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Epic Road Trip 2009

January 20, 2009 by Peter 

Oh the places we will go!

From a previous post you may know that my wife and I spent the holidays with family in Iowa and Oklahoma. From there I dropped Laura off for a flight home while I headed out to a convention in Phoenix and to visit some friends along the way. Now a lot of folks might think that driving 6500+ miles is a little crazy, but for me it was an incredible experience and I would like to thank Laura for making it possible for me to head out on a vacation while she was stuck taking care of the horses during the coldest days of January… Hey, us wedding photographers have to do something when it’s cold here in the Hudson Valley!

To begin my journey I headed down towards Houston, TX where I met with several photographer friends of mine. First up was Jordan who was getting ready to shoot some new images for Mezzanotte Ristorante in Cypress, TX. Jordan is one heck of a versatile photographer and I have learned much from him over the years. And since I enjoy watching other photographers work, I got a chance to combine business and pleasure as I helped Jordan with some shots while snapping a few of my own as well. The owner and Executive Chef, Gerry Sarmiento, was a pleasure to meet and his staff and food were excellent! No fake stuff here, real food shot as it comes from the kitchen. One of the best perks of shooting food is many times you get to eat it after the shooting is finished. Thanks again Gerry!

After filling up on some great food I headed further south to Lake Jackson, TX to meet up with the folks from TriCoast Photography. For those that have been following my blog you know that Mike and Cody have been a great influence on me and I have enjoyed working with them when I have had the opportunity to do so. I would meet up with Mike, Cody and Suzy once again at the conference I was attending and where Mike and Cody were speaking, but this visit was all fun and games! Just a chance to hang out and catch up and tell stories for a couple of days. Thanks for the hospitality guys, it was great seeing you!

Once I left Lake Jackson and headed out driving toward Phoenix the main portion of the trip began. It was the primary reason that I didn’t fly out to the convention and that was so that I could take my time, get off the interstate and see some things that I would otherwise never get a chance to see. I took my camera and just went exploring. For three days I slowly worked my way across the back roads of the desert southwest. It was fantastic! As you know I primarily photograph people so the chance to try something out of my normal realm was really a lot of fun.The wide open spaces were incredible!

After crossing the desert I ended up in Phoenix where I spent a few days attending a convention for wedding photographers. I am always trying to learn new techniques or gain more knowledge so that I can better serve you, my clients. And to say that this convention offered a lot of new ideas is an understatement! Talk about trying to drink from a fire hose! I left there excited with what I had learned and am looking forward to the 2009 season! The brides of today have so many options when it comes to choosing a photographer that it can be overwhelming. Take your time and make sure you and your photographer share a common vision. With so many styles it can be difficult to find a good fit, but the time you take up front will really pay off when you get your images.

After the convention I headed back to NY and the Hudson Valley. The drive seemed much longer because as we all know, once you start heading home, you can’t get there fast enough. My travel this time took me a bit more north, through Albuquerque, Amarillo and St. Louis and finally on to home. Along the way I made a few stops and took a few more pictures but the weather was turning colder and I had been on the road for about 20 days so I was ready to just get home and get back to work. But seeing things like the Very Large Array and driving parts of historic Route 66 made the return trip well worth the effort.

If you have never done something like this I would certainly recommend giving it a try. Granted you don’t need to start with a 20 day trip, but even just getting off the beaten path for a day can be exciting. You never know what is around the next corner!  Of course I have a lot more photographs and I will certainly post more as I get a chance, but right now, it is back to work.

-Pete

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