Bert Gildart: Writer and Photographer

©Bert Gildart: The current issue of Airstream Life, a magazine devoted to the life style (naturally) of those who love this iconic aluminum trailer, features a number of my images – used to illustrate my story on San Diego.

The magazine might be described as “slick,” for images are always reproduced with startling clarity.  The magazine is, of course, devoted to America’s most iconic of all trailers, something advertisers recognize.  (Anyone watched recent TV ads for Xarelto, a drug used to prevent the formation of blood clots following surgery?  If so, you’ll notice the ad is continuously back dropped with a happy couple traveling the southwest in their Airstream Travel Trailer.)

I’ve written for Airstream Life since its inception about seven years ago and am the only contributor whose work has appeared in every issue. Rich Luhr is the magazine’s editor and Janie and I have rendezvoused with him, his wife, and his daughter in states that vary from Maine and Florida west to California, Oregon and Montana.

But Janie and I have also used our Airstream as our home while working for other publications and on several books, shown below.  Obviously we love national parks and Rich lists me as a masthead contributor where I receive designation as his national park correspondent.

Appropriately, my story on San Diego mentions national parks, and “America’s Finest City” offers several.  But San Diego is also loaded with state parks, county parks and one of the world’s most successful zoos.

Night life is exciting prompting the title “The Wild Side of San Diego.”  Naturally the story is back dropped by “a couple” in their Airstream (a 30-foot Classic)!

My story, then, discusses Cabrillo National Monument, a whale watching adventure, and a visit to the historic Whaley House, where Airstream friend Bill works as a docent and is himself pictured in my story.  Not surprisingly, perhaps by virtue of the condor image, the story describes the San Diego Zoo, the latter of which has played of major role in restoring this much beleaguered bird.  In fact, when we visited the zoo this past spring, the zoo was celebrating a birthday (the 30^th I think) of its efforts to preserve this largest of all world birds.

Because the condor is such a special creature I was delighted the magazine’s layout specialist assigned a full-page display for the image (It was not an easy image to make!). As well, my 20-second time exposure of San Diego at night dominated the facing page, retaining, of course, its horizontal dimensions. All together Airstream Life used seven of my images and with copy spread over six pages.

 

My next story for the magazine is on Canyon Country, and it features some of the same canyons used for the Xarelto ad.  It’s all great stuff so get yourself (Sutton RV) this iconic silver trailer and then learn about all the great places you can explore by reading all the exciting stories in Airstream Life. I understand 2012 was Airstream’s most successful year – ever!

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR:

*Bryce Canyon National Park

 

BOOKS TO HELP YOU TRAVEL:

 

This entry was posted on Monday, September 2nd, 2013 at 11:22 am and is filed under Photography, RV Travel, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.