For one photography duo, “challenge” means “creativity.” So they built an entire set in the back of a pickup truck – and started driving it 7,000 miles across America

Photography duo Jada and David, known as Jada and David (@jadanaddavid), have decided to blend creativity with their cross-country move by building a set that fits entirely in the back of a small pickup truck. The couple, who are award-winning photographers, are traveling over 7,000 miles across a dozen US states to capture a series of warped, whimsical photographs that blend an imaginary world with the American landscape.

Their unique project began as a way to cope with the challenging move from Virginia to California, but quickly evolved into a full-blown creative trek. The duo, who are known for their custom sets, bold designs, and dramatic colors, had already built 100 different photography sets in 100 days. However, they decided to take their sets outdoors, using America as the backdrop.

The project, which had been on the back burner for a while, gained support from Adorama and OWC for camera gear and hard drives, respectively. Despite the challenges of packing and determining what to bring, the couple managed to build a custom set that fits into the back of their Toyota Tacoma, a 5.5-foot truck bed. The set takes around eight full days to build and is made of plywood, with layers that look like a wormhole when shot from inside the truck.

The couple's unique approach to photography involves shooting from different angles to create various perspectives, such as a colorful staircase or a wormhole-like set. The series features the couple's signature bold and unique sets, but with different iconic American landscapes as the background. The photographer explained that the initial concept was to keep the framing the same while building on the repetition to tell a story, but as they traveled to different locations, the framing had to change.

Shooting with a moving set has introduced new challenges, such as backing up the truck to line up the set with the background landscape, which often takes several attempts. However, the couple's creativity and determination have resulted in a truly unique and memorable photography project that showcases the beauty of the American landscape while pushing the boundaries of their craft.