Interview: Michael, Following the Road and Making Photo Books
Have you ever looked at someone’s vacation photos and thought, “Wow, I never would have thought of taking a trip like that, but now I want to!”? Well, that’s exactly what I thought when Michael Rogers’s Road Trip 2008 book first caught our attention. I’m all about road trips because if I’m going to spend as much time getting to the airport, waiting there, flying, and getting out of the airport as I could spend just driving somewhere, I’m better off going by car and seeing what I want to see. But I’ve never taken a trip with the specific purpose of seeing many sites along the way, and that’s why I like Michael’s photo book. I now see that perhaps I’ve been missing out. So I decided to ask Michael a few questions.
Tell me a little about your 2008 trip.
I traveled for almost two weeks. I started in Northern Kentucky and traveled to Roosevelt National Park, Glacier National Park, Museum of the Rockies, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Tetons National Park, Devils Tower National Monument, Jewel Cave National Park, Crazy Horse Monument, Mount Rushmore National Monument, and The Badlands. I made this trip by myself after being laid off from work. Before I started I decided [this time] would be a great opportunity to go to all of these places that I may not have a chance to take enough time off to visit…after starting a new job. I hadn’t planned on making this a yearly trip but after going this year I’m hoping to be able to make a similar trip next year.
How long have you been a photographer?
I have been playing around with photography for a couple of years. Last year I decided to get a little more serious and purchased a dSLR camera and have purchased some additional lenses when I have some extra money. I’ve had a lot of fun learning how to use the camera and finding things to take pictures of. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable at this point but I’m not an expert.
Was there a particular stop on your trip that was your favorite?
Glacier National Park was my favorite place on the entire trip. You could get up in the morning, hike all day, and not end up with a bad picture. You didn’t have to wait until the “Magic Hours” of dusk and dawn to get spectacular photos. The beauty of the park was just unreal.
One of Michael’s favorite stops was at Glacier National Park, shown here.
Did you make your Inkubook for yourself or as a gift for someone else?
I made the book mostly to be able to show my friends the pictures from my trip. I had taken almost 1500 pictures on my trip and had them in an online album, but they weren’t organized very well. It was hard to tell people about them since they often looked at them on their own computer when I wasn’t around.
Have you made other photo books or was this your first?
This is my first. I’m sure I’ll make more. It was a great way to keep a record of the places I went and organize my photos in a permanent way.
Swatches from the Road Trip collection.
I’d like to give Michael a heartfelt thanks for sharing his book with us. It’s certainly given me a hankering for the open road. If you’re getting ready to set out on America’s highways and byways, consider making a photo book at the end of your journey. You can even use our new collection of Road Trip backgrounds.
