Photographing in remote locations often means trading comfort for opportunity. But living out of your car can give you the flexibility to chase light and weather while staying close to the scenes you want to capture.
Coming to you from Adrian Vila of aows, this fascinating video documents a trip to Devils Tower and beyond. Vila sets up his car as a rolling base camp, showing how simple gear and careful planning make long stretches on the road sustainable. He demonstrates how a portable battery pack keeps cameras powered through cold nights, even when shooting hundreds of long exposures of the moon. Technical challenges appear, like his camera unexpectedly stopping during the night and leaving gaps in the star trails, but he embraces the imperfections. You see the value of adaptability, especially when conditions don’t align with expectations.
The video also gives a candid look at the realities of extended road travel. Vila’s car doubles as a bedroom, kitchen, and office, with a new roof box providing space for a months-long journey. Meals are basic, often oatmeal and coffee, yet the focus stays on being ready to shoot when conditions shift. At Devils Tower, weather wasn’t ideal, yet he still worked in black and white to find a mood in the flat light. Along the way, prairie dogs offered an unexpected subject, underscoring the importance of openness to what the landscape offers instead of rigidly sticking to a single plan.
The trip expands westward from Lake Michigan through the Badlands, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada, with stops dictated by weather, light, and chance. Storms, highway delays, and long stretches of isolation all play into the rhythm of travel. Vila shows how living in the car allows him to pivot quickly, from chasing a sunrise at the Salt Flats to driving to the California coast for foggy weather instead of inland heat. The practicality of staying at rest areas, the peace of empty highways, and the ability to sleep right where you need to shoot all come through as the real advantages of this style of work. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Vila.
Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based photographer and meteorologist. He teaches music and enjoys time with horses and his rescue dogs.

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