Journeys such as the one from Europe overland to India were well established by the 1970s, the actual experience was dictated by the places chosen as stop destinations and the roads connecting those stops. As one went more East along the way, so did the number of paved highways and venues diminish. Accommodations for sleeping, eating and toiletries could range from very modern (from our point of view) to abysmal. Money, of course, was an issue even though in general terms prices were low. 

For us, using 'Youth Hostels' and ‘camping’ facilities extended our budget and helped us make friends and acquaintances along the way. There were touring companies in most European cities that could arrange packages, guided or not, but the overwhelming number of transients on the road were on their own, like us. 

By the late 70s the travel industry grew and refined so as to make it easier for anyone, of any age, to make journeys of discovery possible. Transportation was more readily available and accommodations more developed and widespread. Pricing determined the what, how, where and, sometimes, why the travel experience made one’s vacation, tour or cruise beneficial. 

Photography was also a constant part of our lives, in some form or the other. But what we think of photography as a profession was still an elite endeavor requiring access to good equipment, as well as a paying outlet for the effort. We can take a look at both those pursuits as they were at the time.


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The photos below reflect the beginning of my pursuit of photography, as well as the influence that travel stamped on that interest. I purchased my first camera, an affordable Minolta SRT 101, the week before leaving for our first trip to Europe in early 1969. The middle photos were taken in March and April of that year. It was our luck that we began our travels at an auspicious time, Easter. The paper mâché statues are from the “Festival de las Fallas” in Valencia, Spain, a colorful celebration which ends with these, often very expensive, works of art going up in a bonfire. 

 The Easter egg used to take on a very distinguished, and expensive, form at that time, as seen in the photo taken of a chocolatier’s display in Rome. The eggs were filled with gifts. Without knowing, I instinctively made sure the angle of the photo eliminated the glare of the window glass.  The shop was closed and the photo was taken hand-held, available light.

 Bill Walton flying through the air to block the lay-up was standard procedure in those UCLA championship days. This photo made the front of the LA Times’ Sports section in March, 1972 during the NCAA tournament. I had taken it earlier in the year while doing an internship at the Times. I was the first intern at the newspaper from CSUN’s Journalism Department. It shows Walton ready to block Oregon State’ s Freddy Boyd's lay-up try. 

Before he became a television star in the late 70’s with his wife and partner Lorene Yarnell, Bob Shields was a mime of world renown. Discovered by Marcel Marceau, Shields developed his own style performing in many street venues. Here he is doing his ‘thing’ at the Renaissance Pleasure Fair in Agoura Hills, California, in March of 1971.