Not too long ago our family invested in a vehicle that I’ve wanted since I was old enough to drive. We bought a Jeep Wrangler with the intent of being able to go off the beaten path and get away from the crowds. It’s been my favorite car I’ve ever owned and it’s the one I drive everyday. I love everything about it – the bumpy ride, the rugged tires and most importantly, the access it gives me to places that are especially beautiful to photograph.

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to take my Jeep on an adventure to Moab, UT with other Jeep owners interested in learning about how to go off-roading safely. It was an event called the Adventure Academy and it was geared towards enthusiasts like me that could benefit from some instruction and guidance from experts who do this kind of thing all the time.

We met at a predetermined spot and followed the leader off the highway and onto dirt paths that most cars, regardless how rugged, would still be willing to venture down.

After a few minutes of this, though, the terrain quickly changed and we powered down into four wheel drive. Although the winters in Colorado can get snowy, I’ve never really had to spend much time in those gears so it was great to have someone walk me through the process. We started slow and easy and gained confidence in what our Jeeps were able to do.

About half way through the day, my husband and I switched out, so I grabbed my camera and buckled into the passenger seat. It was quite the challenge to capture images in between the bumps in a moving vehicle.

I was fortunate that we had lots of stops for driving instruction. I was able to get out and photograph some of the more advanced obstacles that our Jeeps were able to conquer. It’s funny, I never would have pegged myself as a car photographer, yet here I am…

And now that I’m feeling more confident in what I can do in my Jeep, I hope that will translate into more pictures that I wouldn’t be able to get if I couldn’t go off the beaten path.

Getting away from it all~ Angie