7 ways to make your photo road trip a success

I recently returned from a road trip to take photographs for my latest book, Highways of the South, and I had a blast. I took hundreds of pictures, many of which appear in the book, and I had a great time exploring the region — even more so because hadn’t been able to travel for about a year, because of the pandemic.

But I got both my vaccine shots in February, and I decided it was time to hit the road. This kind of road trip was actually perfect, because I wouldn’t be in contact with many people: I wasn’t visiting anyone or going to any big events, and with a couple of minor exceptions, my only points of direct contact were at hotel check-ins counters, gas pumps, and drive-throughs. (When I came across anyone, I wore a mask.)

On a photo trip, all you have to do is pull off to the side of the road, look for a few good angles, shoot your shot, and get back in the car. Heck, there were times when I just drove into a parking lot or stopped by the side of the road and snapped a few quick pics without even leaving the driver’s seat.

In the end, it wasn’t much different than other trips I’ve taken. It involved the same steps, and it occurred to me that, since it was so much fun and so successful, I’d share them here. I qualify as a professional photographer, technically speaking, because I’ve gotten paid for the pictures I take — both by newspapers and for the books I’ve written. But I’m not a trained photographer: I learned mostly through trial and error.

Over the past seven years, I've take dozens of road trips, short and long, to shoot photos for eight different books. I've learned quite a few lessons in that time, so I thought I'd share the seven most important ones with my readers.

So, I’m not sharing these ideas as a hotshot shutterbug (I’m not!) but as a road-tripper who’s learned a few lessons while doing this for the past seven years. So, without further ado, off we go!

Pick your window

Choosing when to travel is important. You’ll be dealing with several factors, and they all have to line up. One of the tricky things about setting up a photo trip is that you can’t plan for some of them (such as weather or health emergencies) too far ahead, if at all, but you’ll still have to do some planning. That means arranging for time off from work and picking the proper season. When it comes to photography, this involves at least two things: Weather and lighting.

You won’t know what the weather’s going to be like more than 10 or 14 days out — and even then, it’s not exact. So you’ll want to plan your trip during a season when there’ll be the lowest chance of bad weather. This can vary depending on the region: Some places have mild winters, relatively speaking, and more summer rains than others. Be aware of regional weather patterns, and plan accordingly.

It wasn’t too smart of me to travel Route 66 through Amboy in the Mojave Desert without air conditioning in the middle of summer, when it was 114 degrees. It felt like I went through a swimming pool’s worth of water that day to stay hydrated.

The other important thing to consider is lighting. You’ll have more available light during the summer months during the winter, which means more photo opportunities.

If you get up at daybreak and keep going until sunset, you can take advantage of interesting shadows on both ends, so plan for stops that optimize sunrise/dusk photos at locations where they’re most striking. Ruins of old abbeys in Britain and striking rock formations like Monument Valley in Arizona come to mind. This can be tricky and requires good timing.

Cabazon dinosaurs, Southern California.

Choose your targets

Select the kind of photos you want to emphasize and create an itinerary based on your choices.

For my trip around the South, I did a loop from Virginia through Tennessee to Kentucky, then back down through Tennessee again to Alabama and Georgia before returning via the Carolinas. All told, it took me five days and four nights, which really packed things in during a brief span of time.

Chances are, you’ll have an idea of what you want to see before you set out. But a general idea isn’t enough, because you’ll be sure to miss things. I still regret not seeing Rosslyn Chapel on a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, 25 years ago because I didn’t know it was there. I haven’t had the chance to get back since, and I’m not sure I ever will.

Do Google searches with the appropriate keywords to find out what’s worth seeing. Before my recent trip, a search under “Dixie Highway” sent me to a PDF of an online tour from Louisville down to Horse Cave on U.S. Highway 31E. It included a series of historical stops and formed the basis for that portion of my trip.

If you’re looking for roadside photo ops, the Roadside Architecture website is invaluable. It contains locations of old signs, gas stations, diners, cinemas, drive-ins, statues, and other items of visual and historical interest in all 50 states. There’s also RoadsideAmerica.com, “your guide to offbeat tourist attractions,” which rates them on a scale from 1-5. Both sites include bits of trivia and historical background.

If natural wonders interest you, Atlas Obscura has a fairly extensive list. And if you’re looking for just plain beautiful highways, you can find a list of my favorite highways on this very site. Tour books work, too.

Look for the unexpected

Just because you’ve got an itinerary, that doesn’t mean you should ignore unexpected jewels you find along the way. In fact, some of the most fun you’ll have on a photo trip can be keeping your eyes peeled for a great photo subject you hadn’t planned on shooting and didn’t even know was there.

I’d estimate that at least one-third of the shots on my recent road trip weren’t planned, but were things I encountered along the way that I hadn’t expected.

I had forgotten to mark down a vintage motel, Horseshoe Camp, along U.S. Highway 31W in Kentucky, and only saw it out of the corner of my eye as I zoomed past, heading south toward Tennessee. The feelings of excitement (that I’d seen it) and relief (that I hadn’t missed it) combined to create a huge rush.

An added bonus: If you’re always on the lookout for a cool shot, you won’t get tired or fall prey to highway hypnosis. Being on the hunt will keep you awake and alert the entire time.

Horseshoe Camp Modern Cottages, Bowling Green, Ky.

Adapt to changing conditions

No matter how well you plan, you can’t foresee everything. I’ve encountered isolated storms that weren’t in the forecast, such as snow flurries in the mountains at Boone, N.C. Crashes on the highway can cause delays; so can road work.

A detour or accident can add a half-hour or more to your drive time.

You should plan on encountering at least one alternating lane closure on any extended trip — I hit three in five days on my recent trip — unless you stick to the interstate, and what fun is that? Old highways and rural roads are a lot more fun, and far more fruitful when it comes to finding photos. (One of my favorite tips: If you’re looking for roadside gems, highways labeled “Business” or “Alternate” are good bets.)

Stay up to date on road conditions with a traffic app, and on weather conditions with a weather app. I use one called Weawow, which is customizable and easy to read.

Also, be aware that gas prices will change from place to place, based on different state taxes, refinery closures, and availability. Whenever I cross from Virginia into North Carolina, I can count on a 20-cent-per-gallon price jump, followed by a 20-cent decrease when I hit South Carolina. A foray into Pennsylvania when I was shooting photos for America’s First Highways was a real eye-opener: Prices there were a lot higher.

Allocate enough time

This can be difficult. One thing I’ve learned is that I usually leave less time than I need, especially on day trips: I seldom get as far as I thought I would before I have to turn around and head home.

The previous two tips pretty much guarantee you’ll have to leave more time than you think you will. You’re bound to see something unexpected you want to shoot, and sometimes, you’ll be past it by the time you realize it, so you’ll have to circle back to it — which will take even more time.

The worst thing you can do is check Google Maps for the time it will take to get from where you are to your ultimate destination, and confine yourself to that timetable. That allows zero time to accomplish what you’ve set out to do: take pictures. Remember, you have to stop the car to do this.

A good rule of thumb is to allow at least half again as much time to get to your ultimate stop as Google indicates, or twice as much time to be safe. If Google says it’s two hours away, allow for somewhere close to four. If you get there sooner, you can go over what you’ve shot or rest up after a busy day on the road.

Once you know how long you’re likely to take, you can plan out where to stay. Some travel sites and chains give you a bonus night free on your 11th reservations and offer “secret deals,” so take advantage of those. Or if you’re roughing it, scope out RV parks and campgrounds ahead of time.

Have the right equipment

This can mean different things for different photographers. Camera phones have become so good they can create crisp, vivid images comparable to what you’d get with a traditional camera. You can get perfectly good — even great — photos using the latest phone cameras (or are they camera phones?), whether you’re talking about an iPhone or an Android like the Samsung Galaxy.

Phone manufacturers have realized how much people value their products’ picture-taking abilities, so they’ve priced their models accordingly: You’ll pay a pretty penny for a phone with a high-end camera, so be sure to prioritize what kind of photos you want. How high is the resolution, and which colors come out best? Those are just a couple of questions you’ll want to ask, because they can vary.

There are, however, some ways in which there’s just no substitute for a traditional camera. Versatility is one. You can change lenses and filters to adapt, and you can adjust things like exposure manually. The zoom lenses on the latest cameras are decent, but they don’t hold a candle to what a traditional camera’s telephoto lens can do.

Hotel Patten, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Explore different angles

I don’t know how many times I’ve walked away from a scene, convinced I’ve gotten a good shot, only to see a photo of the same place online that was taken from an angle I hadn’t considered.

The moral of this story is simple: Take some time to walk around and explore your subject from a variety of angles. Here are some possibilities to consider:

• Cross the street.

• Turn your camera at an angle.

• Take shots from the sunny and shady sides of an object.

• Try framing it with a tree branch, rock outcropping, or archway; then take a few shots without the frame.

• Take photos of the entire object, then try closeups of some components.

• Center the object or play it off to one side.

• Try using empty space to make it pop.

So, there you have it: My seven tips on how to make your photo trip a success. I’m sure you have some of your own you can add, too. If you plan ahead and cover all the angles — figuratively and literally — you’ll wind up with enough good photos to fill a book. I did, several times over.

Stephen H. Provost is the author of and principal photographer for five books on U.S. highways, and three additional books on local and American history. All are available in paperback, and some in ebook form, on Amazon.