Advice From America
Starting in May of 2022, I lived in my Toyota Camry for 12 weeks straight while driving to all of the lower 48 US states in pursuit of photographing 1,000 strangers after asking them for a piece of life advice.
The journey challenged every aspect of who I was. Talking to strangers was way out of my comfort zone, I had never lived in a car before, I quit my job, and I used a combination of my entire savings, Patreon, and a personal loan to fund the cost of it all. Sleeping in rest areas, casino parking lots, Walmarts, and occasionally on friends' couches around the country, I planned my next destination each morning. My days were spontaneous, which was perfect for the serendipity I was looking for in meeting strangers.
The result is a series of 1,000 black-and-white portraits of people across America, each of whom shared a personal learning. Viewers experience an inevitable pattern of universal keys to living a well-lived life. In a time when divisiveness is more prevalent than ever, this series also seeks to show that despite our races, genders, locations, and more, we have more in common with the strangers around us than we think.
The photos were made on a medium format film camera, and the subjects were told to pose however they felt most comfortable.
I made just one photo of each stranger.
Buy the 672-page book on Amazon, and follow along on Instagram or TikTok
"I wish throughout my life I wouldn’t have worked as many hours because I missed out on a lot of things. When I got sick, I lost everything, but having nothing gave more than I’ve ever had in my life. I’m homeless and I have no car, but I never sleep in the street, I never go without food, and I always have a couple bucks for a beer every day. Having less is more. The biggest thing in the world you can have is human connection. Without somebody else to live with, nobody would want to be here."
Don passed away on February 6, 2023.