Birch Trees—As my family and I approached the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Mother Nature called my son and I into the forest. The scene was busy, with dozens of trees. To create a sense of depth, I used a single tree as a foreground element. My 16-35mm zoom lens set at 16mm and f/11 allowed me to get everything in focus.

Classical Gas—Along the road from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Taos, New Mexico, I saw an old gas station named after the 1968 song “Classical Gas.” After asking the owner if he was Mason Williams, the song’s composer, I took some fun shots of the “props” that were around his establishment. By the way, he said no.

Sunset—US Highway 1, which runs along the coast of California, is famous for its spectacular scenery. I photographed this sunset near San Simeon, California, not far from another famous site: the Hearst Castle. I underexposed my photograph by one stop for a more saturated image.