Picture Hunt and the Canopy

Driving west on Interstate 8, a fellow photographer and I were on the hunt for an intriguing photograph. It felt like we had been driving for hours under the hot, cloudless sun of the Sonora Desert in Arizona. We had left the small town of Gila Bend behind us and were heading west, inching closer to Yuma, Arizona. It was almost two hours into the journey, and we still hadn’t found anything to capture our interest.

Desperate for a subject, we kept scanning for anything that would compel us to stop and photograph. Just as I was about to lose hope, something caught my eye. A large white structure that looked like an old gas station canopy. By the time I noticed it, I had already passed the exit. I had to drive a few more miles before finding a spot to turn around.

When we finally made it back, there it was: a large, freestanding canopy. It stood alone, seemingly out of place, and practically begging to be photographed.

It appeared to be the remains of an old gas station, yet there was no evidence that a station had ever been there. No concrete slab, no pumps, nothing. I began to wonder about its purpose. Perhaps, it was a shady rest stop for weary travelers escaping the blazing sun or maybe a quiet spot for police officers catching up on paperwork. Either way, we didn’t spend too much time pondering. It was time to start shooting.

I got the 8×10 Arca-Swiss large-format camera out and began composing a shot. As I gazed through the ground glass, the oddity of the scene filled me with curiosity. This was the kind of unexpected find I love to photograph.

As with many of my photographs, I planned to revisit the site later, hoping for better light or a dramatic sky that might transform the image. But when I returned, it was gone.

Just like that, the canopy had disappeared, leaving only the memory of that strange and solitary moment in the desert.