I feel like I’ve just returned from another planet. I’m still processing Burning Man — both emotionally and literally, thanks to the 1,500+ images I’ve been sorting through. Yesterday, as I spent the entire day flying from California back to New York, I could barely type fast enough to keep up with the memories and ideas that were pouring out of me. I have no idea how I’m going to compose my pages upon pages of fragmented thoughts about my week in the middle of the desert into cohesive posts, but I’ll worry about that tomorrow. Today, I have several hundred emails to catch up on and several million particles of dust to extract from my belongings.
I didn’t even bother trying to narrow down Photo of the Week to less than ten candidates. What can I say? It’s not too often you get to travel to an entirely different world.
Photo A
Finally in Black Rock City after two days of travel from New York
Photo B
Art on the Playa
Photo C
Hiding out from a dust storm
Photo D
Regaining visibility after a white out
Photo E
My favorite note in the emotion-filled Temple
Photo F
Exploring more art on a night out
Photo G
Watching the sun set from The Man
Photo H
My camp’s Mutant Vehicle in front of The Man
Photo I
Scenes from the Playa at night
Photo J
Watching The Man burn
Which photo is your favorite?
C, It’s haunting. I still have no idea what Burning Man is.
Click the link in the first sentence, though I admit that nothing can really explain it until you are there 🙂
I can’t wait to see your posts, I’m so excited! I’m not picking a favorite pic, they are all amazing!
Hopefully I will get them up soon, though as I said I still have a lot to process and absorb first!
Yay I’ve been waiting to hear from you about Burning Man all week! Know that you will be writing another blog post about it, but these photos are quenching my thirst! My favorites are Photo D & F!, especially Photo D, it looks like it comes from a sci-fi movie!!!
Thanks Kat! There will be TONS of Burning Man posts coming up, fear not 🙂
Brilliant photos! Burning Man is a bit of an enigma to me. Everything I’ve seen just looks surreal. Photo D is definitely my favourite, the figure rising from the dust is a powerful image.
Believe me, I’ve just returned and yet in many ways it is still an enigma to me as well 🙂 There is simply nothing like it!
I cannot wait to read about this, I am dying with curiosity! Another tough choice this week, but I’ll go with F for it’s pretty cool kaleidascope look.
That was one of my favorite art pieces of the week… it felt like I was stepping into a weird piece of graphic design!
Wow, incredible photos… LOVE C, though it’s incredibly hard to choose! Can’t wait to hear more about Burning Man. x
I love C too! Something about all the goggles and face masks made everyone feel like an alien.
Incredible photos, looking forward to the Burning man posts!
Thank you Naomi! I’m looking forward to sharing… once I get around to finding a way to say everything I want to say!
Burning Man sounds so…otherworldly. I’m looking forward to learning more about it so I can decide if I want to go or not! Oh, and I like the ‘hiding out from a dust storm’ photo best.
I’m definitely throwing up some practical posts about things like costs in there with the more poetic ones, so hopefully that should help you! And that’s one of my faves as well 🙂
All of the above!!! I’m so damn jealous right meow! BM is huge on my list to do! Too many questions. I do, however love those moments of shock. You keep asking yourself….did that really happen? Get the post up ASAP! (Pls) 🙂
Yup, it’s always been on my bucket list too. But I don’t think I crossed it off… I just want to go back now!
Photo D! So spooky!
Echoing everyone else, I can’t wait to hear all about it!
That seems to be a reader favorite this week 🙂 Thanks Jade!
I love Photo J. All of the photos are gorgeous though!
I love that photo because I think I can still feel the heat from that fire when I look at it! Thanks Ashley!
Wow they’re all amazing!! Can’t wait to read all your thoughts on this, I know nothing about Burning Man!
I think my biggest challenge will be answering the question “What IS Burning Man!?” It’s not a simple answer!
Wow, these are all incredible Alex!!! I love them all, but am going to narrow it down to D and F. I can’t wait to read your posts about your time there 🙂
Eeek! So much to express through words…. it will be a fun challenge 🙂
Photo A, B or D. Love them all can’t wait to learn about this burning man festival thing!
I’m excited to be the first one to bring this experience to so many readers! Sounds like I have a lot of explaining to do! 🙂
Photo D.
All photos are great. Can’t wait to see more pics from the middle of the desert.
Looks like that’s the winner this time 🙂
J…it represents what I expect Burning Man to be.
I can’t wait to show you the rest of the photos this weekend!
Wow. Cannot wait for your coverage of this event. Photo F is phenomenal!!!!
Thank you Sarah! Me neither, eeek!
Wes here, long time listener, occasional caller.
Sweet jimminy gee. Picture D is so good as to be *important*.
I miss you Wes. Call again 🙂
My absolute favorite is D!!!
I love Photo of the Week because it’s always so fun to see ya’lls favorites! This one definitely wins the week 🙂
all of the are so amazing, would love to go someday! but D is my favorite!
I hope you make someday too (and I hope I’m back as well!)
Wow, all of these photographs are absolutely amazing! Some of the best that I have seen here in a while and I mean that in the best way possible, I always love your photography! 🙂 It doesn’t just look like another world – it looks like another planet! My favorite Photo is Photo D: Otherworldly!
One stupid question, though: What is Burning Man? I’ve never heard of it before. 🙂
xx
Melanie
Thank you so much Melanie! I will do more posts on Burning Man but for a quick primer, click the Burning Man link in my first paragraph. It should answer some questions!
D D D D D is perhaps the most striking photo you have ever taken
Thank you! That is a real compliment.
This looks soo surreal, but I love it. Photo i is definitely my favourite.
Glad to see a vote for that one! I loved that octopus car.
D – quite incredible. x
Thank you, thank you Lou!
This was my second year and I’m convinced it is now going to become a permanent fixture in my life.
Can you believe I didn’t take ANY photos all week? I just needed to be free. I couldn’t bring myself to! You got some amazing shots!
I’m always so amazed by people who can go camera-less! I can’t imagine it 🙂 However I have been feeling a lot of pressure lately to take ideo everywhere I go and I have a huge editing backlog and it adds a lot of stress. So before I left for Burning Man I said, no video — and it felt great.
More pics! I’m finally starting to understand what this whole thing is about…
I think there needs to be an Orth camp out there one year 🙂
All of them! They are all tremendous
Thanks Sasha 🙂 This is one of my favorite sets in a while!
Great shots!
Thanks Ayngelina! It’s such a challenging environment I Was thrilled hen any of my photos turned out half decent!
man!!!! I haven’t seen your posts in a while as I’ve been on the road but so excited when I saw this one! Can’t believe you were at burning man! couldn’t make it this year myself, but next year!! Awesome photos, glad you had an amazing time !! its another wooorld! 🙂 peace and love!
I really hope I get to go again and again. Truly another planet. Thanks Jessie!
Wow, so many comments! Glad to see you made it! Having been to “the Playa” a few times myself (last time was 2007), I can say it is a unique experience, but it’s not for everybody. My friend made a film about it which is available on Netflix: Burning Man, Beyond Black Rock. Check it out. Hope you had a good Burn!
I definitely agree this is not for everyone. Several of my friends told me they’d rather spend the week in a federal penitentiary than out on the Playa!
Photo D its just like in Mars Planet
hahaha … is that a desert ?
It is indeed! The Black Rock City desert!