Back Yard. New York, New York. February 25, 2018.
Storefront on 8th Avenue. A view from the M20 bus. New York, New York. February 26, 2018.
Hats for sale on Lexington Avenue. New York, New York. February 26, 2018.
Inside a cafe on Hudson Street. New York New York. February 28, 2018.
Looking our from inside the Amtrak train somewhere near Kingston Rhode Island. February 28, 2018.
Calipatria, California
Off Route 111, Salton Sea, California
Salton City, California
Desert Shores, California
Salton City, California
Niland Boat Launch, Salton Sea, California
Salt Creek Beach, Salton Sea Recreation Area, California
Off Route 111, Salton Sea, California
Salton Beach, California
Salton Beach, California
Bombay Beach, California
Red Hill Marina, Salton Sea, California
Bombay Beach, California
Desert Shores, California
Off Route 111, Salton Sea, California
View of Santa Rosa Mountains from the Salton Sea Recreation Area, California
I am back at the Salton Sea. I have been here for two weeks and have less than a week to go. This past weekend I realised that blanks are filling in, on this project; it is a satisfying feeling. Another trip or two, to this area, and I should be able to say “that’s it!” This place, right from the start, touched me. It will be odd to not have to return. In the meantime… there is still more work to get done.
Dust Storm in the Imperial Valley, California
Niland, California
Niland, California
Calipatria, California
Calipatria, California
Brawley, California
Brawley, California
Brawley, California
North Shore, California
North Shore, California
Westmoreland, California
Westmoreland, California
Westmoreland, California
Bombay Beach, California
Bombay Beach, California
For some facts about the Salton Sea take a look at the Salton Sea Authority website.
Bombay Beach, California
I am playing with an ongoing series of diptychs and triptychs of photographs, mostly shot in completely different places and/or years apart (and certainly not meant for each other), that seem to come into being when put together. The three pictures below are something of an exception to the rule and were taken during my last trip to the Salton Sea, in California, a few weeks ago. Not intended to be linked, jointly they come to life.
Desert Shores, California.
Off Highway 111, California.
Bombay Beach, California.
Road toward Naval Test Site, Salton Sea, California.
Another view of the road. Naval Test Site, Salton Sea, California
This past week I wandered off Route 86 onto the only paved road (not in a city/town) that leads to the Salton Sea – just past the Border Control station. That morning I hiked eight miles to and from the water; I spent the rest of the time photographing what little remains (without going off-road — a sedan does not cut the grade for driving in the desert; and on top of that, there *may* be unexploded ordinances in the area!) of the old World War II Naval Test Site. This was operated by Sandia Base (later Sandia Laboratory) as a site for test-dropping dummy and live bombs; Sandia called this site The Salton Sea Test Bed.
As I headed back toward the “86” I noticed a Border Patrol truck parked at the edge of a date-palm field. Moments later, it seemed I was being followed; it took about three or four minutes before I was pulled aside. The officer asked me what I was doing down the road. Had I slept there overnight? How long had I been there? I was never asked to open my trunk (thus my smuggled Mexicans and meth remained undetected), my car was not searched, nor was my driver’s license asked for. He did request that I return to my car, however, because i had stepped out (foolish me). Once he’d convinced himself that I was not a risk to anyone or to myself, I had a chance to ask him a few questions. It turns out that this is a common area for illegal entry into the United States from Mexico. Below are two articles I dug up on that topic (most of my findings had to do with people being stopped at this Border Patrol point – not after or before it…) :
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jan/31/news/mn-14074
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/salton/NewRToxicPathtoUSA.html
And here are more photographs from the Naval Test Site:
By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea! Salt-encrusted metal at the Salton Sea, California.
Pier. Naval Test Site. Salton Sea, California
Building A-1(?). Naval Test Site. Salton Sea, California.
Naval Test Site. Salton Sea, California.
Same building as above – frontal view. Naval Test Site. Salton Sea, California.
Inside. Naval Test Site. Salton Sea, California.
Inside. Naval Test Site. Salton Sea, California.
