Journal Image - Candid Street Photo & Motion Photography

From: photoduniya.com

After 2 cross country drives, it does not amaze me to hear from my readers on their interest to do similar long hauls. Many of you have followed my narrative on the cross country drive from California to New York and have asked for my tips and suggestions. I have updated the Travel section of photoduniya.com with as much detail as possible. I shall quickly mention a few of the main points here too:

• Check and re check your vehicle. Check for tire gauge, tire pressure, lubricants, alignments and the electrical circuits.

• If you are carrying heavy load in your car, distribute the weight more towards the center of the vehicle. We carried about 600 pounds with us, but we balanced the weight systematically so that driving in the snow, or steep gradients or turns was never a problem either on the wheels or on the driver.

• If you are planning to drive in winter, be prepared for bad road conditions. The image below is from a normal day in Jackson Hole on the Teton Pass, where there is almost always snow and ice on a 10 degree steep narrow road.

Teton Pass on WY-22

• Take time to enjoy the scenery outside and stop to take pictures and say Hello to someone local. These sort of drives are hardly done once and rarely done twice in a lifetime. So enjoy as much as you can.
• Keep your body hydrated and fed correctly. A sick body and an empty stomach could be fatal when driving for long distances over a period of week. Keep water, juices and some dry food in your car.
• Keep a friend or a relative posted of your drive. One of our family friend had constantly kept in contact with us during the entire drive, making sure that we are safe and forewarning us of any sudden changes to the weather ahead.
• Keep your camera handy and take as many pictures as you can. They would be your memories long after you have finished your trip!

If this has encouraged you to take on a similar long distance drive, go ahead and enjoy. Share your route and trip so that we could possibly plan for something similar.

Filed under: Car, Nikon D200, Photography, Street Photography, Travel, Writing