images — Kaitlyn Cimino

IF I WERE TO PIN DOWN ALL MY ASPIRATIONS INTO A SINGLE CONCRETE GOAL IT WOULD BE THIS: TO REMEMBER AND EMBRACE THE ASSUMPTIONS OF MY CHILDHOOD.

Every summer my parents would load me and my siblings into an RV and shuttle us around the United States. As the youngest child, I remember the least, but what I do recall is my father—face hidden behind an oversized camera—determined to record every moment. From Niagara Falls to the Grand Canyon, through blown transmission and bear encounters, he was our unofficial tour guide. In his shadow, I naturally assumed the secret to life was to form a posse, hit the road, and carry a camera. For him, the result was an archive of National Park photos featuring 90s fashion and a mess of children.

For me, the result was a lifelong passion for travel photography.