John Paul Szabo, also known as Jack, is a BFA Photography student at Brigham Young University. His passion for photography grew out of his love for the outdoors and adventure. For his capstone project, Jack wishes to create photographic images that capture the beautiful transformation of land and culture. To achieve this, he traveled from Baja California to Mexico, through the United States, and continued as far north as possible through Alberta, Canada. Numerous destinations included: Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

He primarily drove this distance using his Toyota 4Runner while also living out of his vehicle as he followed the 111th meridian west, a line of longitude that lies in the Western hemisphere extending from the North Pole to the South Pole. As Jack followed this line, he stopped and shot whatever sight, person, monument, or intriguing feature that spoke to him at that moment.

Jack’s goal is to capture unique photographs that tell the story of this magnificent meridian and to encourage his audience to connect emotionally to his work by imagining they are experiencing this exciting adventure for themselves. By traveling such a specific route, his hope is to bring attention to areas perhaps overlooked by others.

To produce the most impactful project, he created these framed photos. This photographic exhibition reflects his journey and includes comments and poems that highlight the unique experiences he encountered.

This project was funded by
The Laycock Endowment for Creative Collaboration in the Arts
Experiential Learning Project Grant
Oscarson Discovery Grant
Charles Redd Center for Western Studies Research Award
College of Fine Arts and Communications
Department of Design
Brigham Young University