Route 66 in the News
Photographing Route 66
2005-01-18 22:23:43
In the past, I always left it up to friends to take pictures of our vacations. I couldn't be bothered fumbling around with a camera. I feared I'd miss stuff if I spent my time hidden behind a viewfinder. . .
The most I'd tote on trips would be a disposable apparatus. I rarely finished a roll, and my photos seldom made it to the development stage.
Then I bought a digital camera.
The technology eliminates most of the headaches that come with shooting on celluloid, enabling snapshot cretins like me to capture dazzling images with ease.
I underwent a shift in mindset and came to realize that photography can enrich the travel experience rather than distract from it, as it goads you to observe your surroundings with a sharper eye.
In the summer weeks after I bought a Canon PowerShot S500, I took the five megapixel unit with me on nearly every outing. I photographed rural panoramas along the western reaches of Route 46, took still-life portraits of leafy greens at the supermarket and snapped concert pix of my friend strumming at open mike nights.
Since the basic principles of photography were Greek to me, the majority of my work fell within the failed-experiment category. Working digital, all you do is dump the picture and hope for better luck next time.
I fell in love with the hobby but knew that if I wanted to improve my keep-to-delete ratio, I'd have to take a course of some sort. My unpredictable work schedule as a journalist made it difficult to commit to night school classes.
An Internet search for places offering instruction yielded a number of links to photo travel sites. The trips they pitch are guided tours during which beginner and advanced shutterbugs can hone their skills in photogenic settings.
The jaunts range in duration from one day to three weeks, hitting destinations as close as Washington, D.C., and as remote as Antarctica. Some cost $500; others, $5,000. (See accompanying story for details).
A journey to Bhutan was beyond my budget and ambitions, but I was able to find more modest expeditions that wouldn't require a plane ride, a translator and a fee 12 times costlier than my camera. Wildlife and pretty landscapes didn't interest me. I sifted through dozens of sites before I came across a trip that appealed to my sensibilities.
Branson Reynolds, a Colorado-based lensman, offers weeklong treks on a stretch of Route 66, from Albuquerque, N.M., to Oatman, Ariz. The excursions are centered on the roadside attractions and neon nightscapes that characterize the route, once a Chicago-to-Los Angeles thoroughfare.
Although Route 66 was decommissioned two decades ago and replaced with I-40, there are long stretches of the road that have been preserved for their nostalgic appeal.
Reynolds, a zoologist-turned-stock photographer, limits his trips to the Rocky Mountain region and the Southwest, as he is well acquainted with the area. He leads explorations through Arches National Park, Monument Valley and the Four Corners.
The ramble down Route 66 is different from his other workshops, as the emphasis is on kitsch rather than vistas. He mailed a CD to me with a radio program that describes the genesis of the road, and lent me another disc with pop jingles dating back to the highway's 1950s heyday.
"I want people to get a sense of where they are, immerse themselves so their pictures can tell a story," said Reynolds. "Detail shots will tell you as much about the trip as a shot of the highway. A key in an old doorknob, it says something. I try to get people to look for small things and different kinds of images."
Before investing $1,250 (including accommodations, but not meals), I explained my inexperience to Reynolds. He assured me that it wouldn't be an issue, as long as I didn't show up asking him how to use the camera. The group would be small, he said, just four of us, allowing for more personalized instruction.
Our party included Art Newberg, a radiologist from Boston who'd been out with Reynolds once before, and Suzi Moore-McGreggor, a pro photographer who was along for the ride capturing stock shots she planned to sell to magazines and calendars.
It seemed odd that Reynolds wasn't familiar with the Canon PowerShot, as it is one of the more popular consumer brands. It wasn't until I arrived in New Mexico that I realized why he drew a blank on the make and model.
"The camera's so ... small," remarked Newberg, minutes after meeting me at the group's rendezvous point: the Econolodge in the Old Town section of Albuquerque.
Newberg was shooting with a colossus of a Canon that had sophisticated manual controls. For instance, he was able to make nuanced adjustments to the aperture, which is the size of the lens opening, whereas I was stuck with two settings: landscape or close-up.
Even before my first click of the shutter button, I learned a crucial lesson: a photo trip is doable with point-and-shoot equipment, but you'll be dealing with some major limitations. Reynolds told me that in his 13 years of leading tours, never had someone come with consumer gear like mine. A good rule of thumb is your camera should be in the four-digit price range.
Most of what Reynolds taught me was hypothetical, as his instruction couldn't be put into practical use on a device with such elementary settings.
Still, despite the obstacles, the week was enjoyable and enlightening. Most importantly, the quality of the pictures I took evolved from the first day to the last. I grew more intimate with the images, minimizing the amount of dead space in the frame.
It's all about the angles, I learned, as I crouched and climbed, looking to put my own stamp on everything I snapped. I even began to see that there were advantages to having such a small, low maintenance camera, as it allowed me to freeze fleeting moments I would have missed with bulkier equipment.
I drove 2,000 miles from New Jersey to Albuquerque, and was dismayed to find that our first night's lodging had bullet-proof glass at the reception desk, change-seeking vagrants in the parking lot and rooms that had the aroma of old broccoli.
Later in the week, after staying in several establishments of questionable cleanliness, I came to realize that cheap motels are part of the photo travel experience.
Newberg, who goes on two tours a year, said that he would never stay in such places on a standard vacation, but rustic accommodations are expected and accepted on these adventures.
Each day, there were a few hours of shooting in the morning, followed by lunch at retro eateries. In the afternoon, we'd caravan to the next destination (there were three cars among the four of us), where the group would convene after sunset to capture neon motel and restaurant signs.
While most photo trips involve setting your alarm for 4:30 a.m. to catch the light of sunrise, the Route 66 group met for breakfast at the relatively civilized hour of 7 a.m. I still had trouble waking up in time, so most days I slept in and caught up with Reynolds and Co. in the afternoon. This gave me time to wander each town on my own and make my own discoveries.
The pictures I took during these walks aren't as visually rich as the ones shot at the destinations mapped out by Reynolds, but I enjoyed my solo strolls and met some characters I never would have encountered if I hadn't strayed from the pack.
For instance, there was Jonathan, who was en route from Colorado to his home in Los Angeles, driving an antique Jeep he purchased on eBay. We struck up a friendship in Gallup and had dinner at a diner with an amusingly phrased menu.
A cheeseburger was described as a "patty cloaked with cheese" and eggs were "cooked the style you desire." Later, we sipped drinks at Goodfellas, a karaoke bar where Navajo locals performed Lionel Richie ballads.
He told me about his career as a Hollywood animal doctor, making house calls to treat pets owned by celebrities. We discussed the cities we'd visited thus far and he said he liked Albuquerque but was disappointed with Santa Fe, surmising, "Where there's bad art, there's bad people."
I agreed that Albuquerque was a pleasant surprise (Reynolds' itinerary didn't include Santa Fe so I was spared the alleged bad art and people).
It's a small city population-wise, but Albuquerque has the culture and eclecticism of a major metropolis. I could have spent the entire week there, shooting punk rock retail outlets and body-pierced shoppers. Buildings serve as canvases for psychedelic murals and the urban center is circled with lofty mountains.
After Albuquerque, the group headed toward Gallup, stopping along the way at two pueblo communities. We weren't allowed to photograph the first one, Isleta Pueblo, because there was a funeral in progress.
At the second destination, Laguna Pueblo, we did some outdoor shooting but there were no cameras permitted inside the San Jose de Laguna mission church, which dates back 300 years. We did, however, get a tour of the building courtesy of Father Larry, a holy man with a dry sense of humor and a vocabulary that included the word "awesome."
There were a few more photo ops at abandoned trading posts and dilapidated gas stations before we hit the interstate bound for Gallup, equipped with walkie-talkies in case anyone got separated from the caravan.
In Gallup, we stayed at El Rancho, a self-proclaimed "Home of the Movie Stars," built in 1937 by the brother of groundbreaking filmmaker D.W. Griffith. Famous folks who spent the night while they were shooting flicks nearby include Ronald Reagan, Katharine Hepburn and Kirk Douglas. The lobby is a frontier fantasyland with taxidermy trophies, winding staircases and a player piano.
While attempting to capture the rococo motel interior, I learned the value of a tripod. The shots I snapped with a flash looked washed out and the others were blurred because I wasn't holding the camera steady enough. In low-light situations, a tripod stabilizes the camera while the shutter opens and closes.
My favorite stop, photographically, was Stewart's Petrified Wood, located in Holbrook, Ariz., between Gallup and Winslow. The tourist outpost is nonstop eye candy, with dinosaur statues, an ostrich farm and mannequins positioned in all sorts of unnatural poses.
There, I got an accidentally ingenious shot, as I clicked a guy fixing his truck, legs splayed out underneath the vehicle. Next to him is a dummy in a vintage roadster and off in the distance is a T-Rex silhouette. I was so pleased with the serendipitous weirdness, it almost seemed besides the point to shoot anything else that week.
In Winslow, I lingered around the cowboy statue commemorating the "Standing on a corner" reference to the city in the Eagles country-rock anthem, "Take it Easy." We spent the night in town at La Posada, a hacienda-style sprawl with a 70-year history. It was erected along the railroad tracks, so cross-country travelers could spend the night and continue their journey the following day. Amtrak still stops at La Posada and train whistles sound throughout the night.
La Posada was abandoned for years, but it was saved from the wrecking ball when it was declared an historic site. With its epic paintings and majestic architecture, the hotel is a place where every nook is camera-friendly. I was too lazy, though, to drag the tripod around, so all of my Posada images are focus-deficient. The inn has its quirks: there are no phones in the rooms and the shower comes with a multi-step set of instructions (I never figured out how to turn the thing on and settled for a bath instead).
As we crossed Arizona, from Winslow to Flagstaff to Seligman to Kingman, I began to feel shutter fatigue, something Reynolds said is common during photo trips. While I like much of the stuff I shot during the second half of the trip, after awhile, all the stops became a blur of neon and cactus.
Just when I was feeling uninspired, however, something would catch my eye and get me interested again. Milling around a stretch of desert near Meteor Crater, Ariz., I stumbled upon some strange looking piles of rocks. It wasn't until I noticed a large empty hole in the ground next to one of them that I realized they were roadside graves. I probably should have called the police, but instead I took a bunch of pictures.
At dinner one night, I grilled Newberg on his photo travel experiences. He talked about his tours of national parks such as Yosemite and Zion, and a journey to Canada for telephoto bear hunts. It's strictly a hobby for him, despite his professional-level equipment. His goal for each trip is to come home with one shot he can frame and hang on his wall.
"It's totally different than any other kind of travel," said Newberg, whose interest in photography springs from his career in medical imaging. "You're not worrying about a resort hotel or what you're gonna do today. It's all just photography. You clear your mind of everything else and just concentrate on enjoying the environment."
Take it from the pros
For photo-minded travelers, here is a list of companies that offer trips featuring instruction from pros. Tours range from long weekends in the Northeast to three-week polar explorations, and everything in between. Happy clicking.
Arizona Highways -- This magazine sponsors weekend workshops with its staff photographers and freelance affiliates. Sites include the Grand Canyon, Death Valley and ghost towns in southern Arizona. For more details, call (888) 790-7042 or visit www.arizonahighways.com.
Birds as Art -- Freelance photographer Arthur Morris takes travelers where the birds are, both in the States and overseas. The tours include weekends in Florida, Louisiana and New Mexico; as well as a summer photo cruise through the Galapagos Islands and a safari in Kenya. For details, call (863) 692-0906 or visit www.birdsasart.com.
China Span -- From Bhutan to Japan and beyond, this company offers the chance to point your lens at some of the world's most spectacular panoramas. In addition to the Far Eastern destinations, there are also trips to South and Central America. For info, call (425) 882-8686 or visit www.chinaspan.com.
Close Up Expeditions -- The American West and historic Europe are on the agenda year-round, with rambles through California wine country, the Florida Everglades and rural Washington, as well as trans-Atlantic jaunts to Greece, France and Turkey. Call (800) 457-9553 or visit www.cuephoto.com.
Great Canadian Ecoventures -- This company leads groups around the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary in Canada's Northwest Territory, where wolves, musk-oxen and caribou roam. During winter programs, dog teams are used for transport between locations. Call (800) 667-9453 or visit www.thelon.com.
In Focus Travel -- Michele Burgess, a freelance photojournalist, offers three-week odysseys through Australia, Kenya, Japan and India. She leads groups to famous sites like the Taj Mahal and Sydney Harbour, and lesser-known locales. For info, call (714) 536-6104 or visit www.infocustravel.com.
Joe Englander Photography -- In April and early May, Englander will host three different tours of Italy. Travelers have their choice of a Venice-only experience; a multi-destination trek stopping in Rome, Florence and Tuscany; or a portrait workshop in the Italian countryside. Call (512) 922-8686 or visit www.englander-workshops.com.
Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris -- Offerings include "The World's Best Raptor Shoot," a bird-oriented Colorado outing for those with telephoto gear of 200 mm or greater; and "Ultimate Antarctica," a cruise to the southern reaches of the planet with a crew of 16 nature photographers and wildlife biologists. Call (206) 463-5383 or visit www.photosafaris.com.
N ature Workshops -- For those who want to shoot close to home, relatively speaking, this company has a Washington, D.C., cherry blossom trip March 31-April 3, a chance to photograph the nation's capital in bloom. Later in the year, there is a weekend class centered on how to segue from amateur to pro. Also available are customized trips to the destination of your choice. Call (480) 473-2060 or visit www.natureworkshops.com.
Paris Photo Workshops -- Lens enthusiasts can learn the craft in the City of Light with these five-day courses. The technical aspects of photography are discussed, as well as Parisian culture and history. Visit www.parisphotoworkshops.com for details.
Ralph Paonessa -- This nature photographer is offering two trips to Costa Rica during the early spring, both emphasizing bird life. One is a 10-day hummingbird expedition, the other is a five-day jaunt spotlighting quetzals. Although beginners are welcome, it helps to have some prior experience photographing winged creatures. Call (800) 527-3455 or visit www.rpphoto.com.
Rocky Mountain School of Photography -- All the basics, from aperture to zoom, are covered during this school's weeklong foundations workshop May 21-27. Students will learn while shooting on site in and around Missoula, Mont. Call (800) 394-7677 or visit www.rmsp.com.
Santa Fe Workshops -- This company has partnered with National Geographic Traveler magazine to present "On Assignment" trips, during which photographers with professional ambitions can learn about taking pictures with narrative quality and how to broaden their access to subjects. Destinations include Scotland, Spain and Tuscany. Call (505) 983-1400 or visit www.sfworkshop.com.
Strabo Tours -- Travelers interested in exploring Ireland will find more than a dozen photo trips to the Emerald Isle in '05. Other snapshot sojourns include Morocco, Mongolia and Austria. Call (866) 218-9215 or visit www.phototc.com.
Wildlife Adventures -- Lions, tigers and bears are on the agenda, with trips to backcountry destinations for animal photo ops. Among the itineraries are expeditions to India, Iceland and Alaska. These are trips for those who like their travel on the rustic side, as accommodations include campgrounds and mountain lodges. Call (800) 808-4492 or visit www.wildlifeadventures.com.
Are you ready for your closeup?
Throughout the year, Branson Reynolds offers vagabond photo workshops in the Southwest and Rocky Mountain region. Below is a sampling of the treks he has planned in the coming months. For more details, call (970) 247-5274 or visit www.bransonreynolds.com.
March 13-26, Historic Route 66 -- through Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. An immersion in Americana featuring stops in big towns like Flagstaff and Albuquerque, as well as out-of-the-way places along the old cross country route. Priced $2,400 for the full two week drive; or $1,250 for a single week.
April 17-20, Figures in the Landscape, Bisti Badlands, N.M. -- A workshop in figure photography featuring nude models in desert settings. Reynolds says of the class, "I tell the people, 'nothing suggestive,' and the models have complete say on whether they want to pose a certain way or not." Priced $950.
May 1-7, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Utah -- A tour of these scenic destinations, where photographers can shoot dramatic rock formations and canyon landscapes. The days start at dawn, so travelers can capture the vistas at sunrise. Priced $1,250.
July 17-23, San Juan Skyway, Col. -- A road trip through the San Juan Mountains, stopping in Durango, Telluride and Silverton. Photo fodder includes wildflowers, waterfalls, ghost towns and vintage trains. Priced $1,250.
All fees include accommodations, not meals or transportation. Travelers must bring their own car. Lodging is double occupancy, with an additional charge of $250-$450 for a private room.
~ Lisa Rose, Star-Ledger movie critic
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