#612roadtrip / 32 States in 12 Months

   June 12th is always a special time for photographer Eric McKinney / 6:12 Photography, and this year it falls on #traveltuesday. Most everyone who follows me on social media and this blog can tell the two most important things in my life are photography and travel. Over the past twelve months, I have been fortunate enough to travel to 32 states and see some incredible landscapes, breathtaking views, and fascinating wildlife.

   For more photos from 6:12 Photography by Eric McKinney, visit www.612photog.com. You can also find my work on Facebook at facebook.com/photographybyericmckinney. If you enjoy my work, take a moment to click "like" on my page. You can also follow 6:12 on Instagram @mannequin612.
   Interested in booking a photo session with 6:12 Photography? Contact Eric McKinney at emckinney612@gmail.com to schedule a shoot.

#612CrossCountryRoadTrip / Monument Valley

On my recent trip across the country, during the drive west, I visited Monument Valley on the border of Utah and Arizona. Monument Valley embodied everything that I imagined "the American West" would be. Giant red rock formations rising hundreds of feet into the air and a view on the road that extends for miles and miles, showing undisturbed natural beauty that stretches as far as the eye can see. It's an iconic landscape featured in a number of movies by director John Ford, including 1939's "Stagecoach" starring John Wayne.
   This was my second visit to Monument Valley. It's a magical place, and I hope that I can experience it many more times in the future.

   For more photos from 6:12 Photography by Eric McKinney, visit www.612photog.com. You can also find my work on Facebook at facebook.com/photographybyericmckinney. If you enjoy my work, take a moment to click "like" on my page. You can also follow 6:12 on Instagram @mannequin612.
   Interested in booking a photo session with 6:12 Photography? Contact Eric McKinney at emckinney612@gmail.com to schedule a shoot.

#612CrossCountryRoadTrip / Death Valley National Park

On my recent trip across the country, I passed through Death Valley National Park in central California on the drive east toward home. Death Valley is the hottest, driest and lowest national park in the country, as well as the largest national park in the continental United States.

Highway 190 crosses the Panamint Mountain Range and descends to the floor of Death Valley, paralleling the historic route that gold seekers forged when crossing the valley in 1849.
Warnings upon entering Death Valley National Park included (1) Do not rely on cell phone service, as coverage is extremely limited, (2) GPS is not always dependable and may lead you where you do not want to go, (3) heat kills! don't become a victim of Death Valley, drink plenty of water and carry extra water with you, (4) maintain at least half a tank of gasoline, and (5) the warnings against bees, scorpions and rattlesnakes.