In Search of Black Rock City - Part 3 - Conclusion

April 2021 · 3 min read

Lights on the Playa

As the sun sets over the playa, the afternoon winds begin to settle. Small lights begin to appear throughout the vastness of the desert. Black Rock City has come alive.

The air becomes cooler. The music becomes louder. The laser light show begins from the sound camp that has been hidden a cloud of dust all day long.

Big Dipper over the Playa - ISO 10000 f/5.6 30 sec 20mm

Sound Camp - ISO 10000 f/5.6 30 sec 20mm

Shortly after that, the neighbor camp to the north fired up their propane flamethrower attached to their art car. Now my burn was complete. Eventually, that camp took their art car over to the sound camp.

Light from Fire Art Car - ISO 10000 f/5.6 30 sec 20mm

Black Rock City at Night - ISO 5000 f/5.6 20 sec 20mm

The Smoke Settles

Eventually, the wind stops altogether. The smoke from fires in California begins to settle in the playa valley. I soon learn that this does not make the best night photography conditions and finally put the camera away.

Moon Over Playa - ISO 5000 f/5.6 20 sec 20mm

Morning on the Playa

I hear The Rolling Stones, really loud. I hear a car engine, and then I hear a car door open. At this point, I lift my head and look out the window. I see the silhouette of a person finishing their bathroom break get back into the passenger side of a pickup truck. I watch the taillights disappear into the depths of the dark desert. So quintessentially Burning Man.

It's 4:30 a.m. I'm awake, I decided to get up and photograph the sunrise. At 5 a.m., the sound camp DJ closes the set with the Rage Against the Machine song “Killing In The Name,” and then the playa goes silent.

Sound Camp at 5 am. Just enough smoke and dust to make the lasers look really cool but super hard to photograph.

Not the most impressive sunrise. You win some, you lose some in landscape photography.

The Smoke Settles

Since the smoke from the forest fires moved in, I decide to leave. However, I wanted to check out an area on the north playa and go home differently. I cut across the playa until I come to the main track north (an old wagon road). I plan to cut left on a 4x4 access to Solider Meadow Road, head south, and see if I can find a good viewpoint overlooking the playa for photos.

8 Suns - The sun through the smoke looks surreal, I did some interval timer shots with the intent to go back and post-process this image.

Mad Max Returns

I glance in my rearview mirror and see a small passenger car. The car gains quickly and starts to pass me. Feeling very Tina Turner-Mad Max Thunderdome, I hit the gas. We jockey for position until about a mile from my turn-off, then I gun it, leaving them behind. As I slow for my turn, the car slows too. I hope that they do not follow me up this road; it is not for passenger cars. I put the truck in 4x4 and start climbing up to the main road. I look in the rear-view mirror, and it looks like the driver chooses wisely - no car.