I sit here, Dec 22nd. Almost 4 months post-burn. Trying to finally put the finishing touches on this year’s photographs. I believe in the 4 years since I’ve been going Home this is my record for latest completion. Which just goes to illustrate what kind of year 2015 has been. As our time in the desert approached and life was throwing everything it could at me I knew that no matter what, for 7 days I would be in a place where the suspension of reality would be quiet welcome. Though, not as much a suspension as an alternate to our default world. Each year now the mind races about what we will see. What will be familiar. What will blow our minds. Who we will meet. Each year being an evolution in experience and in the way I capture the event, though obviously with common themes. 2015 was particularly challenging on the body. Both camera and physical. We had dust storms almost every day. Severe ones even that lasted for hours. Then there was the cold. Yes the desert gets cold every year but we’re talking mid 40s F Saturday morning. Time to put on everything I brought! There is one good thing about the dust. Is that it makes for the most dynamic and intriguing images. Moody and mysterious. My camera after 4 burns is in serious need of TLC but every time it’s worth it.
This year was different. New camp, old friends (some new). New camping location. Everything it should have been. And to be honest that is the case every year no matter what. Because no matter what we get the burn that we need, not the one that we want :) Though I somehow managed to take the least Playa Portraits of any year so far, my Best Of is now the largest. Instead of paring it down to a tighter edit I decided to err on the side of sharing too much as this is my gift back to the community. If you see yourself or a friend in one of these images please email me!
2016 looks to be a great year….and if I can get my shit together…perhaps it is my turn to finally get some art to Black Rock City :)
#industwetrust <3
aF
