As the Hawk Flies (continued) |
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(Opposite page) "This is a pueblo church in Taos, New Mexico. Great lighting can make even ordinary things look spectacular, and things were very impressive here to start with. I kept shooting until the light was pretty much gone." (Right) "George is a furniture maker in Pineville, Idaho. I was exploring the town and got into a conversation with him. He's one of the most fascinating people I have ever met. He used to be a
professor at a university, or so he said. I spent a couple of hours with him - he had a lot of things to say, and he played the fiddle and performed a little bit. It was typical of experiences I have when I visit small towns." (Below) In New Orleans, Louisiana I found this charming gentleman enjoying the sights from a park bench.
A tall order, but Daryl Hawk is both dreamer and doer. "I always knew that this was my great love. Both my father and grandfather were avid travelers who went all over the world, and to some of the most remote places. They took pictures and brought them back and gave slide show. I was influenced from the time I was a kid." The big question was, of course, could he make any money from it? "It's tough enough making your living in any kind of photography," he says. And so his approach became eminently practical. "I decided that I was going to make time to devote to traveling and photographing - and marketing myself and getting people to know me for that as well as to my corporate work."And so he makes sure that there's time in his schedule to dream about, plan and then take his road trips, mostly to places where there are lots of wide open spaces. "I've always had an intense desire to know the more remote places on the earth before progress spoils them. "Each year I plan alit two or three road trips. Some can be quite extensive, as long as eight weeks. Sometimes I go alone, sometimes with my wife. We have a van and we plan an itinerary and a route." It's not travel on the interstate, either. "I've always loved exploring the back roads, and when I set Out I get onto those roads as quickly as possible. After that, I tend to take it slow, to take the time to document whatever I see that catches my eye and interests me - people, architecture, landscapes, whatever it might be." And he wants the time to make discoveries, too. "Around every corner and every bend in the road, tip over every hill, I never really know what I'm going to see, and that's the exciting thing about it. "I have total freedom to shoot whatever I want, there's no assignment, no client's want list." It's all on speculation, so to speak, with the hope, but not the expectation, that when he gets back home he'll be able to market the work. Without assignments, he has total freedom "to shoot what comes from the heart." Each day brings something new and different, and Hawk will often improvise. "It's important to have a plan, But I have to allow flexibility within that plan for unexpected pleasures. "I get to areas where I decide I want to stay longer, or I get to places I thought I'd like but then I decide that I want to just keep moving." 
There are no hotel reservations, but he's never really had a problem getting a place to stay. "I've stayed in some very rustic places, and I do a lot of camping - in the van or in a tent." Hawk's way is the antithesis of driving in, spotting something, hopping Out to shoot it and then motoring on down the road. He's meeting people along the way, talking and learning. It's all part of the ongoing "Art of the Road Trip" project he assigned himself years ago. Hawk believes in immersing himself in the landscape so he can truly experience his surroundings. "I walk into areas and spend a half day or a day or even longer, and I really experience what I'm seeing. Then the photo opportunities become even more plentiful. It's tempting to keep driving and covering distance, butt that's not what this is about. I produce the best photos when I get out and walk and explore." Explore also means meeting people along the way. "I take the time to hear
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My goal has always been to set out on the road. I'm always looking for adventures and memorable experiences, and I'm always trying to produce striking photos."