23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest The American Experience
Inventory of a Nation

From above, a vast parking lot of newly manufactured cars forms a rigid field of repetition—an industrial landscape shaped by scale, efficiency, and endless demand. Scattered pockets of color break the uniformity, hinting at individuality within a system built on mass production. The scene reflects a defining aspect of American life: the enormity of its infrastructure and the consumer cycles that fuel it.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 03.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: California, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS R5m2
Copyright: © Alex Visbal