The Travel Diary: The enduring beauty of America’s national parks
- Text by Heather McCutcheon
- Photography by Heather McCutcheon
I was born and raised in Enfield, North London and starting getting into photography when I was about 15. After a while of shooting around my neighbourhood, I soon began searching for other sources of inspiration. I thought that my best work always came from holidays with my family; the ability to photograph new places and experiences quickly became the main pursuit of my work. In 2014 I spent the majority of my year travelling North America from New York City to the shores of San Diego – I fell deeply in love with the landscape, culture and life on the road.
My partner and I share a mutual love for the natural world, so we knew we wanted to visit as many National Parks as we could. We contrasted the Navajo desert landscapes with lush redwood forests and managed to catch sight of the beautiful fall colours in places like Yosemite and Zion. We spent the majority of the time camping either backcountry or within the park campgrounds themselves (in between motel hopping for showers along the way).
My favourite place always changes every time I think about the trip because each location is really so different from the next, despite not being that far apart. I’m completely blown away by the diversity of landscape and ecology of North America. At this moment, I think it’s Saguaro National Park. We camped in a small ground and met children hunting for scorpions in the night, saw a flash of a purple hummingbird after saying desperately the whole trip that we hoped to see one, and hiked up the Hugh Norris trail to catch the silhouettes of the cacti at sunset.
My advice for anyone planning to travel to the region? Make sure to plan ahead, but not to overdo it. Note down where you would like to visit and connect the dots on the map trying to use the most scenic routes, rather than just bombing it down the freeway. Research towns along the way to stopover, rest and wash before moving on to the next place. Pack food that’s light and will keep like ramen noodles and jerky. Wear the right footwear and make sure that you have some comfortable tent-only clothes to change into at night. Eat at Denny’s for breakfast after a restless night and it will revive you. Make mix tapes to suit your surroundings and photograph as much as you can.
See more of Heather McCutcheon’s work on her official website.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
The Strokes condemn US imperialism in Coachella set
Oblivius — The band finished their performance at the festival’s second weekend with a montage of bombings in Gaza and Iran, along with images of world leaders that the CIA has been accused of overthrowing over the past century.
Written by: Noah Petersons
Confronting America’s history of violence against student protest
Through A Mirror, Darkly — In May 1970, two separate massacres at American college campuses saw deaths at the hands of the state. Naeem Mohaiemen’s new three-channel film memorialises the brutality.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Inside Bombay Beach, California’s ‘Rotting Riviera’
Man-made decay — The Salton Sea was created by accident after a failed attempt to divert the Colorado River in the early 20th century. Jack Burke reports from its post-apocalyptic shores, where DIY art and ecological collapse meet.
Written by: Jack Burke
The strange suburban mundanity of San Fernando Valley’s porn industry
The Valley — Legendary photographer Larry Sultan grew up in the northern Los Angeles suburb, which also happened to be the 20th century epicentre of the country’s adult film industry. Spending days on set shooting life behind the scenes, his now-canon series blurred fantasy, desire and domesticity.
Written by: Isaac Muk
25 years ago, Reflections in Black changed photography
A History of Black Photographers — Deborah Willis’s photobook anthologised pictures made by James Van Der Zee, Anthony Barboza and other groundbreaking Black photographers from when the medium was invented. A new edition updates it with 21st century contributions.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Seeing double at the Ohio Twins Days Festival
Unity in diversity — Each August, thousands of twins and multiples descend upon the city of Twinsburg to celebrate their siblings and the wider twin community. Harmony Ferreira was one of the few singletons at the weekender, capturing its quirky, but meaningful energy.
Written by: Isaac Muk
