Kevin Wong, a photographer based in Joshua Tree, Calif., who sought to create a book about Route 66 in the California desert, has just published “Route 66: The Mojave Experience.”
The 40-page, full-color photograph book retails for $29.95, and can be ordered here.
A description of the book from the author:
Unlike many books which focus on the signs and buildings of Route 66, I have been inspired by the faces of the people who live on and near Route 66 as is passes through the Mojave Desert in California. Late in the summer of 2010, I set up a mobile portrait studio in several of the small communities that Route 66 passes through in order to make images of the residents, the men and women who work on the road as well as the tourists who travel this famed road.
A gallery of more photos from Wong’s project can be found here.
Here’s a small review of the book from M.M. Gosnell’s blog:
To visit a section of Route 66 today from the perspective of current day travelers in Kevin’s book (including many visitors from other countries), to see their faces, to hear about their fascination with Route 66—was more moving than I ever expected. There is “something” very compelling about Kevin’s photographic style which uses wonderful “straight-on” reflections of these adventurous individuals. Kevin has done a great job of capturing the metaphoric “light in their eyes” and the body language of their stances. And his visit with Dennis Casebier—Wonderful!