Thermal California at the Salton Sea. Part II

This will be the final installment of the Thermal California at the Salton Sea series. I spent more time walking around this area than the previous year. I was able to find more that I felt I missed. On the plus side, the sea didn't have the pungent odor as it did before and the erosion didn't seem to have changed much. The fish and bird carcasses seemed to be on the decline as well. That's not saying much over all. The chair on the beach, one of my favorite images from last year has sunk up to its arm in a years time. Ive said before that the Salton Sea is a love for me. It will always fill me with wonder of what was there and what it will become and I'm grateful to have these opportunities to shoot this location annually. I owe a lot to those who support me, and Ian Jenkins for continuous support and driving. I'm not sure what 2017 holds as far as returning but I will say, the future is bright. We evolve and the world keeps turning although we don't feel it. Thank you for reading. Enjoy

Thermal California at the Salton Sea. Part I

To continue from the last blog...After I shot Desert Shores we did a 3 mile journey to Thermal, California. This location, like the previous was a place that I have visited before but I wanted to explore more. This town is more of a wasteland if you will. A lot of the streets are dirt roads and this is the second time I have seen these ATV bandits, with black flags hanging off the back end and loud exhausts throwing sand and dust in their wake. I have perhaps made that sound more cool than it really was. I have also noticed that the rise of graffiti art on some of these abandoned buildings, which most of the time for me is a bummer but I see it from all sides.

I did shoot some of the same subjects in 2015 and some new. The Park Estates recreational suites was new to me but be advised that pigeons will go into a full dive bomb in your general direction if they feel threatened. I glad I had that wool flannel on! haha. Only jokes. Stayed tuned for part II of this series in the future. I appreciate you looking. Enjoy

Personal Work: Desert Shores at the Salton Sea

Upon my arrival at LAX airport, I am greeted with the rush of people who's faces I do not recognize an a sting in the air. The sting of warmer temperatures and a waft of smog and exhaust. I'm met with flashing lights and a familiar smile of family. Los Angeles has always had something to offer me in a major way and this annual trip makes all the nervous anxiety of sitting in a plane worth it. My primary motivation on these trips is to reconnect with family, to reconnect with the west coast hot rod scene and squeeze as much out of life as I can foregoing sleep to make this annual trip more exciting than the last but all in all that is a difficult task but that motivation I will never waver from.

We set off on an otherwise cloudy Monday morning for Desert Shores, California. The Salton Sea was a place I have visited just a year prior in all of its splendor but I knew there were places I had missed that make the long days at work that have my head spinning at the possibility that I do not like to leave a stone upturned to discover whats left and shoot everything I can. A few hours later we ended up in clear skies, among the odd palm tree forests of the desert. Walking the over cooked black top streets and this is what I found. Word of advice...even in December, do not wear a wool flannel. This will be the first set of my 2016 trip to the Salton Sea. Thank you and enjoy.