Seeing America this way is an invaluable experience. I am reminded of how big this nation is. About how much heart and soul -- and kindness -- there is in the working class. And about how many cultural centers exist under the umbrella of one nationality. People always ask me if I love the travel and I do because it reminds me constantly of where I'm from.
I've covered four election cycles now over the last decade, two following a bus. It's an election-style road trip sans candidate. The idea is to vote for the pro-business lobby. The photos I produce get used in issue-oriented advertising, PR and a variety of other documentary uses. There isn't much time for side trips or creative work in my more creative style. We travel on average a couple hundred miles a day with a few stops for endorsements, getting out the vote canvassing or PR functions. We pull in to the hotel and I'd edit and upload, eat greasy food, crash and repeat.
Often I'd leapfrog trying to get the bus rolling with incredible scenery in the shot. And at times I find myself scampering up highway berms just in time see the bus pass, get stopped for speeding trying to catch up, or hop a fence and trespass like I did to get lakeside and catch the bus coming across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana. Multiply that over a dozen states during the course of a month!
The buses ended at the political conventions which I will post under a separate headline. These images are © the U.S. Chamber.
One of my favorite pics. The staff were good sports.
A twist on an old landmark.
A gimme.
True faith in your photographer is to let him or her lead you out into narrow dirt roads in the Arizona desert for a photo op. The cows were NOT amused.
Nothing would be complete without the classic campaign shot.iw
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