AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL | THE ALL-NEW ANNE WATSON PHOTO GALLERY INSTALLATION AT THE OC MART MIX

While Food Photography is my passion, there are a number of other subjects that catch my eye through the lens of my camera. One of my favorites is Americana. Anything to do with this great country of ours & what makes it unique, I love. Its landscapes, its people, its monuments, its flag - everything. So, when July rolled around this year & Americans everywhere started donning their red, white & blue in celebration of Independence Day, I felt the urge to switch things up a bit on my Anne Watson Photography gallery wall at The OC Mart MIX in Costa Mesa's SoCo Collection to reflect my love for America the Beautiful.

The all-new 'Americana' Anne Watson Photography installation at The OC Mart MIX in Costa Mesa's SoCo Collection

All of the photos in this new Black & White installation were taken during my motorcycle travels with my husband, author Tim Watson. After we were married in 2010, Tim & I spent the first two months of our marriage on the back roads of the Western U.S., covering 8,000+ miles of two-lane highways, soaking up America's vast expanses of adventurous terrain from the seats of our Harley-Davidsons. Tim wrote his book, "There and Back Again To See How Far It Is," based on this journey of ours. And, I took the photos.

All of the photos in this new Black & White installation were taken during my motorcycle travels with my husband, author Tim Watson, during which we covered 8,000+ miles of two-lane highways in the Western U.S.

We rode through the dry deserts of Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico & Nevada - wound through the mountains of Utah, Wyoming & Idaho - then cruised down the coast of Oregon & Northern/Central California. All along the way we saw new & amazing things - met all sorts of interesting people - and grew an appreciation for the incredible array of Americana that is out there just waiting to be discovered.

So, my new installation is a tribute to the discoveries we made along our journey. It's a small sampling of some of the interesting places we passed through, sights we saw and people we encountered. If you want to read about them in detail, then be sure to pick up Tim's book, available through all major booksellers including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. And then feel free to drop by the Anne Watson Photography gallery wall in The OC Mart MIX next time you're in Costa Mesa to check out the latest photos on display. Meantime, below is a recap of what you'll find - all available for purchase - simply email Anne Watson Photo for a pricing sheet & to place your order! info@annewatsonphoto.com

Follow Anne Watson Photography on the Web, Facebook and Twitter

left: 'The Tree', Reserve, New Mexico | right: 'Old Glory', Yuma, Arizona

'Intimidation', SR-71 Blackbird, Pima Air Museum, Tuscon, Arizona

'C'mon In', Driggs, Idaho

'Sacagawea's Resting Place', Wind River Reservation, Wyoming

'Target Practice', Tombstone, Arizona

'Big Nose Kate's Saloon', Tombstone, Arizona

'Golden Gate Bride in Fog', San Francisco, California

left: 'The Cowboy', Tombstone, Arizona | right: 'The Railroad', Gila Bend, Arizona

'The Grand Tetons', Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

CATCHING RAINDROPS | THE BEAUTY OF NASTURTIUMS

Every time it rains here in Southern California, I eagerly await the storm's passing so I can venture out into our garden and explore. Rain is such a rarity in this arid desert climate, its presence inevitably changes things - the smell, the look, the feel of everything - if you pay close attention, the entire garden goes through a metamorphosis after a downpour.

One of my favorite post-rain discoveries is how rain affects the delicate Nasturtium flowers that my husband Tim planted in our garden.  From a handful of seeds, they now grow like weeds - spreading over the ground, climbing over fenceposts - their yellow, red & orange blooms peeking out between their large, lilypad-like green leaves. And the rain transforms these little beauties.

Originally from Peru, Nasturtiums made their way to Europe when they were brought by Spanish conquistadors to Spain in the early sixteenth century and quickly spread around the continent. Monet's famous garden at Giverny was laden with nasturtiums as they fit the impressionist's style of shimmering, blurred colors as they spilled over pathways like enthusiastic brush strokes.

These clever little edible plants were designed by nature to catch the raindrops - one at a time - in their conical leaves. And when the post-rainshower light reflects on these droplets, something magical happens. It's like something out of a fairytale - too beautiful not to try & capture with my lens - and share with you...

Follow Anne Watson Photography on the Web, Facebook and Twitter