White SandsWhite Sands by iPhone I have only made it to Day 7 in my posts from the 2013 Road Trip, or about 1/3 of the way, and am finding myself on the 2014 Road Trip. Yes, I am a little behind one could say.

A few years back I used to be totally paranoid about photo backup when traveling. i'd download the photos to either a laptop or later the iPad every evening and then also upload them to online photo storage when around wifi. That changed when I got the D600 with dual SD slots. I configured the second one for a backup and no longer download every day, not until I get home for that matter. Maybe a false sense of safety?

That also meant another change. I no longer have access to my DSLR captured photographs while still on the road. For better and worse it puts me one step backwards towards the film days. Only at home on the large screen do I see what I really got. Yes, I can still check the camera LCD and histograms and at least know the exposure is not completely off but it is only on the large monitor when things become either happily or painfully obvious.

It also means I cannot post the photos while on the road. Each day I try to take a few photos specifically for that purpose with my iPhone. Sometimes I remember, sometimes I don't. And here and there I end up liking my iPhone photos more than what my DSLR reveals upon my return home. There's something about composing with the light weight screen in front of you, and also about the wide aspect ratio.

This whole post is done on the phone. The photo, its upload, and this text. Not the most comfy way but not too bad either. One problem sometimes is that things that look good on the small iPhone screen don't look that great on the computer later.

So anyway, I wanted to give you all a tiny preview of what you may see here in my blog at some point. White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico is one of the places I could spend hours on 9 square feet. It becomes captivating when you first spot it from tens of miles away and never stops. Each point of view offers something else in each direction. And you can take a low angle or high, and use an infinity of focal lengths. And as the day goes on the light changes so no two photos will truly be the same. There are areas with some adapted desert vegetation and others with no plant life. You can find pristine sand ripples with no footprints or areas heavily walked. The opportunities are endless!

So stay tuned, someday there will be more about this gorgeous place! Have fun on your trips.