RVing Photographer: An Interview with Savannah Cummins

Welcome Savannah, and thank you for sharing your story with Camping World.

Q. Savannah, you’re a full-time photographer that travels in a van—Can you describe your travel style in five words or less!

A. Boondocking

Q. A few lightning questions:
Favorite snack, meal, or beverage to have on hand in the RV.

A. Tea, cheese and crackers, and popcorn!

RVing brings the comforts of home on the road.

Q.3 pieces of gear (or any random items, really) you always bring with you on trips.

A. Climbing equipment, camera equipment, paper towels

Q. First thing you do when you arrive at a new destination?

A. Find the best campsite

Savannah searches and finds the best campsite to park her rig and Boondock.

Q. Describe how you felt trying vanlife for the first time? Nervous, excited, confident, proud?

A. I didn’t try van life, I went all out and just did it. Moving in at first was scary, I had to get rid of a lot of belongings to fit everything I owned inside my 59 sq foot moving home. I was previously living out of my Subaru and a storage unit so it was quite the upgrade!

Q. How do you normally go about planning trips for yourself? Are you chasing the light and the perfect shot, or allowing the itinerary to unfold naturally?

A. I’m not much of a planner, I like to go with the flow and let things unfold naturally. I like to not be set to a rigid schedule and have the freedom and flexibility to to move around with the changing seasons and weather.

Savannah Cummins travels with a flexible schedule, chasing the weather.

Q. What defines a successful trip to you?

A. Success can mean a lot of things, but when I come home with a smile on my face, newfound skills, new friends, and photos to look back on I always feel happy and successful with time spent exploring.

Q. You travel with 2 furry family members—2 cats! What’s it like traveling on the road with pets?

A. Traveling on the road with cats isn’t always easy, but I wouldn’t do it any other way! The cool thing about being in a van or an RV is you can sleep almost anywhere, even on streets where it’s legal. Having cats limits some places I can sleep, due to their need of having wide open spaces. They are not leashed trained but trained to come when they are called, so in some areas animals are not allowed off leash which also limits the places I can spend time. Despite the limitations of having two kitties, I still have a good time!

Q. Has RVing given you a fresh perspective on anything—community, photography, travel?

A. RVing is a way for me to go outside, play hard, get dirty, and have a cozy, comfortable space to come back to, clean up, eat healthy, sleep well and do it again.

Savannah looks over the day’s photographs outside her RV.

Q. Tell us about an unforgettable memory you made traveling in the van—the kind of story you might tell around the campfire for years to come.

A. I have a lot of great memories from travelling around on the road but the ones that seem to be the most unforgettable are always stories with some learning lessons. I was in Moab, UT driving to a shoot, it started raining and I had to drive through some thick sand to get to my destination. I got stuck immediately and spent the next several hours trying to get myself out. At the time it felt absolutely epic as I was without cell service and my home was stuck. Looking back, I learned a lot and can get a good laugh thinking back to how scared I was at the time.

Q. Rock climbing and photography seem to fit well into your nomadic lifestyle. Do you have any other hobbies you enjoy on the road?

A. I found a love for DJing recently and like to spend my time playing music when I’m not shooting photos or climbing!

Q. What’s your favorite quote, lyric, or mantra that keeps you sane or gives you inspiration on your travels?

Live in the moment and make the most of every single hour that you’re alive. Like it says on the sign outside the drop zone in front of the school: No Idling. – Conrad Anker

Thanks for your time, wisdom, and stories, Savannah! See you out there on the road.