Arnaud Montagard is a French photographer currently based in Brooklyn, New York. After moving to the U.S. at age 21 to continue his studies in marketing, Montegard pivoted to pursue his photography hobby as a full-time job. “America was always an inspiration,” he explains. “I grew up with movies by Wim Wenders, Clint Eastwood, Tarantino, the Cohen brothers and with the fascination for American street graffiti, which I start documenting with my first camera.”

Over the course of the last few years, he has traveled thousands of miles across many state lines, taking the photographs that would become “The road not taken.” Along the way, he was attracted to the repetition of classic Americana motifs—motel signs, vintage cars, diners, and drive-ins—letting light and color set the stage for his carefully composed images. “It is perceivable a sense of temporality,” Montagard explains, “America is at once full of changes and attached to its strong iconicity.”

See more from “The road not taken” below!