The Art of Going "Nowhere"
An Ode to Back Roads and Randomness in Photography
I had lunch the other day with a friend and fellow photographer, and he asked me a question:
“How do you find all the locations you take photos of?”
I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. The answer: I have no idea.
I paused and tried to explain more: “I just pick a general direction, then take the longest, craziest back-roads route there. A two-hour trip becomes a 10+ hour adventure, and I find cool stuff along the way.”
The following photo is an example. My friends and I were on a road trip in Iowa and drove into a random town when we found this behind the old baseball field:
It’s one of the best “barns” I’ve seen in a while, and it was pure luck finding the spot.
I find many of my best photographs by embracing randomness. It’s about throwing good intentions into the wind and hoping the universe responds.
A little trip I took two days ago is a good example of this. I only had a few hours because one of our cars was in the shop, but I HAD to get out and shoot. The fall colors were beautiful, and the forecast called for rain and wind in the coming days. This might be my last chance for the full fall color display.
So it was back roads time… but I’d have to stay close to home. I found all these within 20 minutes of my house.
Just off the highway:
The next photo isn’t far from the first. The light is a lot different here:
Directly behind me when I took the above barn shot:
Down the road:
The randomness of each back road is full of opportunity, if only we take the time to look!
Want to see a LOT more shots (with some advice for what kinds of lenses to use). Here’s a video showing the lenses I used to capture a lot of other images (from Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Missouri):
CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:
Head out and take a random road with no destination in mind. Just accept that you’re going to find something.
Then find something! (The next photo was one I took down the block from my mother’s house.)
Sunrises like this make it easy - but 90% of photography is being in front of something cool, right? The only way to do that is to get out there with your awareness (and a camera). Keep increasing your chances of being in front of something at the right time, with the right light, by getting out there often.
PHOTO SPOTLIGHT: Scott Peterson
I invite you to take a look at my friend Scott’s series: Quiet Sentinels. Here is the opening image:
It’s one of those photos that doesn’t fit in the Instagram world (like many of the absolute best photographs out there) because it demands some time with it.
Scott explains on his website: “These images honor the enduring forms that outlast trend and tempo. They stand as markers of memory and continuity, even as the world around them accelerates.”
These photos are timeless, and “Isolation” is one I can sit with for a long time.
He and Kurt Johnson are inspiring me to keep trying more black-and-white photography - the richness of their work resonates with me!
Thanks for allowing me to share, Scott! Make sure to check him out on Substack:
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE!
If you have questions, send them!
I can’t thank you enough. Over the years I’ve had so much support, and I’m honored you consider my writing and photography worth your time.
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jerredz@gmail.com
Fantastic Jerred! You should be a Nebraska ambassador. Thanks so much for the shoutout.