Photography is not a Crime - Salton Sea Photo Safari  − 1 March, 2003

Road trip in the Mini with Steph and John and Laura Dick (she was pregnant with Katy at the time). We ran into a local (whom John dubbed "Yosemite Sam" because of his good nature) who claimed we were tresspassing. He was rather upset at our presence and thought we were aiding terrorists. My taking photos of him while he harangued us probably did not help matters much. He tried to grab my camera at one point. Laura and Steph weren't too impressed by my holding steadfast to my right to take a fucking photo in this vastly impressive backdrop. I got a few shots in so I think I won this battle.

The day was really quite amazing. If you've ever been to Salton Sea then you know what a creepy place it is. There was some natural or unnatural disaster there in the 80's that killed off all the marine life and made the lake itself inhabitable. Today it's just a wasteland. But the water is still there. The releics from the past - such as the hotel and the marina - are still standing but decaying beautifully. The water is incredibly calm, slick with oil and foamy on the shore. The sand had millions of tiny bird and fish bones in it that cracked under your feed when you thought you were walking on sand. Ick. Some of the houses were abandoned when the water overflowed. Some people still live there. God knows why. Probably to get away from people like me.

Laura (with baby in the oven), John, Steph and I finished the day off with enchiladas and Dos Equis in Brawley. Then we took the mini home and washed off a day in the desert.

Comments:

AmateurX (August 9, 2006. 11:37am)

Wow, that's quite a story. Thanks for sticking up for (us) photographers!I've never heard of this place until today. I had to do <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salton_Sea>a little more research</a> to quench my thirst for more.

kga245 (September 28, 2006. 11:27pm)

Actually, it's amazingly beautiful. That's why we went there. You can see from the photos.

It's near Palm Springs, CA. Basically an hour and a half east of LA by car.

pepero (March 11, 2007. 04:41pm)

what a great story! the pictures are amazing. i love the ones with steph in the rusted out truck. too funny.

kga245 (March 12, 2007. 05:21am)

man, salton sea is amazing. you can't take a bad photo there. the light is intense.