March 17th - 17:37

Title: March 17th - 17:37 Medium: Super-8 film Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Resolution: 2880 x 2160 File Type: H.264 Codec / MP4. Comments: Deep in the Sahara desert we took the camels from sunset to a full moon in the night sky. It was getting late and we had not shot the portrait of the day before there was no more light. Fouad dropped me off to where we ride the camels and he was going to pick me up the next day after sleeping in the sand dunes with 7 strangers. I was getting anxious as I knew it would be too dark to shoot anything. He said it would be okay and shoot after. My gut said no way, we need to shoot this right now. So, Fouad ran up the dune and I started rolling. The camel handlers were yelling at me and him that it was time to go. I was shaky and trying to get the right shot, I did not have much time as we were being rushed. But it was all the light we had left and it was golden hour in the golden desert. As the group kept calling out and started to go on the expedition, I ran up the dune and shot Fouad while they were starting to go. It was the picture perfect shot I was looking for. The guides were yelling at me when I ran over with my cameras hanging on my neck. Hopped on an camel and started the journey. We were clacking along for a couple hours then in the purple dawn we made it to our stop. It was like a village built into the dunes. The host took us for some tea, and had dinner after the fast. Once we settled down we all went for a walk in the pillowy sand that was soft and warm at the touch. When you bury your feet or hands in the sand it was colder. We all sat in a circle and listened to music for a while, then we heard music coming from another campsite a hundred yards away with a large fire burning. A celebration was there, while we remained quiet over here. Talking and connecting under the moon and stars. My italian friends from Milano sparked up some hash and we laid under the moon for hours just watching and listening. It was quiet and bright and beautiful. It felt like time did not want to end in this ever present moment of sand and sky. It was serenity.... And then it was over. I'll never forget those sensations and colors. Like a symphony of synesthesia, absorbed by dark matter that was purple all over. A nocturnal glow, like a black light blanketed the desert as far as your eyes can perceive. Soft, yet expansive. The stars were faint but visible. All I could think was, How lucky are we to be there for a full moon?