Some people might look at a tractor-trailer cab as confining. But for Carbon County native David Harmadi, it provided the freedom to see and photograph the continental United States.

During three years as an interstate truck driver with his wife, Harmadi captured landscapes in all 48 continental United States.

“We drove for Swift over-the-road. Some of the pictures we came back with were just phenomenal.”

Recently, Reader’s Digest chose a photograph which Harmadi took in Duluth, Minnesota, to receive honorable mention in its American Road Trip photo contest. He took the photo of a ship arriving into port in subzero temperatures.

For Harmadi, photography has never been about winning awards. It’s about capturing memories in the places where they took place.

His photography career started under unlikely circumstances. He studied criminal justice in college, but needed a science credit. The physics department offered a photography class.

“It was a moment of desperation when I needed one more set of science credits — and I thought ‘I can probably handle this one.’ ”

It turned out the class dealt more with the science of how a camera and flash could be used to photograph fast-moving objects. But it ignited a lifelong passion.

To be a great landscape photographer you need to travel to the locations with great landscapes. Harmadi found another unlikely opportunity when he and his wife, Theresa Ross, became long-haul truck drivers. They figured out a way to drive cross-country with their two dogs. They saw all 48 states.

For Theresa, the job fulfilled a lifelong dream to travel the country.

“The only two places I haven’t been are Alaska and Hawaii, and that’s next on my bucket list. At least I can say I’ve driven everywhere in the continental United States.”

Delivering loads on time was always the priority, but David always carried his camera.

Even long-haul truckers get time off to stay at home. David and Theresa would plan so they could take theirs when they were near places like the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and the Pacific Coast.

“My sister who lives in Lehighton, she said, ‘Someday they’re going to find out that you and your wife are just doing this for one big vacation and they’re paying the bill for it,’ ” Harmadi said.

Their rig had a lot of the amenities of an RV, albeit on a smaller scale. So if there was an RV campground that was reasonably close to one of their trucking company’s terminals, they could drive it there.

One of his most memorable spots to photograph was Cannon Beach, Oregon, which has been the setting for movies like “The Goonies,” “Twilight” and “Point Break.”

One of David’s favorite photographs was taken while they were driving through Oregon and California. It featured his wife and one of their dogs. When the dog passed away last year, it took on an even greater significance.

Even seasoned travelers long for home sometimes. Eventually, their time on the road came to an end. Theresa found work as a truck driver locally and David is retired, but remains with his work at the Lansford food pantry.

“There’s something to coming home and sleeping in your own bed every night and you’re not sitting in a truck stop somewhere,” he said.

The photo which David submitted to Reader’s Digest was actually taken a few months after their time on the road ended. They were visiting family members in Duluth, Theresa’s hometown in mid-December 2017.

At that time of year the temperature in Duluth reaches minus 10 without the wind chill. They were walking along the bay near Lake Superior, where the water freezes over, when David saw a ship approaching. He wanted to capture the combination of snow, ice, fog and the ship.

“This was getting really close to the freeze. In the picture you can see the snow on the ice pretty much everywhere and the smoke on the water,” he said.

He submitted the photograph and heard back several times from a Reader’s Digest editor who was asking for more information. He knew that was a good sign. In June they announced the results — he was awarded honorable mention. The photo was published in the July edition. Like a true artist, he was flattered but left wanting more.

“Honorable mention is good, but all photographers think their photo is the best thing,” he said.

While he no longer has the entire country to draw on as inspiration for his photographs, David remains passionate about his photography. A recent trip to Maine produced many lighthouse photos.

Theresa enjoys taking photos of their family, as well as their two dogs. She said she doesn’t always see what David is trying to take a picture of. But when she sees the final product, it makes it clear.

“He sees things that I don’t see when he takes his pictures. When he takes the picture, I can see what he’s seeing,” she said.