DAVE HILL PHOTO

Nothing makes me feel as content and in-control of my life as the freedom to wander with my car and camera. My worries quickly fade away, and I can begin to create without the self-judgement and doubt that plagues me so frequently.

No crew, no agenda.

I'm realizing more and more that the pure joy of photography for me is the getting to step into an environment and frame up it's elements. Whether it's people, structures, or nature, in a way, makes little difference.

I have a seemingly endless fascination with the desert and the intersection of synthetic objects with vast, barren landscapes. The American southwest is such an odd mix of modern desert dwellers and the remnants of those who have come before them. I love to wander over the ruins of past homesteads, looking through rusty relics that paint a small picture of what life would have been for the people who lived there decades ago. What was their daily life like? What made them leave everything behind? Did the kids grow up and move away? Have they ever been back to these desolate spots? I'm definitely romantic about the past.

On these trips, I usually shoot with my Mamiya 7 medium-format still camera and Kodak Ektar 100 film.

This time, I decided to replicate the still-photo experience with a handheld 4k cinema camera, driving from my home in Burbank, CA out to the Navajo reservations in Arizona.

This is a look into my process and my pacing when shooting alone in the desert. I hope this film can reveal to you a little bit of the magic I've experience on the open road.

- Dave Hill

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