Why I Only Took a Dozen Photos at Burning Man
As many of you may know, I spent most of my August and September traveling. My October so far has consisted of readjusting to my NYC-life, so I apologize for my Burning Man posts not being as timely as I would’ve preferred. But I finally got around to uploading my photos to my computer, so I wanted to share.
This was my first year at Burning Man, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t planned on taking ten thousand photos along my journey and sharing them all with you. I grew up in San Diego, and even though I heard story after story about Burning Man from friends throughout the years and had gone to my share Burner parties, the festival remained somewhat of an enigma to me. Yes, I knew it was a celebration about people and love and art. Yes, I knew it was a big party with camps and different music. I knew that Black Rock City, the location of the festival, became the second largest city in Nevada every year — but only for a week, and would disappear without a trace after every celebration. But I always felt like I didn’t really know what it was about.
Now that I’ve gone, I’ve found that many of my friends who haven’t been before feel the same way. When my friends ask me what I’ve been up to for the past two months, I tell them that I was on a road trip across California, I saw the Sequoia National Park, Yosemite for the first time, drank wine in Napa Valley, bar hopped in the Castro in San Fran and drove down the coast to San Diego. I tell them that I lived in an RV for almost a month, and that I went home to San Diego for the longest visit in almost two years… And it’s not that they don’t care. It’s just that most people are really interested in hearing about Burning Man the most.
I had every intention of documenting my Burning Man journey and sharing it with you all. But when I got there — maybe it’s just because I had already been taking photos across California for three weeks, or maybe it’s because it was just so damn hot out 😉 — but I really didn’t have any desire to go out and take any photos. On every trip I’ve been on with a group or hired as a photographer, there’s always been at least one moment where I felt like such an outsider. I think that’s normal — aside from being naturally introverted (myself) or working to become a “fly on the wall” so I can capture moments that are raw and real — it’s so easy to become an outsider when you’re a photographer. And I just wasn’t ready for that at Burning Man. So in the end, I only took my camera out once, and I think that’s okay.
I can sit here and I can show you photos from my trip, my Burning Man. I can tell you about how the experience isn’t just a music or art festival; it’s also about living and surviving. It’s about fending for yourself, and helping others and taking care of those around you, whether they’re strangers or loved ones. It’s about getting caught in dust storms or feeling like you can’t breathe because there’s so much of it and it sticks to absolutely everything. It’s about biking across the playa and facing the winds and feeling strong and defenseless at the same time — and having it feel so natural and real. It’s about being so hot during the day and so cold just before the sun rises and it’s about not sleeping and having that feel normal.
It’s about forgetting about your cell phone and what time it is and what’s going on if it’s anything other than what’s in front of you. It’s about having a constant source of everything all the time around you, about lights and music and costumes and being free. It’s about loving yourself and those around you, making new friends and connections and experiences. It’s about staring up at the stars and across the lights on the playa and feeling so small, but so right on track and filled with such purpose.
But in the end, that’s probably the same thing you always hear about Burning Man. And that’s what makes it special. This is my Burning Man, and it’s different from each of the other 70,000 attendees. And that is exactly why I kept all my memories for myself and my camera stayed in its bag.
♡
Kelley Louise is a travel + lifestyle blogger and model.
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