On Photography

I'm not a web addict, I use it for research, and shopping. I almost never just follow links to see where they go. That's due in more or less equal parts to: natural inclination, past experience, and focus.

I do occasionally browse around looking at photographers web sites. This is usually the result of researching something else photography related (sadly this is all to often equipment). I've noticed something that seems to be oddly common with photographers, either they don't say anything about their work, or they display titles, which more often than appear as "Untitled #1", "Untitled #87" or simply "Untitled".

I'm not sure if this is a sign of laziness, or a sign that the photographer doesn't spend time thinking about their own work. Abstracts are difficult, unless you treat them like an ink blot test, well even then they're difficult to title. My titles tend toward giving some hint of what made me photograph the scene. Sometimes I get lazy and title things with numbers, a venerable tradition but perhaps one that doesn't really tell the viewer anything. Generally though, the scene evoked a feeling and the feeling invoked a though that literally made me photograph it. Sometimes the emotion was warm and the though was fuzzy and the image was.... not nearly as good as it seemed at the time. Fuzzy thoughts do that.

A picture says a thousand words, the question is: What thousand words? As the photographer we have an opportunity to at least set the tone for the first paragraph. Each viewer will walk away with something a bit different, but I personally would rather they started walking in the direction I had intended when I made the image.

Well, it's been 10,200 miles on the motorcycle, 1500+ miles by car. I traveled though 29 states, a few of them more than once. I left home on Sept 9th, and returned home on November 30th - 9 days short of 3 months on the road. I took about two thousand photographs, and whittled that down to about 48 which I have yet to print so the total may get smaller yet. - It's always possible I'll find an image or three that I missed in the editing but all said and done - I have about 1 good image for every 2 days on the road. That's about 1/2 of what I was hopping for when I left.

I've decided to sell the bike - I may get another one some day but if I do it will be with the intention of just enjoying the ride and not worrying about camera gear (maybe a Canon G11 or similar).

This was a wonderful experience and I'm thrilled that I did it. I had a huge amount of fun, met some wonderful people, and got my first real view of a large portion of our country. I'm not sure if I hadn't had the bike that I would have done this trip at all. It's something I'd be more than willing to do again in a car, but I missed too much photography due to the bike to want to spend another 3 months that way.

So what's next? I'm looking at pop up trailers, something towable behind a car, I'm also still considering the idea of selling the house (possibly renting) and getting an RV - if I sell, then I'll probably start off by heading overseas first, before I tie my self to anything else here, other than a piece of property to build on. I know I'll want a house again at some point but 3 months didn't really dampen my desire to see the world, I didn't miss home so much as I missed a few of the comforts that I couldn't take with me - like a big screen for editing images, a printer, a music and movie system - all things that I can take with a trailer or RV. If I'm overseas I'll probably have to do with out again but maybe not for so long at a stretch. There are a few places that are on my must see list - and a lot on my want to see list.

Baring unforeseen changes, this coming year will be mostly working at home - getting the house ready to sell, finishing the work on the boat and getting that sold (or at least on the market) I'm going to see about getting down to 1 vehicle - although unless that's a truck, I'll probably end up with a camp trailer and a flat bed type utility trailer for helping with yard work, hauling etc. I wish I enjoyed driving trucks more than I do, it would make the choice easier.

Well it's been a while since my last update.

Nov 17: Day 68: (wow can that be right?)
Total Miles: 7600

A short ride today on interstate 40 from Santa Rosa NM to Flagstaff, the day started at about 34 degrees and eventually warmed up to a nice toasty 50........

Day 37: total miles 4480


I've been traveling on the bike for a bit over a month, and I've come to some conclusions.

First I really enjoy riding, although not quite as much when it's under 48 degrees and raining, and definitely not when it's close to freezing and it's mixed rain & snow – fortunately I wasn't on the road yesterday while that was going on, or I'd have had to stop pretty early and just give it up for the day.

People in CT follow way to close for my comfort. They also like to drive really fast – like 85 in a 60 zone.

It's much harder to do photography from a motorcycle than a car. .......

Day 30 - No real miles since Day 19 (coming from Hickory, NC to Shepherdstown, WV.
Total miles so far: 3,868 (hmm seems farther than that)

Sanity sets in

I've had a nice break and a good visit with my friends Kathleen & Breighton. I've \worked on a few images, which is much more difficult on a laptop with out my Wacom pen pad or a mouse. The mouse I can add pretty easily, but I don't think I'll be picking up a new Wacom to carry around on the bike (unless they come out with a roll-up version)........

Day 14 A visit to Badger Graphic

After a nice break I headed north to visit the folks at Badger Graphic where I get my Large Format camera gear. I've run into a problem with the Large Format Digital setup – normally I'm pretty good about testing things before I actually take them out on the road, but I messed up this time. I'd tested the Digitar 90 with the camera and digital back and it worked just like it should. Apparently I got side-tracked and never tested the 35mm & 47mm Both of these lenses use a recessed lens board. This allows the lens to get close enough to the digital sensor to be in focus at infinity. As you focus closer, you actually move the lens farther from the sensor. The first issue I ran into was the cable I need to attach to the lens and the digital back to tell the digital back when the shutter is released. ......

Trip Log Day 12
Sunday September 20th
Total Miles 2398, Day Miles 87

I spent the night at the KOA just outside Madison WI. It's a nice campground, but between the temperature drop and humidity both sides of the rain fly were soaked. It was a short day, and if I'd done a better job of planning I'd have spent more time on back roads earlier – but I didn't so...

Trip Log Day 11
Saturday September 19
Total Miles: 2311, Day Miles: 336

I'd originally planned to stay at the Jackson KOA, but as I got off the freeway, I found myself looking at an Econolodge on one side of the road and a KOA sign on the other. Needless to day – I wimped out. In hindsight I should have stayed at the KOA, would have been about as comfortable, and even though I talked them down to $55 tax included, it wasn't worth it. Heading out in the morning, I determined that I need to get off the freeway at least for a while. I suffered though another 120 miles of I90, then headed down MN-16 which turned out to be a slow 55mph, but nice and scenic route. I got back on I90 at La Crosse some 90 miles latter and crossed the Mississippi River. I have to admit to some disappointment as I was expecting something a bit grander, I suppose I'll get that when I cross back farther south.

Trip Log Day 10
Friday, September 18
Total Miles: 1975 Day Miles 240

From the Holiday Inn Express, Chamberlain SD, I'm once again on I90 the scenery is nice enough but the road is kind of monotonous. I stopped in Sioux Falls for lunch and a Starbucks and went on a GPS wild goose chase – specifically to a Starbucks that wasn't there, and unless they did some really major deconstruction, it never was there. On the other had I did get to see a bit more of Sioux Falls that way.

Back on the road to Jackson – again nothing really special.

September 17 – Day 9
Total Miles: 1735 (includes some backtracking to look for the lost wallet)

Wall is an interesting town, downtown is mostly Wall Drug which is actually more like a mall for tourists. The Sunset Inn is a nice small motel within easy walking distance of Wall Drug, and only a few blocks from the rest of “town”. Clean & comfortable.

There's not much in the way of restaurants, the Pizza shop in Wall Drug was, reasonable but not something I'd go out of my way for.

Heading south out of town will take you to the Badlands National Park. There's some fascinating geology here – it actually reminds me of Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, not as deep or colorful but Badlands covers a lot more area. I think there are some excellent photo opportunities here, but timing is everything with subject matter like this. To get the grand landscape you need either some good clouds for B&W or you need to be there before sunrise or just before sunset to put some color into the otherwise almost colorless rock.


In hindsight (wonderful thing hindsight) I perhaps should have stuck with the original plan of following Hwy 2 across North Dakota. The rest of the trip across SD is mostly grassland, which I think needs more weather than I had – not that I have anything against clear blue sky, but generally speaking, it's not my favorite for photography.

As it happens my first stop was for fuel in Chamberlain – where I found and empty jacket pocket, where the wallet should be. That pretty much put an end to the day.

September 17 – Day 9


Well it's 2:30 CST I'm sitting at a Shell Station on the phone. I just lost my wallet on the road somewhere between the Visitors Center in Bandlands national park and Chamberlin SD. I've called the State Patrol, the Park, and now I'm on hold with Wells Fargo – getting a new debit card & a new credit card.

Gone are my new wallet with money clip, the money (about $70) . Credit card, debit card, Drivers License, insurance cards, brand new National Parks year pass. Starbucks gold card, my CWP, AAA card, KOA card...

In hindsight, zipping up the pocket might have been the better route to go.

I'd like to thank the Shonleys, who kindly took some time out of their day to help me out – twice, first when I realized I'd lost my wallet and I'm standing at the pump sort of freaking out. They paid for the gas, and then just before they left, handed me an envelope with cash in it. Between what I had stashed in my side bag, and what they provided, I'll be able to make it though to Milwaukee where a new credit card & cash card should be waiting for me. THANKS!

So, I think I need to get a second card (yeah I'm one of those odd people who only have one credit card) and keep it separately from my wallet. Not sure what to do about the debit card though. I guess keep it with the passport & spare credit card as it only need to get used for ATM's.

Day 7 Great Falls to Miles City
More beautiful country. Hwy 87 south was a nice ride. The 70 MPH speed limit has it's pro's and cons, you can really chew up the miles, but it makes harder to spot photo-ops before you've passed them by. It also sucks the gas a bit faster. I was averaging about 44 when the speed limit was around 60-65 lately i've been down around 41-42. That's really not too bad considering how much stuff I'm packing. The camera and computer weigh a lot more than I'd have though. I can see why people decided to forgo camping - I could get rid of both dry bags if I didn't have any camping or cook gear.

I've had to pass up a couple of possible images because I couldn't find a place to get the bike off the road and still use the kickstand. The GPS wanted me to follow 200 though Jordan then down 59, but I though heading down 12 to 94 would be more interesting as the Yellowstone river runs along 94. Turns out I didn't see much of the river. Oh well, it' was only an extra 10 minutes.

Day 8 Miles City to Wall, South Dakota
Total Miles: 1,539
Miles today:

Got a late start today. Breakfast at the Comfort inn, nothing special, the bed on the other hand was fantastic. Far and away the most comfortable hotel bed I've ever experienced. Heading southwest - more or less directly into the sun. I decided to ride a bit slower since I was having some trouble with glare. Slower turned out to be a good thing, as 4 prong horns decided that bounding across the road right in front of me, I can safely say the ABS breaks work very well.

Three States in one day, pretty cool - Started in Montana, when though Wyoming, and I'm now in South Dakota. Ok I was only in Wyoming for about 30 minutes but, I was there. Once again I missed the State sign, I got the Wyoming sign, but never saw the South Dakota one. I suspect I was busy with traffic, although it's possible it just wasn't there... I stopped in Sturgis to see what a town that host the biggest biker rally in the world looks like ... Well it looks like a place that really likes Harley Davidson and the Sturgis Rally - it's every where! Even stranger, there's a BMW dealer in Sturgis. I ran into a guy from England who was on his way to New York to finish an Around the World tour. Turns out I'd talk with one of his traveling companions in Seattle at Ride West a week or two before I left. In that time they'd been up to Alaska and where now in South Dakota.

I considered adding an hour to my ride time today to see Mount Rushmore, but reactions from others lurked in the back of my mind and I decided to pass it by.

Gear woes:
I think I'm going to try a Bead Rider seat cover a try, mostly for the air flow, although it's supposed to do an excellent job of smoothing out pressure points. I'd also like to find some "breathable" knee armor, but I'm pretty sure there's no such thing. I can understand the logic in making the knee armor adjustable but putting a velcro sealed seam right on the knee joint was a mistake, when it gets hot I sweat, when I sweat the knee armor makes it hotter, and the seams chafe. It's not a problem with long underwear on, but who wants to where thermals when it's 84 to 92 degrees? Not me.

The bike is still too heavy, part of that is my fault, which is why I'm eating yogurt & carrots (not at the same time). The camera gear & computer are heavy, perhaps switching to a Sony Alpha 900 & 3 lenses would lighten the load, I suspect switching to soft bag would help but there are obvious security issues with that, might be worth the extra hassle, I need to think about it some more. Everything is a matter of trade-offs it a matter of picking the right ones, which I suspect is easier if the parameters don't change.

My original plan had me starting out on Sept 1. Since I didn't get moving until the 9th, I'm finding I have a lot less flexibility in my schedule up to the 25th when I need to be in North Carolina for a friends wedding. Working backward, I found that I really only have one day of slop, and after thinking about it for a while, I decided I'd take advantage of that day when I reach Milwaukee on the 20th.

I did figure out a way to route myself though part of Michigan, which is where my parents grew up. I'm spending a few more day's in motels than I'd like for this leg of the trip, and my expenses are going to be higher for the month by a significant amount, that means I'll have to work a bit harder at keeping expenses under control for the remainder.

Finding time to process images is harder than I thought it would be. Part of the issue is not having any real slack in the schedule until after the wedding, another part is that I'm still learning how to best pack the bike, set up and break down camp, set the camera up from the bike, etc.

Day 2: From Anacortes to Spokane, via Hyw 20.
327 Miles

Hwy 20 is a beautiful ride and the color of the river and Diablo & Ross lakes were an amazing shade of green. The day started out a big foggy, but cleared quickly as I moved away from the coast. It remained a cool 62-68 degrees until I dropped into the Methow valley, where the temperature climbed rapidly to a slightly warm 82 degrees. I made a few images but I haven't had time to edit them yet, maybe later today, perhaps tomorrow. THe Methow valley is very picturesque but the mid afternoon sun was less photogenic than I'd hoped. If my final schedule had held up to the realities of life, I'd have started the day in Winthrop which I believe would have be very nice.

By the time I got to the Grand Coulee Dam, it was hidden in the shadows of the surrounding hills, and as I suspected, there was no water coming over the flood gates and I failed to find anything worth photographing. This is of course one of the down sides to trying to photograph while in the process of trying to cover specific distances, where you see potential, it's often the wrong time of day and unless you can interrupt your schedule, your best bet is to enjoy the experience and not worry about missed photo opportunities.

Day 3,4 Spent a few days with my brother Greg

Day 5. From Spokane to West Glacier KOA
300 Miles

Heading north on Hwy 2, it's a beautiful sunny day, very little traffic. Stopped for lunch in Sandpoint, ID. Seems like a pretty nice town, lots of activity. Somehow I missed my entrance into Montana, I suspect it was when I was trying to keep away from the SUV driver who was more interested in texting than driving.

Day 6. From West Glacier to Great Falls Montana
222 miles
Total miles so far: 908

Met a nice couple from Seattle at the camp site. Unfortunately I stayed up too late, and didn't sleep well - I'm still adjusting to the tent/bag/pad. Most bags and pads are really designed for people who sleep on their backs, unfortunately for me, I'm a side sleeper. I spent a good portion of the night trying to get the air mat to the right firmness, and going from being too hot to too cold. I figure a few more nights and I should have it figured out.

A very large section of the forest north of 'Going to the Sun' (the main route though the park) has been destroyed by fire. A few miles of the road are being re-done and is new a dirt one track, well mud actually as they're watering it, I suspect to keep the dust down. More burn area on the east side of the park. I really enjoyed the ride from Logan Pass down to the turnoff onto Starr School road. South of Browning, the road flattens out, but still has some nice curves, the scenery is pretty amazing, off to the left is a huge grass plains that seems to run all the way to the Rocky Mountains. No wonder they call Montana "The Big Sky State". Some times having the sun high in the sky is the only way to get light into canyons, I think I got a few good images, but it will be a while before I really have time to edit them.

I'd planned to make it to Winthrop, WA on day one, alas there was still too much to get done before I could saddle up and head out.


The Bike:




I finally got on the road at 1:30 and stopped promptly for lunch at one of my favorite Port Townsend area restaurants, The Spruce Goose at the Jefferson County Airport. I skipped breakfast and was pretty hungry and the ferry from Port Townsend to Keystone wasn't leaving until 3:45.

I decided while I was on the Ferry to stop in Anacortes, WA rather than trying to head up hwy 20. I spent almost another 2 hours repacking and organizing. So the new plan is to make it to Spokane on day two.

Day 1: Sept 9, 2009
Milage: 53.9

Choosing camera gear for a long motorcycle ride as proved to be more challenging than I'd ever anticipated. There are a number of constraints that you don't have to deal with, when working from a car. The obvious considerations are volume and weight, what makes it harder is that I also needed to find a waterproof locking case that could survive serious rain, hail, road spray (all of the things that we bikers really love). The case also needed to provide vibration protection (foam insert) and hardest of all - it needed to fit on a fairly narrow space behind the saddle, where I have a maximum of 16 inches in width so I can still get the side bags open.