Patterns and Tones: Destination: Palm Springs Part 2

Saturday, February 16, 2019

Destination: Palm Springs Part 2

"Destination: Palm Springs No. 1, Part 2" 2018

Continuing my presentation of location shots in the desert of Palm Springs, this set of images was taken just north of San Jacinto Cove. On my second visit to this striking desert town last year, I decided to pull off the first road leading straight into the hillside. I pulled over into the sand and got out. The wind immediately swung my door open with such a forceful blast, I thought the door would tear right off. I didn't realize how windy it was outside.

I mistakenly opened my automatic hatch in the back of my car to get my cameras out. Trying desperately to close it again, the intense gusts of wind ended up breaking my automatic lock. I was finally able to shut the hatch manually and quickly jumped back inside my car to load my film. It was a bit harrowing but thrilling at the same time. The desert was alive, the wind was howling and my sudden awareness that snakes could be afoot added to my trepidation.

The creosote bushes and blue palo verde were shaking in the wind, bobbing to the pattern each gust of wind blew through the vast open desert. In the moments the wind dissipated, I would set up my shot and snap a portrait of the mountains in the distance. Gingerly walking around the sage brush and yucca plants, I was continually snagged by a jagged branch or scrapped at the ankles by a prickly bush. The constant fine mist of sand blowing in the air was my biggest challenge as I was shooting with my Rolieflex and didn't want grit to get into the camera's mechanisms.

I was completely alone in the middle of this valley of the desert and I was in awe. Bits of human debris congregated in small patches, but the dry brush and looming San Jacinto mountain range dominated the landscape. It was a humbling experience, one I look forward to bathing in again.

Julie Green
February 16, 2019