THE ROUTE 66 SESSIONS

A project photographing the people, telling the stories of those who’ve lived along and kept this road alive for 100 years.

Route 66 at 100.

Route 66 has called for my attention.

On July 4th I’m taking the less traveled route and documenting the journey through storied images of people along the way.

With a listening ear and camera in hand, I’ll begin in Chicago, and travel Route 66 from Chicago to St. Louis and beyond over the next 3 years.

Join me!

I invite all who have worked tirelessly to keep their businesses alive and those who have supported them to be a part of this.

THE MISSION
To travel Route 66 and document the people and places that have kept The Mother Road alive for 100 years,

preserving the stories that connect us.

An American mixtape, stories discovered, to hold on to what still connects us.

THE LENS: "ANALOG SOUL IN A DIGITAL WORLD"

GENX mother of twins + 3rd generation portrait photographer

I’m approaching the stories on this road less with my Iphone, and more through my legacy lens.

THE VISUALS:

Photography capturing the people who’ve kept the road alive, historic landmarks and scenic byways that define the American experience. Traveling off the beaten path, I feel, is where the gold lies. I’ll seek out these opportunities.

THE SOUNDTRACK:

Every road has a rhythm, and along Route 66 I’ll be listening for it, building a living photographic “American Mixtape” as I go.

I’ll collaborate with local musicians along the way to score the journey with music shaped by the road itself.

WHY SARAH WATERS

I like to call this an American Mixtape, the love language to a GENXer…

In 1985, the government decommissioned Route 66. They bypassed it with interstates designed for speed, efficiency, and isolation. The trend of “faster is better” continued here.

I believe that if you get off the interstate and drive the decommissioned road, you will find an America that the algorithm hasn’t erased.

●  An America that still has patience. Like the time it takes to record a mixtape. Waiting until just the right moment to hit STOP, and again after the ads, hit PLAY.

●  An America that still has passion. Like waiting through (and cassette recording) 39 songs to find out what Kasey Kasem’s #1 TOP 40 Song of the Week is.

●  An America that waves to its neighbor. Not for "likes," but because they are neighbors.

I am betting 2,400 miles that we’re moving back to what is real and tangible. That it is filled with people who know that the future belongs to those who s l o w d o w n, and come together in community.

This is a project, to drive, listen, and share the images and stories that show the heart and soul of America, that it is still here.

Why Route 66?
Raised with road trips and analog,

my mother, Shurlee Waters, needlepoint, decoupage, she instilled a love of making things, empathy, humour and joy ~ she passed when I was 11…

my father, George Waters, darkroom, film, Rolleiflex, the arts, he modeled lifelong learning and how to truly see ~ he passed when I was 22…

He spent his life photographing and storytelling, working alongside Ansel Adams as a printer of his books, and was instrumental in the creation of Kodak’s Kodachrome Coloramas which graced New York’s Grand Central Station

George taught me how to wait for the right timing, always have a listening ear, approach challenges with patience, savor the beauty in still moments, and notice small things

as a photographer and photolithographer, he taught me these values, and they’ve stayed with me

as a way of moving through the world

It is with these values, I’ll be traveling this road.

And I’d love to travel it beside you…

Claim Your Mile

Your name +

Your place in the American Mixtape archive.