Burning Man.... Welcome Home

In 2004, along with P-I reporter D. Parvaz I attended my first ever Burning Man Festival held in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. The annual art event based on radical self-expression and self-reliance occurs during the week leading up to the Labor Day weekend and ends on the Sunday with the burning of the man like effigy. A spectacular sight that is the culmination of the week-long event.

During my stay on the playa the weather was hot, dry and very dusty. With 60mph blinding windstorms that cut visibility to less then a foot as it whipped up the fine dust of the playa. The dust with a consistency talcum powder managed to get into everything, cameras, laptop and my food and water.

After arriving in Reno I rented a large van to use as a base of operations and to sleep in for the week. Since there is no food service at the festival I stopped at a local store and loaded up on enough food, water, an ice to last me the week.
Also, on advice from veteran burners, I picked up a few bottle of booze (Southern Comfort) to barter with just in case. I also rented an old bicycle equipped with a front basket to hold my camera gear as I navigate around the playa…
This was great idea!!

With camping spaces reserved months in advance I was fortunate that a former P-I reporter and a seasoned burner allowed me to park my van at her camp, (cost 1st bottle of S.C.) Her group of about 20-burners from the Seattle area, were based in a prime location just off the playa… “Priceless”

I was not shooting on a daily deadline. Instead I was shooting for the Saturday and Monday editions. A good thing, cause a daily deadline would have been a bit of a problem due to the limited Internet access which was available only at one location, This was the media area so it was often busy during the daytime hours.

My work around… since sleeping was difficult and almost impossible at times due to the steady hum of techno music that penetrated my van 24-7. I found that I could get all my images ready the night before, sleep a little, get up at 5am, make the short bike ride to the media trailer, and since nobody is there at that hour I could transfer all my images without any interruptions. A routine I accomplished every day until departing on Sunday.

For me it was an adventure of a lifetime, one of the assignments I will always remember with fond memories. The people were wonderful, and the event was more then I ever expected. So much going on, so much to see and photograph that at times it seemed incomprehensible.

A very special congratulation to David and Jessica Mendez from all of your family and friends.

Jessica and David

Congratulations Jessica and David on your wedding day August 22, 2010
Hope you have a wonderful life together.