This week Zach & Courtney discuss photographing road trips, including Zach’s photos on the road and in the Florida Keys, plus Joel Sternfeld’s project from the 1970s and 80s, American Prospects. “Photography is nothing–it’s life that interests me.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson Resources/Links Zach’s photos discussed in this episode. Joel Sternfeld & American Prospects Pre-order the…
More than 20,000 people ran the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis last Saturday. The highlight for many runners is taking a 2.5-mile lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and stopping to kiss the bricks. I biked the entire course so I could catch the starting line action, the mid-race lap around the track, and the…
Last week I spent three days at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum documenting grand reopening events and it’s absolutely GORGEOUS! At first glance of the exterior, the facade of the building looks the same as when it was built in 1976. But when you step inside, you can see everything is sleek and modern. It’s…
New York City is one of the best places in the world for street photography. There are million interesting things happening at any given moment and thousands of photographers walking the streets to find them. I’m posting these in chronological order so you can see how my photos changed throughout my two days in New…
For the last hundred years there have been photographers creating documentary photography at museums. Famed photographer Elliott Erwitt documented so many museums around the world that he created an entire book dedicated to the subject: Museum Watchers (published in 1999). Photographing museum visitors connecting with art becomes art itself. Last week I visited the Indianapolis…
Photographing a Balloon Glow like Jupiter Flights at Connor Prairie is challenging due to quickly changing light conditions. Digital photography makes this much easier with instant feedback and take a lot of frames. However it is possible on film especially with an automatic mode like aperture priority.
Silver Beach Photography At the end of August, I spent the day with my family at Silver Beach on Lake Michigan in St. Joseph, MI. It wasn’t crowded since local kids were back in school. There was a breeze most of the day, so the water was a bit choppy, but it was perfect for…
The Indianapolis 500 is a month-long celebration during the month of May in Indiana. This year I photographed two different perspectives on the festivities. First, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum hired me to photograph their Hall of Fame dinner two days before the race. It was an evening of racing legends, stories and a celebration…
I went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum this spring, and seeing as the Indy 500 is this weekend, now is a great time to share the photos! The winner of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race gets their name and likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy. The second place finisher gets nothing (well, some money, I suppose)….
Today we make a return visit to the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres at Newfields in Indianapolis. For the sake of simplicity, let’s stick with calling it 100 Acres. Revisiting 100 Acres in Indianapolis allows me to explore a subject I’m drawn to frequently: the interaction between people and nature. What’s…
Seeing the peace and serenity of McCormick’s Creek State Park, it’s easy to see how this became the first state park in Indiana, founded in 1916. The spot was never destined to be harnessed commercially for its natural resources. Early efforts to build a sawmill and a quarry did not yield the hoped for results….
If you ever find yourself visiting Everglades national park, I HIGHLY recommend a stop at the Robert is Here fruit stand. Just 10 minutes from the park’s easternmost entrance, this stand has so many amazing fruits from all over the world, with many I can guarantee you’ve never even heard of before! Robert is Here…
The Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs, Florida has been an area landmark since 1936. Originally built as a roadside attraction on the highway between Tampa and Miami, today the park is a nonprofit that houses rescued birds and reptiles. Home to all types of flora and fauna native to Florida, Wonder Gardens is a…
Travel with Kids If you’ve followed my work for any length of time, you know that I shoot a lot of stories on the road. What you might not know, is that we always travel with our kids when producing our work. My photos focus on telling the stories of the locations we visit, and…
Visiting Flat Fork Creek Park Flat Fork Creek Park is tucked away in the southeast corner of Fishers, Indiana. During this trip, Zach seeks different ways to capture the feel of this park at this time of year. Blue skies A bright sunny noon hour doesn’t often make for great photography, but sometimes you…
Our story this week features Turkey Run State Park in western Indiana. Carved by glaciers millions of years ago, this park features some of the most unique topography in Indiana. Walk with us through the ravines and sandstone gorges to see what this park has to offer. Please share this post with a friend who…
Bonita Springs, FL is located on the Gulf of Mexico between Fort Myers and Naples. I’ve been going down to visit since my wife Courtney started taking me there around 2005. As a professional photographer since 2004, there’s no “vacation” from shooting (mostly because it’s not work), so I’ve built up a pretty good catalog…
Everyone remembers their first trip to Disney World, right? I certainly do because it was only a few years ago and I took a bunch of photos. Through these images, I’m looking to capture the feeling of taking a trip and experiencing a new place. This is neither a guide to visiting Disney World nor…
A walk through native landscapes Humans and nature are inextricably linked and I work to show that when I shoot nature and landscapes. Walking through Barefoot Beach Preserve in Bonita Springs, FL is an interesting experience. As I began down the trail, a thicket of native plant life surrounded me. But as I progressed, I…
On a warm day in January, we stop by 100 Acres at Newfields with the kids. If you’re not from the Indy area, Newfields is the campus that contains the Indianapolis Museum of Art. 100 Acres is part nature preserve, part modern art gallery. The best part of visiting 100 Acres at Newfields (to a…
I first learned about the store in Moonshine, Illinois from some random magazine about living in and/or visiting the Midwest that was lying on the coffee table of my in-law’s house about 3 or 4 years ago. Word had it that this tiny place (population 2) had one of the best burgers in the country….
You see model trains a lot during the holiday season, but nobody does model trains like the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. Jingle Rails is their annual train display. Models travel through famous local scenes and national landmarks from the American West. You’ll find downtown Indy, complete with a scale model of the Soldier and Sailor’s…
Reindeer Ride: Bright Night is part of Nickel Plate Express, a train in central Indiana that runs between Atlanta and Noblesville. Throughout the year they offer a variety of themed rides. For Reindeer Ride: Bright Night, Gaylor Electric fitted the entire length of the train with LED lights. The ride is very comfortable and each…
This week we visit Newfields Winterlights in Indianapolis, now in its second year. With over 1.5 million lights, this is THE light display to see. Newfields is the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the surrounding grounds. In this post I talk about photographing in the difficult lighting conditions we encounter at this time of year….
Our third featured partner for our Chicago weekend is the Museum of Science & Industry. This giant museum on Chicago’s south side features more hands-on exhibits than you could possibly do in one day. This is a favorite spot for families because of all the interactive exhibits for kids. MSI is currently featuring a special…
Last week we were in Chicago for a three-day visit. While there, we partnered with SkyDeck Chicago for some unparalleled views of the city from the top of Willis Tower (originally Sears Tower). SkyDeck is located on the 103rd floor of the tower at a height of 1353 ft. Glass boxes known as “The Ledge”…
Chicago, Chicago, that toddlin’ town. I can’t say what that means, but if Frank Sinatra sang it, then it must mean it’s a groovy place. Recently I spent a few days touring the city and documenting the sights. This post features the sights on the streets. You can also check out posts on SkyDeck (the…
Hats, boots (buy one get two free) and neon signs. This was my initial impression walking through downtown Nashville, Tennessee, known by locals as “Nashvegas” (thanks for the insider info, Val). The images in this post offer a QUICK glance of Nashville. We spent one night and approximately 20 hours in town. With four young…
2024 UPDATE: Kuwohi (also Kuwahi) is the Cherokee name of the highest peak in along the Appalachian Trail. Beginning in 1859, it was renamed Clingmans Dome by geographer Arnold Guyot, and kept that name until September 18, 2024, when the original name was restored. According to the resolution to restore the original name drafted by…
UPDATE: As of February 15, 2019, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is now Indiana Dunes National Park! This post feature photos of our trip to the Indiana Dunes State Park, which remains as-is, but will now be surrounded by a national park. With sandy beaches and cool, clear water, Indiana Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan is…
One of the things I enjoy most about shooting this time of year is the diversity of people that come out to celebrate America’s independence. It’s a great reminder that we all love this country and we all are welcome here. Here’s a slideshow of some of our favorite images celebrating America… A handful of…
We took a quick road trip with the family to Oklahoma City to shoot some work for a client. While we were there, we did some exploring of the downtown area and the Midtown neighborhood. Both areas had a lot to see and do. Here are a few favorite images from a couple days in…
“We seceded where others failed.” That’s the motto of The Conch Republic, the nickname taken on by Key West when they declared independence from, then war on, the United States in 1982. Key West does not disappoint! It has an amazing mix of scenery, history, food, drinks, entertainment and more. Our four kids traveled with…
The Florida Keys State Parks are some of the most fantastic in the country. Here are some of our favorite shots from the following parks: John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (Key Largo), Bahia Honda State Park (Big Pine Key), Curry Hammock State Park (Marathon) and Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park (Key West). An…
We spent about ten days driving from the mainland to Key West and back and spent a couple of days each in Key Largo, Islamorada and Marathon. The upper, middle, and lower keys’ communities offer coral and rock beaches and blue green waters popular for fishing. The Florida Keys are made up of around 1700…
Bloomington, Indiana Fall 2017 for Visit Bloomington. Street scenes, restaurants, bars, walking trails, and public art.
This past weekend was the grand opening of the Carmel Christkindlmarkt. I stopped by on Sunday evening to check out the scene. It’s a beautiful setup with the Palladium in the background. The iceskating is affordable, and there are special deals on Wednesday and Thursday, so be sure to check out the website for details:…
Driving though northern and central Indiana, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the entire state is flat farmland or forests. Turkey Run State Park is not something you’d expect to encounter. The sandstone gorges created by Sugar Creek make for great climbing and exploring. The park was on our summer bucket list, so when the…
I try to get out every year to check out Carmel Artomobilia. The crowd was huge this year! I always take my kids with me, so navigating four little-ones through a crowd and making sure they’re not climbing into cars tends to limit the number of shots that I take. I’m happy with the selects,…
Photographing a solar eclipse was an incredible adventure! It was only a 4 hour drive to Hopkinsville, KY to get the longest duration of totality in the country. Never mind that it took over 7 hours to get home. Still worth it! Amazing Shadows One of my favorite parts of the eclipse was the crescent-shaped…
Here are some photos from a recent trip to the Indianapolis Zoo. Even though it was a rainy day, there was a lot to see and the animals were out and about.
As a born and bred Midwesterner, I love documenting Indiana fairs & festivals. I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana attending the 3 Rivers Festival. Each year, my family would travel to my father’s boyhood home in Wayne County, Ohio to attend the fair. The animals, funnel cakes, disorienting carnival rides and tractor pulls were…
Ok, I’ve come to realize that as a professional photographer, I should be using Instagram more often. So, from this date forth, I will be updating my feed on a regular basis. You can check it out here: https://instagram.com/zach_dobson/