Westward Bound

Ethereum NFT Collection by Lauren McDonagh-Pereira

Westward Bound is an NFT photography collection that was shot, edited, and curated by Lauren McDonagh-Pereira. The collection celebrates the unique beauty of a road trip along Route 66, in the American Southwest. This NFT art collection is minted on the Ethereum blockchain. These ETH NFTs can be collected from OpenSea.io.

Links in this gallery lead to OpenSea where you can purchase these pieces as NFTs, my print shop, where you can purchase these pieces as fine art prints, or to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Take a Ride on Route 66

I shot this image as I traveled along Route 66 from Tucumcari, New Mexico to Santa Fe, New Mexico on May 4, 2013.

The contrast between the freshly painted route number on the pavement and the abandoned stretch of road caught my eye.

Shot with Nikon D5100 DSLR Camera

Cadillac Ranch

The Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas is worth a stop if you ever take a trip along Route 66. I made the trek in May of 2013 with two friends from graduate school. We flew to Amarillo and drove along Route 66 towards Las Vegas.

The Cadillac Ranch is an art installation in the desert. Cars have been planted into the ground and sprayed with graffiti.

Shot with Nikon D5100 DSLR Camera ƒ/22 1/50 38mm ISO100

Café in the Desert

The Midpoint Café is a tiny retro diner in Adrian, Texas. It marks the halfway point along Route 66 between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Shot with Nikon D5100 DSLR Camera ƒ/5 1/500 35mm ISO100

Route 66 Motel

Route 66 in the American Southwest is full of little mom and pop motels that cropped up during the heyday of Route 66 in the 1950s and 60s. The signage is understated, retro, and fantastic.

Shot with Nikon D5100 DSLR Camera ƒ/5.6 1/320 35mm ISO100

Ghost Town

While driving down Route 66 from Texas to Santa Fe, New Mexico, I came across this abandoned roadside convenience store. I was struck by the contrast between the red of the abandoned structure and the blue of the big western sky.

Shot with Nikon D5100 DSLR Camera ƒ/5.6 1/320 35mm ISO100

PAINTED DESERT

This shot was taken before entering the Painted Desert in Arizona. I took this image on May 9, 2013. I loved the big sky dotted with clouds over the multi-colored landscape of the desert.

NIKON D5100 ƒ/22 1/40 35mm ISO200

Death in the Valley

This image stands out because taking it very nearly killed me. The temperature in Death Valley National Park on June 27, 2015 hit 127F/52C. After a few hours of hopping in and out of the car to take pictures, I suffered heat stroke. I was able to get medical help at the visitor center, but by the time I arrived there I was not able to verbalize my name or understand what was going on around me. This was the last photograph that I had taken before I needed to grab onto my husband for stability and lost the ability to speak coherent sentences.

Shot with Nikon D5100 DSLR Camera ƒ/13 1/160 46mm ISO100

Simply Sequoia

Simply Sequoia was taken in Sequoia National Park on June 30, 2015. I had dreamed of seeing the giant sequoia trees since I first learned about them as an elementary school student in New England.

On the first day of my National Parks road trip, I suffered heat stroke in Death Valley. I forced myself to keep going and camped for a night in Yosemite National Park before realizing that my body needed to rest and recover. My husband tried to talk me out of stopping at Sequoia, but I insisted that we at least make a day trip. I was not disappointed. The size of the giant sequoias are breathtaking, and their age boggles the mind. They are patient and strong and will outlive our reality.

Shot with Nikon D5100 DSLR Camera ƒ/5.6 1/50 36mm ISO100

Cactus by the sea

Cactus by the Sea was taken in La Jolla, California on June 30, 2017. My husband and I went to visit friends in San Diego, and they were excellent tour guides, taking us to some beautiful spots.

NIKON D7200 ƒ/10 1/200 72mm ISO200

MEET Lauren McDonagh-Pereira

Lauren McDonagh-Pereira is a photographer from Massachusetts, USA. She captures the beauty of the world around her, favoring Nikon cameras and lenses. She is drawn to shooting landscapes, wildlife, nature, and people authentically enjoying life.

Tweet me @LAMPphotography