Video: On the California Zephyr

In all the years of owning a Canon 5dmk2 I have never touched the video side, but it is fair to say that in a world full of visuals and high demands, knowing or being able to offer everything is key. Video is something I have been avoiding till now, this trip was a going to change that as I have the time to try and learn without a "job" being in the way.

So this is my first effort. The video is from our 52 hour (ended up being 60 hour) Amtrak train trip from Chicago to San Francisco, and as taking stills through a speeding train and dirty glass was proving difficult I thought "why not?" Anyway, I hope it gives you a flavour of what we saw and enjoyed.

An Introduction to "Americana"

Americana: A collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects, tools and weapons; flags, plaques and statues, and so on. Patriotism and nostalgia play defining roles in the subject.

Before I started out on this 3 month trip of America, I had a plan for a series of photographs in my mind. I am somewhat obsessed with old American Cars and the typography/branding that we see in old movies and poster campaigns of America and while It is pretty common knowledge that I love architecture, whats maybe not so known is that I adore the American wooden slated, brightly painted, old town, logo'd up buildings, the beat down cafes, the old diners, the gas stations.. etc etc. 

So here is my documentation of that. Focussing on largely isolated buildings, large type faces, bold colours and often featuring a "classic" car, the gallery is now live with a few examples on the main page. Come end of the month we shall be embarking on a 15 day drive through, Nevada, Arizona and back up the coast of California so I expect it will all change but for now I present: "Americana"