After a long drive through the desert, and about a mile off-road, my friends and I arrived at our favorite campsite in the Mojave. We stepped out onto the soft sands, and began to set up camp in the familiar, dried-up riverbed. It was early Spring, and the flowers were just beginning to bloom.
Our van was a rental from La Jolla Adventure Rentals, and it was our job, as 4xfilm, to photograph it. I came ready with my Mamiya 645, loaded with Portra 400, for it's very first professional shoot. We chose this spot because of how it came alive in the evening. As the warmth of day began to fade, we knew the moment we had traveled over a hundred miles for was just around the corner.
The sun ignited the dried brush, and before we knew it, we were surrounded by a sea of golden light. Portra 400 captured colors in such a beautiful way— not only the warmth of the light, but the vibrant green bushes and the subtle blue sky.
Together we watched as our campsite burned gold and slowly faded into darkness. I was able to get one last picture of the van before we packed it all up for dinner. I am still amazed at the way Portra captured blue hour and the colors on the horizon.
The Mojave Desert may seem like an intimidating place to shoot on film, but if you can brave the heat of day, the sunsets are truly something magic.
Makes desert camping look dreamy..😎