Today I photographed Pilot Travel Center store 404 down the street from my house. I have photographed Pilot and Petro stations in the past but never to the extent I did today. I parked in the front of the store and walked to the back designated for truckers only. It felt as if I were entering this other world. I never knew how dangerous it really was. I had to be cautious of walking around due to their low visibility.
I walked the outer perimeter of the property getting landscape shots and close ups of different trailers. I wanted people to see me and not take me as a threat. I noticed one guy waking his 3 dachshunds so I hid my camera and made my way towards him hoping I could pet his dogs and maybe get a portrait. I paid close attention to his body language and noticed he was trying to avoid me. I asked about his dogs and the only thing he said was, “what do ya need?” I understood that he didn’t want to be bothered so I left.
Truck stations can be a dangerous place and I have to be cautious of that at all times. Besides my encounter with the dog owner, I met a lady by the name of Dana who manages the WT’s Truck Wash behind the Pilot station. I got permission from her to photograph the property. She was very welcoming unlike her co-worker sitting at the desk in front of her. As I was leaving, I went back in to Dana’s office to give her my business card with my website on it. I told her to check out my site and see my work so she won’t think I am a creeper. My goal was to meet one person before left and that I did. My next visit, I will have to up the antie and challenge myself.
I took my Canon 10D body and a Canon 24-85 lens. I am a little annoyed with the film and digital transformation so I just experimented with the DSLR. As I came home, it was nice to know I was going to see my results immediately and make adjustments in Aperture 2.
