Your Shot of the Month: Stars and Cars in Montana

While driving through Montana’s Fort Benton, German photographer Carsten Bockermann hoped to showcase the previously prosperous town’s Americana essence.

Thanks to a flag displayed in a window across the street and a well-timed passing pickup truck, he brought new life to an abandoned building.

“The photo conveys a bit of the atmosphere that is present in many small towns in America. And it does so in an almost romantic way,” says Bockermann, a member of National Geographic’s photo community, Your Shot. “My goal was to grab the viewer by showing the situation in a style that makes them stop and wonder how this came about.”

“Bockermann cleverly transformed a potentially bleak and unappealing spot into a colorful and celebratory look at the American West,” says Traveler’s senior photo editor, Carol Enquist.

“I love the combination of elements that just all fell into place—the low-angled, warm light bathing the building, the iconic pickup truck driving by, and, most important, the reflection of the stars from the American flag scattered perfectly over the whole scene.”

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