Another one of those subjects I can’t seem to stay away from - American Motels. Maybe it’s the nostalgia or all the time I’ve personally spent in them? Not sure. Said this in a recent post, but it was shocking to see how many of these old places had shut down during a trip out to Texas a few weeks ago. What a shame.
There aren’t a lot of positive things things to say about American highways. Whenever possible I try avoid the soulless stretches of poorly maintained pavement that teach you very little about the country and the towns/people that inhabit it. The 15 on the other hand is something special. It’s one very long stretch of highway that’s as fascinating as any “blue highway” (backroad) in the USA. I’ve personally been traveling this road since 2006 during the move from Upstate, NY to San Diego, CA. It blew my mind then and still does today. Once you get north of the clusterfuck that is Los Angeles /Riverside County and into the desert, there’s a lot to love. Images can be made from the highway or, if you want to get more intimate, try ducking off into one of the many small towns along the way.
Last month I was working on a a few stories up in Montana without a ton of time to get there, so The 15 it was, straight up north from southern California. Regardless, I ALWAYS find time in-between destinations for one or many of my ongoing series. This trip found images that will fit nicely into the “America” and “Hotel” series.
Places like Lima, Montana are endlessly fascinating no matter how many small towns I see. As someone who lives in a frustratingly populated place, it’s stimulating to stand in and see the beginning and end of a town only 75 yards long surrounded by nothing but rolling hills. You can’t help but wonder what everyday life is life for the people of that community.
The second set of images were made in St. George, Utah. Also interesting for different reasons. Although much bigger than Lima, it’s still a small town “in the middle of nowhere”. One thing that stands out is the way they build homes there to blend in to the environment. The color palette matches almost seamlessly.
It’s interesting how bodies of work tend to grow on their own over time. Motels have never been a goal or “to do” while on the road but I’m endlessly attracted to them. Not exactly sure why either. Maybe it’s their place in American culture or because of all the time I’ve personally spent in them? The images here were made as recently as last month all the way back to 2015. And the memories they give me are fun to experience again. Some of the places I stayed in and others were just a walk/drive by. During my time as a photographer, I’ve had the pleasure of staying at some of the nicest hotels in the country while shooting for clients, but also some of the worst of the worst. Both are memorable for different reasons. Always an experience though. That’s probably what I like about them. More to come from this series.
Side note: The second to last image here was made in 2015 in Gila Bend, AZ. Drove by this place last week and the hotel almost completely bulldozed.
The Motel Capri in the Marina District of San Francisco, California.
The pool at the Hotel Del Sol in the Marina District of San Francisco, California.
Neon sign of the Bridgeport Inn in Bridgeport, California.
The neon sign of the Antler Motel in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is illuminated at dusk on a winter night.
The stairway leading to the Cowboy Rooms at the Bridgeport Inn - Bridgeport, California
The illuminated neon sign of the Deser-Est Motel in Ely, Nevada.
The Payless Inn Motel in Gila Bend, Arizona
Old motel in Needles, California
Apparently my fascination with small town motels continues? Not sure what that is. Perhaps it’s because I’ve stayed in so many during all my time on the road, but they fit nicely into my America series either way.
Red Cliff Motel in LaBarge, Wyoming.
Sign for a motel in a small Idaho town.
Vacant hotel in Diamondville, Wyoming.
Vacant hotel in Sparks, Nevada.
An old tube television set sits outside of an abandoned hotel in Beatty, Nevada.
The Western Motel in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
An empty pool at a small hotel in Sparks, Nevada.
The last couple months have been weird. Everybody knows. Weird probably isn’t the right word, but I’d like to stay away from the negative. And now that things (knock on wood) feel like they are loosening up a little bit, it’s caused me to look back on what has occupied my time during quarantine. Aside from the dishes, I’ve spent on lots of energy going through my absurdly large Lightroom catalogue that contains images from 2012 on. Specifically focusing on personal work that hasn’t been developed, I’m starting to see themes in the work that was never noticed before. This is very encouraging because I know it’s from all the time that’s also been spent on Zoom workshops about editing your work, creating photo books, how images work together, etc. etc. Didn’t realize it until now, but an education took place in the last 90 days that I’m extremely grateful for. All my time on the road over the past 8+ years has produced a handful of different bodies of work that I never knew how edit. Certainly not saying it’s figured out or will be, but things are adding up. It sounds simple, but one key that that was learned is that a common theme is necessary. “America” which has been a main focus for me, is not a theme. Just because I drive around this country taking pictures of it doesn’t mean all the images work together. Quite the opposite. It’s also quite a gem of power to learn and accept that you’ll frequently have to discard your favorite images from an edit because they simply don’t work for the bigger picture. Can’t stress that enough. Setting the ego aside can be a hard thing, especially for photographers who are so emotionally connected to their work. Has to be done though. And if the image is really that good, it will find it’s way into another body of work somewhere down the line. One theme I noticed popping up again and again over the past couple months is hotels. Apparently I enjoy hotels, and have photographed quite a few over the past 8 years. So expect to see more of them in the future.
Click here to see more from my “America” gallery.
