Taking a road trip through the United States is a fantastic way to see all of the beautiful sights that the country has to offer. After graduating college, photographer Grant Mallory and his girlfriend Maria Jacob did just this, traveling across the Midwest and through several Western states to visit multiple National Parks. They didn't make the trek alone, though–Jacob had her LED hula hoop in tow, and ready for Mallory to capture extraordinary shots of her illuminated tricks against the natural landscape.
The couple's journey included Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, Badlands National Park in South Dakota, and the Redwoods National Park in California. Each time, Grant took a photo of Jacob as she held the light-up hoop, twisting and spinning it to create vibrating rings that electrified the darkened, sprawling landscape. To achieve this stunning effect, Grant uses long shutter speeds, ranging from three to six seconds long at a time, depending on the length of the movement.
In taking these photos, Mallory and Jacob wanted memorable shots that weren't your typical vacation shots. “Our goal from the beginning,” the photographer explained on Reddit, “was to show the unique characteristics of each park but to add a modern twist to each landscape.”
Above: Golden Gate Bridge, California
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Olympic National Park, Washington
Olympic National Park, Washington
Crater Lake, Oregon
Redwoods National Park, California
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
