On the Road

Brighton, MA to Richmond, VA - 12.17.2023

ISO 1600, 18mm, f/3.5, 1/8sec

Brighton, MA

I (Ezra) pause to pose for the self-timer while emptying the car in preparation for the long drive.

ISO 400, 35mm, f/5.0, 1/60sec

Brighton, MA

Our neighbors' homes reflect on the glass window of our car after I cleaned out the back seat and set up the dog bed.

ISO 3200, 18mm, f/3.5, 1/60sec

Brighton, MA

Our backseat complete packed with gifts we plan to bring with us for my Fiancee's family in North Carolina.

ISO 400, 18mm, f/3.5, 1/60sec

Brighton, MA

Oliver watches through the sliding glass door to our apartment as I pack our car.

ISO 1600, 18mm, f/3.5, 1/25sec

Brighton, MA

Our car is completely packed - 5AM on December 17th, 2023.

ISO 1600, 18mm, f/3.5, 1/800sec

Off of I-95, Massachusetts

The sun is rising over the power lines during a much needed stop for coffee.

ISO 400, 18mm, f/3.5, 1/60sec

Connecticut

Trees whirl past as we fly down the highway in the early morning.

ISO 400, 35mm, f/4.5, 1/100sec

Connecticut

Gretchen in the rearview mirror, talking about her new favorite audiobook.

ISO 400, 35mm, f/4.5, 1/160sec

Connecticut

Going through my favorite tunnel that takes drivers underneath a mountain.

ISO 400, 35mm, f/3.5, 1/3200sec

New Jersey

Smoke stacks line the highway as cars rush past.

ISO 800, 18mm, f/3.5, 1/160sec

New Jersey

Gretchen snaps along to the Divas of Country Music Spotify playlist.

ISO 400, 35mm, f/3.5, 1/400sec

New Jersey

Oliver explores the leaves at a rest stop on the side of the highway.

ISO 1600, 35mm, f/3.5, 1/400sec

Maryland

Rain splattered on the inside of the car after a quick stop at a 7 Eleven.

ISO 3200, 18mm, f/3.5, 1/40sec

Virginia

The giant Marlboro cigarette seen blurred through a rain-soaked windshield marks our entrance into Virginia.

ISO 1600, 35mm, f/3.5, 1/60sec

Richmond, Virginia

Gretchen digs into a warm spread from Piri Piri Chicken on the hotel bed - grateful to be out of the rain.

Reflection

Growing up in Massachusetts, my family never took a vacation that required us to drive over 3 hours. In all honesty, the 3 hours it took to get to Provincetown from Boston felt like an eternity to my sister and me. I took what I would consider my first true road trip, 17 hours straight from Massachusetts to North Carolina, in 2019 the year after I met my now fiancée to visit her parents for Thanksgiving. Since then, we have made the trip multiple times a year with our large dog for Thanksgivings, Christmas breaks, and an occasional summer adventure.

In the past few years, we have perfected our trip – sharing a suitcase, packing the dog just right, and splitting the travel into two days. This narrative follows our journey from packing the car in Brighton, Massachusetts to settling into a cheap hotel room in Richmond, Virginia.

My goal was to use a documentary style of photography to capture the anticipation, care, focus, and relief of our first day of travel. This project topic posed the challenge of time. While we were in the car for a total of 10 hours, I needed to be precise and quick with my shooting. We could not go back and reshoot if I made a mistake or missed the framing. I often feel pressure and anxiety while shooting, but this assignment pushed me to continue shooting through those feelings – taking many more images than I thought I needed. With the constantly changing light, I was required to pay close attention to my settings, shifting my ISO and shutter speed as the weather changed across the six states we traveled through. Sitting in one space for so long also challenged me to look at my surroundings closer. I drew on previous assignments that taught me how to observe and experiment, moving my camera around and shifting my viewpoint.

Overall, I am very pleased with how this narrative came together. This is one of my favorite drives and my sequences holds the wonderment and excitement I feel looking at the sometimes-mundane sights. I believe this narrative could play into a larger project centering family – examining relationships, change and travel. I am excited to explore these themes further as I continue this body of work.