The Slow Road Movement

I had just begun photographing along US Route 89 when an article appeared in the New York Times Magazine that changed my thinking about the project. It was entitled A Slow-Road Movement? and was written by Robert Sullivan on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Interstate highway system. He detailed some of the negative consequences of the system and then cited new thinking about what purpose roads can serve besides moving cars from one place to another as fast as possible. He concluded the essay with this thought:

“Now we have to decide whether our roads will continue to strangle us, to drive us crazy, to pollute and poison our air and water or maybe slow us down in a good way and give us a chance to enjoy everything we still have left and have worked so hard to build.”

It was at that moment that the philosophical underpinning for my work on Highway 89 became apparent. Until then I had thought of it as a landscape photography project. I would go from one national park to the next, take my photographs and publish a coffee table book. End of story and on to the next adventure. The Sullivan essay made me realized that the project also needed to be about the road trip itself and about the joys of slowing down on a two-lane highway through some of the most beautiful country in America.

The notion of driving for pleasure is as old the automobile itself. The grand parkways that were constructed in the late 19th and early 20th century were explicitly designed for scenic beauty. The mythology surrounding the family driving vacations of the 1940s and 50s has much to do with the adventure of discovery that slower roads and cars provided. The Interstates, which were originally conceived of as military roads, intentionally bypassed the small towns and cities so that cargo could move as fast as possible. For me the project became about encouraging a return to an older way of thinking in which the journey is as rewarding as the destinations.

Out of that thinking came an email newsletter, Along 89. Then came the website with its Road Trip Guides. Keeping up with online publishing, I started the US Route 89 blog to document the road trip Barbara and I made in 2010. It has now become a sort of magazine full of articles to excite travelers about the adventure of taking the slow road. All of this is aimed at encouraging travel on 89 as well as being a place to display my photographs. I haven’t forgotten about that coffee table book and someday it will become a reality. For now I’m enjoying sharing my work with you through all this “new media.”

Finally, out of all this philosophizing came the idea that there should be a way for people who feel the way I do to be part of it. Thus, the US Route 89 Appreciation Society. I thought long and hard about the name. Should it be a club, organization, association or alliance. All those seemed to modern or sterile for what I was feeling. I wanted to suggest something a little more old-fashioned and quirky. To me, Appreciation Society suggests a group of people who have come together because of their love for one of America’s most beautiful slow roads.

I want to say thank you to the individuals, businesses and civic organizations that have become members of the Society. Join us and become part of the slow road movement.

Note: this article was originally published in Along 89, our free email newsletter. To read back issues, go to the US Route 89 newsletter archive.

Wildflowers

Moving to Oracle, Arizona, three years ago has had a profound effect on my photography. For the first time in my life, I am in the ecosystem that surrounds me. I don’t have to get in the car and drive for miles to find natural places to shoot. I walk out my door and I’m there. I watch my environment change with the seasons. I feel connected to the land in a way I have never really experienced before.

When I began the US Route 89 project, I was living in Phoenix in a home with an irrigated lawn and citrus trees, not exactly a natural environment for the desert. Part of the motivation for the project was to find and photograph the untouched landscapes of the West. That meant road trips with all of the planning and expense entailed. I’m not complaining; I love being on the road, exploring new places. But being able to pick up my camera when something out the window catches my eye is new and special to me.

Oracle is in the chaparral at an elevation just above the Sonoran desert. The weather is cooler with milder summer temperatures and an occasional snow storm in the winter. There are a couple of very old oak trees behind the house. Last spring a pair of juvenile Cooper’s hawks visited often perching in the oaks watching for prey. I was able to observe and photograph them through the window of our sun room. It was thrlling to see them grow and I was sad when they left to find a new territory to call their own.

In front of the house is a hillside that had been stripped of vegetation before we moved in. We are in the process of returning it to a more natural state by recontouring the slope and planting native vegetation. We have also been discovering wildflowers that grow here and planting them among the scrubs and trees. I couldn’t resist photographing the beautiful colors and varied shapes of the flowers. Because I only had to walk out the door, I could shoot them all day as the light changed.

Here is a gallery wildflowers that I added to my photography website. If you would like a print of any of the images, click on the photograph to go to the website to order.

Wildflowers – Images byJames Cowlin

A Photographer’s Guide to America’s Most Scenic Highway

Learn Where and How to Photograph the Scenic Beauty of the American West

US Route 89 is called America’s most scenic highway for good reasons. National parks and monuments are just the beginning. Miles and miles of two-lane highway pass through landscapes ranging from lush desert to rocky plateaus and towering mountains.

My new guidebook introduces photographers to the wonders photographing along US Route 89. I have logged over 20,000 miles between Mexico and Canada to discover both well-known and off-the-beaten-path places to photograph. The book describes these locations, illustrated with photographs and captions that detail where, when and why the photos were shot. By looking over my shoulder the reader will gain insight into the making of landscape and nature photographs.

This e-book is for:

• Beginning to advanced travel photographers who want to improve their craft.
• Anyone looking for outstanding places to photograph in the American West.
• Photographers seeking little-known locations away from the crowds.
• Anyone planning a road trip on US Route 89.
• Those who enjoy landscape and nature photography.

“Amazing photographs. The descriptions and especially the history were very educational and well done.” Doug Groppenbacher

“Just downloaded your new e-book. Impressive! The narrative was just long enough to not be boring. Lots of good information as to why you took the pictures and at the different times of day.” Ron Melancon

“I think this eBook is well done and dividing the route into three geographical zones is smart, logical and makes this more than a park or monument guide…but a comprehensive…continuous guide to the variety and beauty found along this route. Sometimes I think people get real focused on the end-destination rather then the whole trip from home and back. This emphasizes the whole tour. Linking the various opportunities along the road is something I think many people have forgotten about. The small towns, museums, and out-of-the way visual attractions are too easily by-passed on the efficient but bland interstate. A book such as this could spark the thought of linking points of interest rather than just hell-for-bent driving to a single spot.” Randy Schaffer

“Thank you for US 89 Photography Guide. I have been on much of US 89, and  I am truly enjoying your guide. Excellent work!” Gerald Mcilvain

“Being a regular visitor to Arizona, and a very amateur photographer, I have a particular interest in trying to convey the feel of the desert, mountains, the overall terrain of the southwest. Sometimes I succeed. You have a real talent for it. I particularly like the geology overview you give. It is of assistance in orienting yourself as to what to expect on your travels.” Georgeann Vleck

“Your new e-book is a great addition to the saga of route U.S. 89. Beautiful pictures and very good narrative. I highly recommend the book to anyone with an interest in the mountain west but particularly those planning to explore route 89.” Doug Taylor

“I think that the book as a whole will do the job of inspiring people to seek out and travel US 89 – it has me…The photographs are stunning and I liked the off the beaten track tips about where and when to get shots. I particularly liked the pictures of Glacier and Grand Teton parks—a real sense of space and a chilling, brooding quality.” Steve Tippell

You’ll learn insider tips about photographing along US Route 89 as you travel through these landscapes:

• The Basin and Range of Arizona filled with desert vegetation against a backdrop of jagged mountains. The journey here includes Spanish missions, Saguaro National Park and off the beaten path treks to the Tumacácori Highlands and the Red Rocks of Sedona.
• The Colorado Plateau of Arizona and Utah is a series of horizontal rock strata marked by colorful sheer cliffs. The rocks are shaped by wind and water into fantastical forms and enormous canyons giving the photographer an endless variety of places to shoot including Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks.
• The Rocky Mountains of Wyoming and Montana are an iconic landscape including Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. The challenge for a photographer is to find a unique vision of these often photographed places.

The e-book displays 30 photographs along with the story of where, when and why I made each one. Here’s a sample photo page:

The book is formatted for the computer screen. You can easily download and read it in any PDF reader.

Border to Border on US Route 89: A photographer’s guide to America’s most scenic highway is ready for you to download for just $7.

To secure your copy, simply click the Buy Now button below.

You’ll be taken to a page where you can make your payment via PayPal or credit card and get immediate access for download.

About the Author:

James Cowlin started his career as a photographer 40 years ago when he moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and opened a commercial studio. He began traveling around Arizona to photograph the landscape. His work was rewarded with an Arizona Artist’s Fellowship which he used to fund a month backpacking and documenting the length of the Verde River. Since then he has produced several portfolios of photographs from all corners of the state. For twelve years, he spent as much time as possible at the Grand Canyon and in 2006 was included in a book and exhibition celebrating 125 years of Grand Canyon photography entitled Lasting Light.

Ten years ago, Cowlin started working on his current project on US Route 89 between Mexico and Canada. In 2007 he closed his commercial business in order to work full-time on fine art nature and landscape photography. He has now logged over 20,000 miles on highway 89 photographing in well-known scenic locations and discovering many hidden gems along the way.

To view more of James Cowlin’s photographs visit the Road Trip Guides on the US Route 89 Appreciation Society website. To view galleries of his fine art photographs and purchase prints, go to James Cowlin Photographs.

The Perfect Photograph-Who Decides?

Every photographer knows the feeling. You are sorting through your images after a trip looking for that one shot that had you excited when you tripped the shutter. And there it is and it still excites you. The color is right. The composition is the way you wanted it. You’re sure you have a winner.

That is the way I felt about this photograph I made in Logan Canyon last spring. We had spent the night in Bridger Campground in the lower canyon. It had rained off and on all night and was still overcast in the morning. As I sat drinking my first cup of coffee, I started looking around to see if there was a photograph to be made. I noticed the light sparkling on the wet trees and the subtle changes in color in the layers of leaves receding into the distance. I took my time, put the camera on the tripod and shot five different compositions.

When I selected a portfolio of images from the trip, I included one of the Logan Canyon trees. In fact, it was the first image that I printed and I was sure it fit with the rest of the portfolio.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I was preparing for the portfolio reviews at the Palm Springs Photo Fest. I asked Barbara to give me her honest opinion and she suggested that I might think again about including that photograph. Being stubborn, I left it in.

Sure enough, the first reviewer (a magazine editor) picked out the Logan Canyon photo and set it aside with the comment that it didn’t fit with the rest of the work. So I left it out for the next three reviews, also with magazine editors.

My last review was with a museum director and I decided to put the print back in for his review. To my surprise and delight, he picked it out as one of his favorites.

What I have come to understand from this experience is that the context and background of the viewer influences his or her reaction to a photograph in unpredictable ways. That is why we value the opinions of photo editors and museum curators. But in the end, it is up to us as artists to define and defend our unique vision.

Professional Development, Growth and Learning at the Palm Springs Photo Fest

I am at the Palm Springs Photo Festival for a week of portfolio reviews, seminars and conversations with other photographers. My participation was made possible by a professional development grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts. I came here to show my photographs of US Route 89 to magazine editors who might be interested in our story. So far, the input from reviewers has been very positive and their advice has been valuable in moving to the next level.

What I didn’t expect and has been a pleasant surprise has been the interaction with other photographers, two in particular.

I first saw Stephen Strom’s work in two shows at Tohono Chul Park in Tucson and was immediately struck by the abstract beauty of his landscapes. His photographs are pastel renditions of the textures of the earth. If find them to be such beautiful objects that I don’t feel as if I need to know where they were shot the way I do with most landscape photographs. So I was thrilled to met Steve and his wife, Karen, shortly after I arrived in Palm Springs and to be able to sit down and look at many of his exquisite prints. Take and look at the portfolios on the Stephen E. Strom website.

Karen Strom is also a photographer and her collaged works incorporating Steve’s photos are fascinating. Visit Karen Strom’s website for a different take on reality.

The second photographer that I met on Sunday evening is one the faculty of the Photo Fest. We struck up a conversation about following one’s passion when creating a body of work. That conversation has now stretched out over several meetings. The photographer is Arno Rafael Minkkinen. His work is about as different from mine as you can get. It is conceptual self-portraiture that is at once very mysterious and emotionally compelling. Take a look at Arno’s website to see what I mean.

Photographers and artists in general do their work in solitude, generating images from the heart. Putting them out into the world almost feels dangerous as if they might die of a terrible disease. Coming to Palm Springs has allowed me to show my portfolio in relative safety and to get gentle feedback. I am looking forward to more interaction with the many talented people here and expect to be back at work on the US Route 89 project with renewed vigor and insight.

Butterflies and a Digital Dilemna

Last Saturday, son Mathew and I visited the Tucson Botanical Gardens for the first time. I knew there was a Tucson Botanical Gardens, but didn’t know where it was. As it turns out, I’d been by it a number of times, but simply didn’t notice it. For one thing, the sign isn’t very conspicuous. For another, it’s in such a busy and developed area it’s hard to believe anything could grow amongst all the concrete and traffic.

It was well worth the trip. This tiny pocket of beauty was voted America’s Best Secret Garden by Reader’s Digest. It covers only 5 1/2 acres, but is full of interesting themed gardens. It was originally a home, back in the 1920′s. Some of the original buildings were made from adobe on site. We had fun meandering about. A few plants realized it was almost Spring, and were beginning to flower or show signs of life. I’m guessing in a few weeks the gardens will be spectacular.

We spent quite a bit of time in the Butterfly Exhibit. Here’s what I discovered. It was pretty crowded (with people). Almost everyone there was on the hunt–for great butterfly photographs. I got into the spirit of things, despite having a hunch that my photos weren’t going to be so great. Off I went, round and round the enclosure with the camera in front of my eyes, clicking away. Once I’d had my fill of shooting the butterflies, we exited this magical place.

But not before being brushed off with a feather duster by a volunteer, in order to ensure that there weren’t any potential escapees.

What I learned was that my experience was totally different than Mathew’s. He simply wandered about and stood still, taking in the atmosphere and enjoying the butterflies drifting about. I departed, feeling like I’d been in some sort of competition. I missed out on some of the magic due to my digital focus. When I got home and looked at my shots they were as expected–disappointing.

It makes me wonder about people and their cameras and how having that distraction affects their experiences? I say leave the photographing to the professionals. Let them do the work so that the rest of us can enjoy the experience.

Grand Teton Panoramas

The first time I saw the Grand Tetons was in 1998. That was before the US Route 89 project was born. We arrived on a July aftermoon with the naive idea that we would find a campsite in the national park which of course was full. After consulting a map, we found a wonderful campground in the Gros Ventre mountains on the east side of Jackson Hole. From a clearing near the campground, I had a view of the entire Teton Mountain range. I made this photograph early in the morning just as the sun was hitting the top of the peaks. The light was perfectly balanced so that the shadowed foreground is filled with detail and the color on the clouds is not washed out.

Ten years later we returned to Grand Teton National Park. It was the maiden voyage on US Route 89 for our teardrop trailer and this time we found camping in the park at Signal Mountain on Jackson Lake. Once again I was up at dawn to capture the rising sun on the peaks.

These two photographs represent the change in photographic technology that has occurred in the decade that separates them. The top image was shot on medium format film with a Fuji 617 panoramic camera. The bottom image was shot with a Canon digital camera. Eight frames were stitched together to create the final panoramic view.

Panoramic Photograph of the Week-Tumacacori Mission

The sanctuary in the ruins of the Franciscan mission church in Tumacacori National Historical Park

I don’t often make vertical panoramic photographs but sometimes the subject demands it. I had tried shooting this scene with my widest angle lens (17mm) but it did not capture all of the domed ceiling. Just for the heck of it I shot four horizontal frames, from straight up to straight ahead. It wasn’t until months later when I was editing a new gallery of Tumacacori National  Historical Park shots, that I noticed the four frames. I wasn’t sure how well they would match up since I hadn’t been using a tripod but I went ahead and ran photomerge in Photoshop. I think the resulting image gives a good sense of the space.

I have selected my favorites and created a gallery of Tumacacori National Historical Park photographs and put them on my new photography website. Have a look and post your comments below.

Panoramic Photograph of the Week-Spiral Petroglyph

From now until early summer is the best time to visit Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona. The weather is pleasant with warm days and cool evenings. Cactus will be blooming and wildflowers may appear depending on the amount of rainfall. The majestic saguaro begins putting out flowers in April and peaks around Mother’s Day.

Saguaro National Park is divided into two districts, the Rincon Mountain District on the east side and the Tucson Mountain District on the west. The Signal Hill Picnic Area where this photograph was made is in the Tucson Mountain District. From the parking lot, there is a short trail to the overlook where the rocks are covered with petroglyphs. Pecked into the rocks over a thousand years ago, these mysterious symbols were left for us to puzzle over by the Hohokum people. No one knows for sure the meaning of these markings; perhaps they guide travelers or are clan symbols or mark astronomical events. The most visible petroglyph is the spiral on the rock pointing up in the center of the panoramic view from Signal Hill.

Technical Note: The panorama was photographed with a Canon 5D Mark II using a 45mm tilt-shift lens. I made three exposures, one with the lens centered, one shifted to the left and one shifted to the right. The three frames were then merged in Photoshop to create the final image.

What makes life so fine on Route 89?—Larry Schnebly

Larry Schnebly is the grandson of Sedona Schnebly for whom the town of Sedona was named. He is also a member of the US Route 89 Appreciation Society. Larry emaied me a couple of months ago and I arranged to record an interview. I knew he would have some great US 89 and 89A stories to tell and I wasn’t disappointed. I have added the edited video to our YouTube channel along with our other “What makes life so fine on Route 89?” interviews. I hope you enjoy listening to Larry’s stories as much as I enjoyed recording them.



Next Page »