Why the Southwest Is My Favorite Place to Visit
Out of all the places I have visited in the United States, the Southwest is still my favorite. I enjoy the remoteness, and honestly, the fewer people I see, the better. Give me a quiet road surrounded by rocky landscapes and somewhere to stop and take it all in, and I can be happy for hours. There is something about being out there that makes me want to stay longer, even when I have already spent plenty of time looking at the same view.
I love rocky landscapes, whether it is a mesa rising above the surrounding land or a canyon that makes it difficult to understand just how large everything is. The Southwest has a way of making me feel small, and I enjoy that. These landscapes are imposing. You can photograph them from different angles and try to include something that shows their size, but sometimes the photograph still cannot explain what it feels like to stand there.
Being in these places also makes me think about how advanced human society has become. We can build enormous cities, travel across the world, and make ourselves comfortable in some difficult environments. Yet there are still pockets of the Southwest where we can visit, but supporting a large population would be almost impossible. The terrain, the lack of water, and the distance from everything else remind me that there are limits. I like being somewhere that makes those limits obvious, where it is easy to understand why we are only passing through.
The colors are another reason I love this part of the country. That rusty orange against a clear blue sky is a combination I never get tired of looking at. It stands out just as much to me when the weather changes. Under an overcast sky, the orange brings color to a scene that might otherwise feel gray, and when it is snowing, the contrast becomes even more noticeable. Seeing white snow against that rock gives the landscape a completely different appearance. I would have a hard time choosing which conditions I like best because each gives me something different to photograph.
Having fewer people around also allows me to enjoy the photography more. I can take my time, look at different compositions, and stay in one spot for as long as I want. Sometimes I want to take pictures, and sometimes I just want to look. I enjoy having the space to do both without feeling like I need to hurry. The quiet is part of the experience for me, and it is one of the things I miss when I leave.
Something about the Southwest screams freedom. I feel it looking across those open landscapes and knowing I can spend time out there without filling every hour with something to do. I can follow a road, stop somewhere that catches my attention, and give myself time to think. Being away from crowds and the usual distractions makes that easier. A place that might feel too remote for someone else is often exactly where I want to be.
That is what keeps drawing me back. I love the rock formations and the colors, but I also love how I feel when I am there. There is room to think, room to wander, and plenty to photograph along the way. When I need to get away for a while, the Southwest is usually the place I start thinking about.
