Well, it's certainly been some time since I posted anything. Seems like regardless the desire, the action sometimes rarely follows. I'll try to rectify that here in the near future. I've got a trip planned to northern British Columbia the week after next, and I'm starting to piece together one to Newfoundland in the summer; likely July.

But, as much as my travels permit me some amazing photographic opportunities, they pale in comparison to those of a very good friend of mine, Holt Webb.

I first met Holt at a meeting of the San Diego chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers. At the time, he worked at a local camera shop, and made me some pretty killer deals on camera gear at a time when good deals were exactly what I needed. I was starting to get heavily into digital photography, and that gear doesn't come cheap. Holt helped me out with some, well, let's call it "special" pricing.

Anyway, Holt and I developed a friendship that was deeply rooted in a love for photography. Holt's a pro. I picked his brain every chance I got.

Well, one day, Holt told me he'd be leaving his gig at the camera shop, and would be embarking on a project that he'd dreamed about doing for some time. He called it "Vanishing America". I won't go into what his project entails, other than to say it's admirable and all-consuming. You can check out the project here.

So, Holt was hittin' the road.

He's been back to San Diego a few times since he started the project; three, I think. It's always good to see him when he's back. I try to follow his travels and his exploits on his website, and we e-mail back and forth, but there's nothing like catching up over dinner, trading war stories, and just having a beer or three.

Okay, I lied. Let me tell you the Cliff Notes version of what it is he's doing.

Holts is travelling around the country in a motorhome, documenting those things in our country that are in danger of disappearing forever. He's documenting this with his camera. His photos are varied. He's shot wild mustang herds and he's shot soon-to-be-gone mid-America general stores. He's shot airplane graveyards and abandoned YMCA's. The guy is always shooting.

Along with his motorhome (named "BABS", for "Big Ass BuS"), which is wrapped in one of his photos of the Okeefenokee Swamp...



He's pulling a highly modified Range Rover Defender, known as "The Greasy Beast":



What's cool about both of these is that they run on vegetable oil or diesel fuel. Holt tries to be as environmentally conscious as he can, hence the transformation of both of these vehicles to run on "veggie oil".

I'm not sure how many miles he's logged in these two, but it's a bunch. Cross country trips are not uncommon (he leaves for Tennessee this Saturday night).

So, why am I going on and on about my buddy Holt? Well, because I think what he's doing is just about as cool as it gets. Being a photographer, there's a degree of envy. How cool would it be to spend five years (which is his plan) taking photos? Unfortunately, the reality is that keeping this project on the road isn't cheap.

He has sponsors and some small benefactors, but the fact of the matter is that money is what makes the Vanishing America world go 'round.

If you go to Holt's website, you'll see where you can buy his photographs. For fine art photography, his prices are damn good. You should buy one. You should buy several. If you need artwork, well, there ya' go.

If you're reading this after following a link on Facebook, join the Vanishing America cause. There are over 1,000 members in that cause. If every member donated $25.00 to the cause, it would be a ridiculously huge boost to this project. He's in talks with the Smithsonian (yeah, the guy really is that good), and he's had gallery exhibits of his Vanishing America work. He's doing everything he can to keep his show on the road.

So visit his website, and learn about this project. Learn about what he's trying to do, and how he's trying to do it. I think you'll conclude that what he's doing needs to be done. I know you'd like to do it; Hell, I'd like to do it. But, hey, he's already got the motorhome, so let's just help him do it.

I would say you should feel free to ask me any questions about this, but go to his website, contact Holt, and ask him about it. He's as passionate about this project as anyone could be about just about anything, and he really loves telling people about what he's doing, and why he's doing it.

I'm not sure when he'll be back in San Diego, nor do I know when I'll get the chance to head out on the road with him (which I plan to do at some point), but I know he'll be out there shooting...