Desert Dreaming

In 2019 I was invited by a good friend, Bruce Percy, to join him and two other photographers, Robert Salisbury and Richard Roberts, on a three-day trek in April of the following year to photograph one of the most amazing landscapes I had ever seen: Lençóis Marahenses National Park in northeastern Brazil.

 

I was initially hesitant to join the group because of the arduous conditions: walking for miles on fine sand and wading through deep lagoons in blistering heat, under a blinding sun to reach remote, less-visited locations. However, the sudden death of my father in 2018 put everything into a very different perspective. Opportunities such as this trip do not come around often during one’s life so I agreed to join Bruce, Robert and Richard, although I was never completely at ease with my decision.

 

Other than a mule to carry necessities, we had no transportation during our trek. The first two days involved walking a manageable distance of six miles per day, but the last day was a strenuous 12-mile walk to reach the exit of the national park. Bruce chose to go in April due to the abundance of rain, which fills the spaces among the sand dunes with lagoons of blue and turquoise. The ever-changing dunes, sculpted by the elements, and the lagoons together formed dramatic shapes that offer unique photographic features.

 

Despite months of preparation, the trip was mentally and physically challenging. The higher than usual amounts of rain meant the lagoons and rivers were already deep, which resulted in me having to wade through chest- and even neck-deep water. Thankfully, I was able to continue with the help of the others when conditions became treacherous. Furthermore, so as to avoid the daytime heat, we rose in the middle of the night, walked from location to location in the dark, which made the gauging of the scale and the contours of the unseen landscape all the more challenging. Our guides and hosts showed great kindness and professionalism. Their exceptional effort made the trip enjoyable despite the harsh conditions we faced.

 

Lençóis Marahenses certainly exceeded my expectations in photographic terms. The light, the shapes and the colours were beyond anything I had ever seen. Every turn provided a different opportunity to witness the beauty of nature. Each sunrise and sunset rewarded us with soft tones and beautiful pastel colours. Harsh daylight resulted in shadows of differing greys being cast across the landscape, which provided strong graphical elements for my compositions. Seeing the clouds pass overhead and the shadows rapidly move across the sand dunes was a surreal experience. 

 

I wish to thank my good friend Bruce Percy for having confidence in me and for inviting me to join him, Richard and Robert on such a unique trip. I could not have completed the journey without their help. I shall cherish the memory of the laughter we shared and the pain we endured as a group.