I’ve just come back from ten days in the deserts of Nevada, Arizona, and Utah photographing in 101 – 115-degree heat. I don’t care what they say about the “dry heat” at 100 plus degrees, hot is hot. And photographing for two hours at an old ghost town outside of Las Vegas, I can tell you your camera is likely to melt. Seriously, you have to be careful that your mirror doesn’t fly off as you are shooting.
Wacky things happen to electronics in extreme heat. Lens stop focusing, settings go haywire, and the photographer starts to get dizzy. Take time to cool off, both your body and your equipment. Be careful of equipment left in the car. Bring and drink a ton of water. If you are not peeing clear urine every hour, you are probably not drinking enough water. Not only is the desert heat drying but the altitude often gives on headaches from less oxygen.
Also be on the lookout for scorpions, rattlesnakes, loose rocks and cactus needles. Watch where you are stepping especially before putting one’s foot down near a shady rock where a snake might have gone under to escape the sun. Don’t back up into a cactus. There is nothing more embarrassing then ending up in the emergency room with a butt full of needles.
All the while, doin’ desert photography, sweat running down my back, head spinning from the heat, mouth dry as sand, I kept hearing that old song by America – “Horse with No Name”.
On the first part of the journey
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz
And the sky with no clouds
The heat was hot and the ground was dry
But the air was full of sound
I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain
La, la
After two days in the desert sun
My skin began to turn red
After three days in the desert fun
I was looking at a river bed
And the story it told of a river that flowed
Made me sad to think it was dead
You see I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt…
You see I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name,
It felt good to be out of the rain.
In the desert you can remember your name,
‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain.
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
After nine days, I let the horse run free,
‘Cause the desert had turned to sea.
There were plants and birds, and rocks and things,
There was sand and hills and rings.
The ocean is a desert, with its life underground,
And a perfect disguise above.
Under the cities lies, a heart made of ground,
But the humans will give no love.
You see I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name,
It felt good to be out of the rain.
In the desert you can remember your name,
‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain.
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
Desert photography by Edward M. Fielding – https://edward-fielding.pixels.com/collections/southwestern