Photographers that spend a good amount of their time on the road will see the significance in this post, particularly those photographers who see themselves periodically popping in the travel photography sector of the industry. When I travel to a shoot, I tend to stake out the towns/areas/ecosystems I’ll be driving through for potential photo opportunities. It’s kind of like routing a band on tour, so they can make the most out of every potential stop. I mentioned in my last post about my recent long trek from West Texas to all over the Hill Country (Austin-area for you out-of-staters), and in that 1,000+ mile road trip, I HAD to make three stops for shoots, none of which actually included people, just locales. But HAVING to make those stops meant I was going to be traveling through some pretty cool country, right? Right!

I’m not going to share my entire road trip in this one post (because in my eyes, it was a really productive excursion across the “friendly state”), but I am going to share a travel tip that may interest some of you in your own travels. When I travel to a shoot that I know I don’t have to necessarily photograph any person(s), I opt not for a hotel room, but a campground. Alright, some of you just went, “Nope. Not doing that.” That’s fine, but as a traveling photographer, let me anecdotally take you through this.

My first stop was Waco, Texas, and I was going to be getting there late. I was determined, however, to camp out. Why?

1. I’m a travel photographer when I’m on the road, but I’m not necessarily one that wants to shoot the inside of a hotel room. I’d rather find a camp next to a river, knowing there is potential in the images that I might get of said location for others to use (i.e. magazines, adverts, prints, etc.).

2. It’s more affordable. Camp sites can run anywhere from $10.00 to $25.00, but if you don’t mind setting a tent up, or blowing a mattress up to go in the back of your vehicle, it beats paying at least $50.00+ for a motel/hotel room. Sure, some outfits will reimburse you, but this may take weeks, if not months. When you have a business to take care of, why not be frugal and make it count!

3. Camping is cool, and all the cool kids are doing it! Seriously, have you ever camped on the side of a calm river? It’s nice…humid, but nice.

I can think of a lot more reasons, but back to my story. I called ahead the afternoon I left, and the campgrounds I stayed at on the Brazos River (yes, the very one that John Graves wrote this iconic text about) had an open spot. Be sure to call ahead, and check. I usually like to stay at a state park, but many RV parks offer camping as well. Luckily, as I mentioned, this one happened to be on the river. AND, when I got there, at 10:30 p.m., the owner himself took me to a spot right next to the river. Nobody else around, just peace, quiet, the river, and a pair of raccoons that decided to argue a bit before I went to sleep. I set my tent up, and then I headed over to the water with camera, tripod, flashlight, and shutter release, and grabbed a few shots.

I knew I was going to get there late, and I knew I was going to have to leave before the sun rose the next morning, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from taking photographs at night on the river. Often times, this is when it becomes the most interesting. I came away with a few shots I was happy with that night, and early that morning, and then I was gone, all within a period of about six hours.

Night:

Morning:

I understand this isn’t the most ideal way for many photographers to travel, and then again, it’s a great way for those with inclinations of nature/outdoors travel photographic focus. I simply enjoy being out next to something more natural than the sounds of cars driving down the highway every now and then. So, think about your next road trip/photo expose across uncharted territory, and at the same time, think about publications that may be looking for imagery from those areas you will travel through. Find a state park or camp ground close to your destination, and enjoy the day/night and take a few meaningful shots along the way.

By the way, plenty of campgrounds and state parks have shower facilities…