Globetrotter - Travel & Location
Roadside U.S.A. Offers Wonderful Photo Ops; You Don't Have To Go Halfway Around The World To Get Great Shots Page 2

Birch Trees--As my family and I approached the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Mother Nature called my son and I into the forest. The scene was busy, with dozens of trees. To create a sense of depth, I used a single tree as a foreground element. My 16-35mm zoom lens set at 16mm and f/11 allowed me to get everything in focus.

Here are a few more of my roadside snapshots, pictures that bring back good memories, and pictures that are among my favorites. If you were driving with me, I'm sure you'd get pretty much the same shot.

Classical Gas--Along the road from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Taos, New Mexico, I saw an old gas station named after the 1968 song "Classical Gas." After asking the owner if he was Mason Williams, the song's composer, I took some fun shots of the "props" that were around his establishment. By the way, he said no.

And here's another idea. Why not create a folder on your computer (and back it up from time to time on a DVD or CD) of your favorite roadside photographs. Once you have a fairly sizable collection of roadside photographs, pitch a book on Roadside America to a book publisher. Who knows? Your proposal may arrive just before mine, and you could get a book contract!

Sunset--US Highway 1, which runs along the coast of California, is famous for its spectacular scenery. I photographed this sunset near San Simeon, California, not far from another famous site: the Hearst Castle. I underexposed my photograph by one stop for a more saturated image.

Rick Sammon is the author of "Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Digital Photography," published by W.W. Norton. He also recently completed two interactive CDs, "Photoshop CS for the Outdoor & Travel Photographer" and "Photoshop CS Makeovers," distributed by Software Cinema. For more information, visit Rick's website at: www.ricksammon.com.

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