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Issue 57

October 2013

Road Trip Map Book-2014 Edition

by James Cowlin

Road Trip Map Book-2014 Edition Cover

How much has changed along US Route 89 in the last three years? That was the question I had in mind as I started updating the Road Trip Map Book.

The most obvious change and the one that prompted the update is the closure of the road between Bitter Springs and Page in northern Arizona. A geological event in February, 2013, that I call The Big Slump, severely damaged the roadway making it impassible. After studying the situation and analyzing alternatives, the Arizona Department of Transportation has settled on reconstructing the road up the slope from the current location. It is expected to take at least two years to complete the environmental studies and construction. In the meantime a temporary bypass to the east on the Navajo Reservation, aptly named US 89T, has been opened between The Gap and Page.

I have been keeping you informed on the situation in this newsletter and on Facebook waiting for a solution to be found. Now that it is established, I knew it was time to update the maps on the website and in both versions of the Road Trip Map Book. Rather than simply revising the maps and letting it go at that, I decided to review the whole publication. In doing so, I updated several other Road Trip Guides based on places we have discovered during our road trips. Also, in the digital version, I checked all the links to make sure they were still active and relinked them when necessary.

In addition to the content changes, I also updated the design with a new color scheme and a more modern type face. My purpose is to make the book more readable in both the printed version and the digital version.

The price of both versions remains the same: $5 for the digital and $15 plus shipping for the printed version. I have also created a special bundle for readers of this newsletter. You can buy the Road Trip Map Book and the Photographer's Guide together for $9-that's a 25% savings. Use the links below to order your copies of the 2014 Editon of the US Route 89 Road Trip Map Book.

US Route 89 Road Trip Map Book-2014 Edition $15 plus shipping

US Route 89 Road Trip Map Book-2104 E-book with links to 189 websites for travel information $5

Road Trip Map Book/Photographer's Guide E-books Bundle $9

2014 Calendar-Clouds

Early in my career as a landscape photographer, I experimented with eliminating the sky from my photographs. I had several ideas in mind when I did it. First, it is harder to determine the scale of a photograph if there is no horizon line. Is the image a close-up of a rock or a hugh canyon wall? The viewer is forced to search the print for clues which requires more time. It is hard to tell what you are looking at when there is no sky.

My second motivation was to convey the texture of the land I was photographing. Little details form theselves into patterns. I wanted people to have a tactile response to the images, so they would "feel" the surface of the land.

Finally, I liked the sense of mystery that images with no sky created. What is this place? Skies are a distraction that draws your eyes away from the landscape. For me, eliminating the sky was a way to distinguish my work from the countless photographs snapped every day in our magnificent Western landscapes.

What's this got to do with clouds?

When I lived in Phoenix, the sky was often obscured by trees and buildings. When I moved to a rural town in Arizona, I started to notice the sky more because of the less obstructed view. When the land is flat there is much more sky to see. Clouds began to creep in to my pictures. I started to really look at them. I was attracted to the textures and shapes and lines of clouds. I sought them out the way I had sought out landscapes to photograph. I was excited to be out with my camera making images of a subject that I had all but ignored.

When it came time to put together a calendar for 2014, It seemed natural to look at the cloud photos. This calendar may seem like a departure from what you know of my photography. For me it is an extension of what I have been doing since the beginning. Only this time I am looking above the horizon instead of below.

Click here to see a preview of my 2014 Clouds Calendar. The price is $12 plus shipping and you can order your copy directly from the printer, Magcloud, using a credit or debit card.

Creative Expression Through Digital Photography Workshop

I am excited to announce that I am going to be conducting a one-day workshop at my studio in Oracle. The workshop is designed to help you take control of your camera and make it a tool to free your creativity and imagination. You will learn to use the magic built into today's digital cameras.

This workshop is for photographers and artists at any level of proficiency. In the morning session, we will review the basics of exposure and composition. These are the "rules" of photography that guide us in capturing images with the truest fidelity.

After lunch, we will embark on a series of exercises designed to reinforce the morning's lessons. We will also explore ways to go beyond the "rules" and learn the potential of photography as a means of creative expression. We will use several locations in the picturesque mountain village of Oracle, Arizona, as our subjects. The afternoon will conclude with a brief review and discussion of each participants photographs.

The workshop will be held on Saturday, October 12th, from 10 am to 4 pm. The fee is $95. Download the information sheet and registration form to reserve your place or go to the Workshop page on Barbara Kemp Cowlin's website to sign-up using Paypal.

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