New! Riding Shotgun

FLORAL PORTRaITS

CRITTERS

LANDSCAPES

BLACK & WHITE

RIDING SHOTGUN

This small body of work I’m calling Riding Shotgun grew out of something simple I’ve always loved: road trips. My husband and I have done a lot of road trips. He prefers driving, I use the time to observe and photograph. I love the long stretches of highway, side roads, unexpected stops, and the quiet privilege of watching the landscape from the passenger seat.

The phrase riding shotgun originated in the American West, when armed guards sat beside stagecoach drivers to protect passengers from bandits, wildlife, and whatever else the road might deliver. Over time, the phrase moved into car culture and came to mean claiming the front passenger seat. When you were young, you may have gone running out of the house with siblings yelling "shotgun!" The fastest one usually got the privilege of the front seat.

There is something different about seeing from a moving vehicle. You are not in control, which makes observation sharper. You learn to notice quickly, watch the landscape ahead of you, frame instinctively, and snap the photo before the moment vanishes. Sometimes, if something is especially interesting, my husband will turn around and make another pass so I can capture it. I take many more photos than I need, to be sure at least one is mostly in focus. Sometimes the blurred effect from movement gives a photo a dreamy appearance and those are some of my favorites.

Much of this work comes from that way of looking—simply watching and noticing what appears along the way. These photos have been a work in progress for many years. I’ve curated my favorites to share and hope to add more in the future.

Riding Shotgun is about that experience: looking outward, staying curious, and finding images in transit. I hope you enjoy these images that hold small memories of my travels.

Gray Barn

I had the opportunity to plan this image. We passed by this barn multiple times while traveling to another location, and I knew how I wanted to capture it. I made sure to be ready and had my camera set. I was disappointed that the day was cloudy and gray because I had hoped for a blue sky against the autumn trees. As it turns out, I love how the gray sky complements the ruggedness of the barn.

Santa Fe Sunset

This sunset near Santa Fe, New Mexico blanketed the whole sky in this golden light over the mesas. It was pure luck that I caught the scene framed between these trees.

Southern Colorado Sunset

It’s hard to decide what area of Colorado is the prettiest, the terrain changes from location to location. I fell in love with southern Colorado the first time I saw it, and have returned many times. Driving near the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range at sunset was stunning.

Tetons

Traveling to Yellowstone and seeing the Tetons was truly spectacular. This view was from a dirt side road we were exploring. It was a beautiful summer morning, and the scene felt perfect, with wildflower colors along the roadside and snow-capped mountains in the distance. We stopped so I could step out and capture the landscape.

Abandoned Town

How does a town become abandoned and forgotten? Who lived here, and for how long? Where did the people go? What were all these structures for? We knew nothing about this abandoned little town when we passed it outside Moab, Utah. It wasn’t until I researched it later that I discovered its decline coincided with the demise of the steam locomotive and the construction of Interstate 70. Cisco is now considered one of the most iconic ghost towns in the country. It has appeared in multiple films, including Thelma & Louise, Don’t Come Knocking, and Vanishing Point. It is also the setting for the song Cisco Clifton's Fillin Station by Johnny Cash.

Hay Bales

On a trip to South Dakota to see the Badlands and Mount Rushmore, we passed a great deal of farmland dotted with large cylinders of hay. The wide-open fields and scattered bales seemed to go on forever.

Stacked Hay Bales

These hay bales had been gathered and stacked near the road and made for a very interesting pattern. I love the scalloped look.

Bison and Calves

Outside of Thermopolis, Wyoming in Hot Springs State Park, is a herd of bison. Finding them was easy on the winding road. Inside the car and at a distance with a zoom lens is the only way to photograph these animals. They are so majestic. They are also wild and will not hesitate to charge. I love watching them and seeing the calves run and play.

Telluride

There’s an amazing drive with the most beautiful scenery from the town of Telluride to the small airport. The mountains and hills took your breath away, even with the dark gray clouds. The fence was a perfect addition to the scene.

Taos Fog
Taos, New Mexico, is known for its thick fog, which often creates a dreamlike, ethereal setting like the one in this image. It was such a beautiful misty mountain morning.

Hidden Light
We like to wander off the main roads and explore. Michigan is especially beautiful in autumn, with breathtaking views everywhere you go. The many dirt roads are lined with trees, and the light finds its way through the canopy to illuminate the spaces below.

Image sizes and quantities of “Riding Shotgun” are limited. Please contact trenda@trendaroch.com for purchase.

Beyond Blooms: Revelations of Aging

Read the story behind this series

Close-up of five lotus seed pods in various stages, with the pods turned into artistic sculptures, against a grey background.
A single pink and green lotus bud on a long green stem against a plain gray background.
Dried, wilted leaves with muted purple and green tones scattered on a dark surface.
Close-up of a fuzzy, yellow, hairy cocoon with dark lines on the hairs, resting on a dark surface.
Three pink rose hips with spiky stems against a black background.
Close-up of a sliced green rose bud showing seeds and inner flesh against a black background.
A dried, crinkled leaf resting on a light-colored surface with a shadow underneath.
Close-up of a white, trumpet-shaped flower with dark green leaves in the background.
Three white flowering Queen Annes Lace with long green stems against a white background.
Close-up of a green, spiky, globe-shaped Queen Annes Lace flower with thin, elongated leaves against a white background.
A close-up of a pink and cream lotus flower, with a dark gray background.
A close-up of a dried moonflower seed pod with spiky exterior and hollow interior.

Floral Portraits

a red calla lily hanging upside down with a water droplet photographed on a black background
a bunch of white wavy leaf sea lavender photographed on a black background
a single pale pink dahlia bloom photographed on a black background
a single white hydrangea bloom with two large green leaves on the stem and a bee flying just above the bloom photographed on a black background
a single orange poppy bloom in a field of poppy seed pods
a single purple mum bloom photographed on a black background
soft pink cosmos in a file of greenery
a single purple tulip bloom photographed on a white background
a single pale peach rose bloom photographed on a white background
a single white and pink queen Anne's lace bloom photographed on a white background

critters

a Japanese beetle in the center of a white flower
a chipmunk sitting on a black plate next to a strawberry that it has taken a bite from
a red and black ladybug sitting on the edge of a green leaf with soft yellow light shining on it
a bee sitting on a pale pink bloom photographed on a blurred green background
a red pear and a yellow pear on a wood table with a mouse sitting upright on the red pear
Closeup portrait of rabbit with soft gray fur, brown eye and pink lined ears

landscapes

a mesa photographed at sunrise bathed in soft yellow light
three black and white horses grazing in a field with a backdrop of a blue mountain range
an eagle perched on a pile of antlers with a cabin and sky with puffy white clouds in the background
a beach on a lake with a pink sky and a light house in the distance photographed at sunset
a row of leafless trees on waters edge with a reflection in the water, birds flying overhead and the background sky is pale pink
a dirt road lined with fall trees and golden leaves in the center where sunlight spills through and lights the leaves and ground
a mother fox and her baby in a grove of aspen trees
a lake surrounded by mountains and the Milky Way in the sky and a single rowboat out on the water
a large white barn and two smaller white barns in a file with a white fence
a sunset over the water with peer posts sticking up out of the water and birds flying around with thick textures like an oil painting

Black and White

a black and white photograph of a farm house and a barn in the distance, a water windmill in the forefront and lightening striking
a black and white abstract photo of a building with many squares and rectangles

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