He started shooting photographs when he was in first grade, well before the days of one-hour photos. Morgan Countryman always shot on 110 mm film, then he mailed the reel away to be developed. “As a kid, I had high anticipation for getting those photos back,” says Countryman, now a longtime owner operator based in Texas. “Getting those photos back was like getting Christmas in the mail, because you never really knew what you shot.”
By now, Countryman has had a CDL trucking job for 27 years and has mentored several truck drivers in photography. Here’s what the self-taught sharpshooter had to say about his own favorite shots and his beloved pastime.
Tell us about this umbrella shot.
It was taken at Niagara Falls. I didn’t even know the person was there. I stumbled across this shot. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would make for a good one. I’ve got it hanging on my wall at home. I like it because it’s marrying the old with the new.
You shoot black-and-whites almost exclusively. Why?
I am a big fan of Ansel Adams. I have been since I was a kid. He’s my inspiration. His photos blow me away. Color shots are gorgeous, but black-and-white tells the story.
This is my friend’s kid.
I love the way the shadows play with her skin and create a dramatic image. It was a total accident. I did a studio-style setup for a friend and she was my test subject.
Speaking of friends, you’ve mentored up to 20 truck driving photographers.
I find people who have the eye but don’t know enough of the basic rules to pull the shot off. There are a few basic rules that could help anybody. If it doesn’t add to the photograph, get rid of it. That alone can take somebody a long way.
This is Bolivar Point, Texas, across the bay from Galveston.
I happened to be in the right place at the right time. A filter was left on the camera by accident, but I liked it so well, I kept it. I like the solitude of it, like it’s the last boat to sail off into the sunset.
What do you strive for when you’re shooting?
To make the camera see what I see. Because what you see is not always what’s there. It’s like a carpenter who looks at a house and sees what could be.
The cross was on a back Texas road.
I turned the car around and went back to take this shot. The grain of the wood caught my attention. I like how it interacts with the textures around it, how the clouds are below the cross. Most black-and-whites wind up being pretty dramatic. A good photo will tell a different story to different people.
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Where was this taken?
What is it about this picture?
As an owner operator for Baxter Trucking, LeRoy Baxter transports honey bees throughout the West, from Montana and Wyoming to California and South Dakota. His routes take him through Big Sky country, past mountainous vistas and along the Pacific coastline.
How did you learn photography?
What do you look for when you’re shooting?
Do you learn anything from taking photos?
It’s not every day that people think of truck drivers as great photographers. But perhaps it’s time for that to change. From what we’ve seen at Drive My Way, many people with 
Why do you shoot?
How did you get into photography?
What should a picture do?
