any case, minimizing your trips to the store will leave you more time for photography
or for resting
It's snowing!
Isn't this pretty?
Be prepared for anything, and stay flexible
This last road trip was especially hard to prepare for because it was during spring
For example, we got 12 inches of snow on my first day in Montana
and I slept in 100F weather in Idaho on my way back to the Midwest
I had to bring winter coats along with shorts, and that takes a lot of room in the car
I alsio had to change my plans a few times, I was trying to avoid heat
It might have looked like rain was chasing me, but actually, I was chasing the rain
And I loved it
Always, always let someone know about your plans, and stay in touch
I use my phone, of course, but I also have a GPS communicator just in case there’s
no service where I go
I barely use it, and it’s not cheap, but it could save my life one day
Do not push it, avoid rough roads unless your car is ready for them
and avoid rough trails if you are not ready for them
Getting stuck in the middle of nowhere, or getting hurt, can be really expensive, and
dangerous
Bring bear spray if you are hiking in bear country
Have a first aid kit in the car
And water, plenty of water.
Always.
Road trips are not for everyone, especially if done alone
Many people might not be able to afford the economic cost of a road trip, even less the
time that they require
You don't need to go anywhere to make good images, though
I'm a huge advocate of local photography
But if you can afford going on a road trip and you have the time, I strongly recommend
it
you might come to like them as much as I do
I love the freedom that they give you, which I find priceless when it comes to making images
And no, you definitely don’t have to get fancy, or spend a lot of money on an expensive
rig
A couple of sleeping bags and a big pillow in the back of almost any car will do
And if the weather is nice enough, just pitch a tent outside
I hope this video was useful, if you have any other questions about how I travel
how I manage my gear, how I manage my clothing, the food, where I stay...
whatever it is, just leave a comment down below or send me an email
As usual, thank you so much for watching
and see you in the next one!