RockePhoto

Everything I carry has to earn its place.

That is the rule before a long motorcycle trip. I pack for the weather, batteries and power, camera gear, roadside problems—and what I will need first.

Then comes the part I never skip: pack it, load it, test it, and remove something. Usually, it is the thing I was absolutely convinced I needed.

The six images show the system. Save them for your next trip—or send them to the friend who always overpacks.

What is the first thing you would remove?

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Todo lo que llevo tiene que ganarse su espacio.

Esa es la regla antes de un viaje largo en moto. Me preparo para el clima, las baterías y la energía, el equipo fotográfico, cualquier imprevisto en el camino y, sobre todo, para tener a mano lo que voy a necesitar primero.

Después viene la parte que nunca me salto: empaco, cargo, pruebo y quito algo. Casi siempre termina siendo eso que yo estaba completamente seguro de que necesitaba.

Las seis imágenes muestran el sistema. Guárdalas para tu próximo viaje o compártelas con ese amigo que siempre lleva de más.

¿Qué sería lo primero que tú sacarías?

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AI-assisted photographic refinements were applied across the carousel; the original photographs are mine.

El carrusel incluye ajustes fotográficos asistidos por IA; las fotografías originales son mías.

**Retirement came with a problem I hadn't really thought about: what exactly do you do with a Tuesday when nobody owns your calendar anymore?**

For years there was always somewhere I needed to be, something due, a meeting, a deadline or a responsibility waiting.

Now I’m beginning to learn a different rhythm.

Take the long way. Go for a ride. Follow something that looks interesting. Leave room for a detour. Or do absolutely nothing without feeling guilty about it.

I’m only a few days into retirement, so this is definitely not advice from an expert. 😂

It’s more like field notes from somebody figuring it out in real time.

** Which one would you start with? **

*AI-assisted editorial images created from my own photographs.*

Last year, Route 66 stopped for me in Amarillo. On September 19, I go back and continue west to Santa Monica.
I know the route. I know the dates. I don't need to know every stop.
I can plan the miles, the places to sleep, the weather, and what goes on the motorcycle. But if I plan every stop and every hour, I may miss the part worth remembering.
A photograph in Porto. A coffee I didn't rush. A place that changes the day because I stayed a little longer.
That is what I want from the western leg: enough preparation to make the ride possible, and enough room for the road to surprise me.
Follow the Route 66 project here: https://www.rockephoto.com/route-66/
When you travel, what do you leave room for?
Sé hacia dónde voy y con eso me basta.
Acompáñame, que lo mejor del viaje está por delante.
En un viaje como este, ¿para qué dejas espacio en la maleta?
The desk portrait was edited with AI.

When the idea hits, I follow it.

These are AI-assisted visual experiments built from jokes, moods, coffee, work, and faces that may be more honest than they should be. They are not documentary photographs and they are not a major campaign. They are pieces from my current creative fever.

Swipe through and choose the one that reminds you of somebody. Tag that person and include the image number. I need to know whether they agree.

Cuando llega la idea, la sigo.

Estos son experimentos visuales asistidos por IA, creados a partir de chistes, estados de ánimo, café, trabajo y caras que quizás sean más honestas de lo necesario. No son fotografías documentales ni una gran campaña. Son piezas de mi fiebre creativa del momento.

Mira las imágenes y elige la que te recuerde a alguien. Etiqueta a esa persona y escribe el número de la imagen. Necesito saber si está de acuerdo.

250 years.

Not one story.
Millions of them.

Roads that kept going.
Cities that kept rising.
Wild places that made us stop.
Old buildings that refused to disappear.
Backroads, highways, small towns, big dreams, mistakes, reinvention, and motion.

America has never been simple.

Maybe that is part of what makes it so difficult to define—and so impossible to stop photographing.

For its 250th year, this is my small visual salute to the roads, places, and stories that still move us.

Happy 250th, America.

— Rocke

93 days.

That’s how far away Amarillo is.

Last year I rode Chicago to Amarillo. Documented it. Photographed it. Felt it.

This year the road continues west — through New Mexico, Arizona, the Mojave, and the final pull toward Santa Monica.

Route 66 turns 100 years old in 2026. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

I’ll be riding September 19–30.

Camera on.
Coffee stops planned.
Road notes in progress.

If you want to be part of the ride before it starts, you can sponsor a mile, support a coffee stop, ride a stretch, or simply follow the story.

Start here:
rockeride.com

La carretera no espera.

— Rocke