I’m gazing out the window of a Southwest Airlines flight, marveling at the semi-tropical view. I’m only two hours out of Austin, but the scene looks remarkably different. More of my flights seem to go west, where I see desert-like browns and tall mountains. The bright blue and the hit of verdant green is a lovely change.

Photographing out plane windows is a hit-or-miss proposition, but the view looked great that day in early October 2024. I was off on my adventure, and my new camera configuration, the Sony A7C and Samyang 35mm, offered a compact and powerful setup without people realizing its full-frame prowess.

Exactly one minute and one second later, the view abruptly changes. Civilization, at least the suburban kind, dominates. We are approaching Tampa, Florida, the first leg of my trip.

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