Our National Parks Odyssey: Metamorphosis, Part 2

by Andrew Slaton—

Image © Andrew Slaton

As Wyoming’s towering mountains began to thaw, we hit our stride, spending more and more time apart, fully immersed in our new endeavor as business managers. We found our rhythm and dialed in each of our roles. I was the mechanic and extra driver, as well as the company’s web developer. Ellen managed employees and customer service. Pretty much everything behind the scenes was her jam.

There wasn’t really much time for us to get out together in our beloved Winds, and that change was hard for us because it’s really the main reason we “base-camp” there much of the year.

Image © Andrew Slaton

But as summer waned, and fall began to creep in, GOTCO slowed. Perfect timing, because I had two workshops to prepare for and lead in September: Grand Teton and Telluride. I would need to switch yet again back into the role of educator.

It was great to get back to the photography business I know and love so well. By the time I returned to Gertie and the family from a two, great, fall color workshops, GOTCO was all but ready to shut down for the year. It was an incredibly challenging season for us, but ultimately quite rewarding. We saw the fruits of hard work, and now we now know how to jump right in to a new venture. It’s made us both really excited for the future of our own businesses as well as any new opportunities that may come along.

Once we winterized all of the vehicles, sent out final paychecks, and said our goodbyes, we decided to take a long break down in Moab, Utah. Moab has unofficially become our place for rest and rejuvenation. And honestly, we both needed it. It was time for us to reconnect and for me to get back into the rhythm of shooting every day.

Image © Andrew Slaton

If you’ve been there, you know that the landscapes surrounding Moab are stunningly dramatic. I’ve come to know the back roads extensively and am in the final stages of creating an epic “off-the-beaten-path” workshop out there. Moab was the return to our “normal” life that we really needed.

So you might be wondering what’s next… Well, the short answer is: I don’t have a clue. All I know is that we’re committed to the metamorphosis we’re undergoing. Change for us is a necessity. Change in scenery, change in plans, change in who we are and what we do. There are many constants in our life, but we seem to thrive on continual change.

Image © Andrew Slaton

We have an exciting new project creating a video about my process as a landscape photographer in partnership with some heavy hitters, but it’s not finalized yet. So for now, I’ll stick to the ground that seems a bit less shaky regarding our future. And here’s a loose plan that I can share with you.

After New Years it’s off to New Orleans and Florida again. I have a workshop that I love teaching in the Everglades in February that I’m excited to offer again. If you’re interested to experience and photograph this unique and haunting landscape, with its abundant and vibrant wildlife and flora, consider joining me as your guide this winter. I’d love to show you our winter backyard.

After that, we plan to further explore the Keys, Gulf, and hidden pockets of Florida. In the Spring we plan to whet our appetite briefly in the Midwest as we cross the country yet again to our summer/fall stomping grounds in the Wyoming Rockies where the buffalo roam and the skies are not cloudy all day.

About Andrew Slaton

Andrew Slaton is an award-winning photographer who has done assignments for more than 50 clients and specializes in lifestyle and outdoor images.

He is a Red River Pro who outputs his National Parks prints in limited editions of ten each, printed on archival Red River Papers with fade-resistant pigment inks.

You can help Andrew and Ellen achieve their goal by adding one or more of Andrew’s beautiful prints to your collection. You can also subscribe to a collector’s edition of prints from each of the 59 National Parks he plans to photograph.

Contact Information
Visit Andrew’s web site, view his work, order prints and learn about his upcoming workshops.

Catch Andrew and Ellen’s videos at their blog.

GOTCO Shuttle.

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Original Publication Date: January 01, 2020

Article Last updated: January 01, 2020

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