From Big to Small...

Compared to Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon should hardly be called "canyon"!

In places it's only a shoulder's width, which can make both photographing and just enjoying it a little tricky at times.

Having said that, it is one of the few places (along with it's much bigger cousin) that really lives up to the hype, and received "wows" from every single person in our Navajo escorted visit.

Grand Canyon!

This is the Hole-in-the-Ground to end all Holes-in-the-Ground!

When you first see it, the scale really takes your breath away. But it's not long before you find yourself running around, trying to get that interesting tree in shot, along with the amazing view and the pink sky... then your breath gets taken away again when you realise how stupidly near the edge you are!

... and now a Meteorite Impact!

This huge hole in the Arizona desert was made by the impact of a meteorite some 50,000 years ago. The meteorite was around 50m diameter, producing this crater of about 1,200m in diameter and 170m deep.

Imagine the result of such an impact today, in a more populated area.

Dinosaurs Run Amok...

Shocking scenes today, in Holbrook Arizona, as dinosaurs run amok.

Authorities warned all mannequins not to go out alone, while on the plains, a triceratops was the latest victim of the marauding T-Rex!

RedTop Diner on Route 66

Many thanks to Jerry Ueckert (pictured) for inviting me over to his newly restored Valentine Diner, in Edgewood, NM. Once there were 1000's of these pre-fabricated Diners around the US, now there are fewer than 20. For more information on Valentine Diners, click here and here.

Back Getting My Kicks!

First full day back on Route 66 and I have some great diner pictures and a full belly to show for it! This is the classic Route 66 Diner on Central Avenue (formerly part of Route 66) in Albuquerque. Thanks to the friendly and helpful staff there. This road also has a number of surviving Motels, some still in good condition with working neon signs to match the Diner.

On to Colorado

Having dipped my toe in the water of New England, I now find myself in well and truly in the "West".

Colorado has everything, from the exciting city of Denver...

... to the clear air of the Rocky Mountains.

A River Runs Through It

Finally found some consistent Fall Foliage yesterday.

Maine was beautiful, but too many evergreen trees in the forest for that cliché hillside of colour.

On the other hand, the White Mountain Forest here in New Hampshire (State Moto "Live Free or Die"... which is nice!) is amazing.

I had a lot of fun down by the Swift River for this shot.

I'll be heading back there over the next couple of days, for some under-the-canopy pictures.

Gorgeous!!!

... well, that's the only way to describe much of New England!

This was taken outside Newport, Rhode Island, just as the sun was coming up.

Today I'm in Maine. The weather's not so pretty, so it's going to be a day of research. They say the sun will be back tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to more gergeousness, this time with Fall Foliage!

Marketing and Promotion

I'm finally getting some more business cards printed for my continuation of Route 66. Suddenly it's less than a month away and things have snuck up on me a tad.

The last time I was in the US, I handed out some great cards. Despite the image being one of my best sellers, most people on the West of the Atlantic haven't heard of Split in Croatia! For that matter, a lot of people on the East haven't either!

This time around I thought I'd better show the locals on Route 66 something they'd appreciate... here's the final card, with the Rest Haven Motel in Springfield Missouri. The line Mother Road Images refers to my other website www.MotherRoadImages.com, where I have a gallery of the Route travelled so far, along with some handy non-photographic links.

Mother Road Images - new website

In true Columbo style, here's an "Oh, just one more thing" post!

I've just completed the first draft of my Mother Road Images website. The aim is to attract interest from fans of Route 66, rather than just professional picture researchers.

Inevitably, it has drifted back more to a photogallery style than my originally intended editorial, but I hope the enhanced captions (that I am currently adding!) will make it an interesting browse. Please have a look and let me know what you think.

While putting together the site, I heard the bad news that Dustin Shuler's 1989 sculpture, The Spindle, has been demolished.

The Spindle, actually in Berwyn's Cermak Plaza just west of Route 66, was one of the first Route 66 attractions you encounter after leaving Chicago. It consisted of a number of cars impaled on a 15m spike.

The sculpture's supporters finally lost their battle to save the icon in May 2008, when a demolition team moved in under cover of darkness.

The End of Route 66... for a while!

The last of the Route 66 images are edited and on their way to my agents... whew! Now to start on editing some Spanish, German and French pictures. Will it never end?!

These two are from Tucumcari NM, one of the classic Route 66 towns. East of New Mexico, you sometimes have to look quite hard to see signs of the old road. This is the first town on the journey west where you can't miss them!

Scenes like this remind you why the road is dying... or is dead, multilane Interstates having by-passed many old towns that grew up beside 66.

Some of these images are now available to purchase as prints and posters.

Please click here to browse. More will be added soon.

Blog USA additions

As I'm nearing the end of editing my USA photoshoot, I'm slowly getting some more images on the USA Blog. Please drop in and have a look.

More images will be added over the next few days to get myself up-to-date. The blog will remain online for the foreseeable future, to cover the rest of my Route 66 shoot and more!

To License my USA images, please click here

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Route 66 - The Mother Road

I've finally got a few Illinois Route 66 images up on the Live(ish!) USA Photoshoot Blog (click to view).

Ironic really, since I'm getting to the point of turning back towards the East Coast.

Never fear, there's plenty more where they came from, both in the bag and yet to be taken... including lots in the New Year, when I hope to be back over here to complete my trip down The Mother Road.

I've made it as far as New Mexico (that's State No. 6 out of 8 along R66), with still another 4 weeks of travel to go, so it's not quite all over yet.

At the risk of getting ahead of the USA blog, I have to say that New Mexico is amazing, fantastic landscapes ranging from scrubby desert to pine covered mountains to... well, more desert! It is the land of Billy the Kid after all!

USA Photoshoot Live!

Just a quick note to let you know that the USA Photoshoot is in full swing.
I have been on the road around 4 weeks now, cutting across country from New York, to Detroit, Chicago and now inching down Route 66.
For an idea of where I've got to and, more importantly, what pictures I've taken, please move across to my Live(ish!) US Photoblog at www.alancopsonpictures.co.uk/blog_usa/ .
Enjoy....