Lessons in Solitude

Capturing the Stillness of the Desert

Photographs elicit feelings — one of the many powers of photography. And that feeling is highly dependent on the subject, the timing, the lighting, and all that goes into the art of capturing life through the lens of a camera. The Flow Trip was fortunate enough to ask a few photographers about how documenting desert landscape and life allows them to not only capture those images, but to sit with the feeling of isolation. And how a setting and feeling seemingly so desolate can end up being a teacher, bringing forth a sense of connectedness to themselves and the natural world. 

 

Lesson 1: Abundance 

By Ricardo Braz | @ricardobrazb

Salar de Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia 

The desert shows how little we really need. Out there, you feel small, but at the same time closer to yourself and to nature. I love how there’s nothing around, but somehow there’s so much. It teaches you to appreciate the small things: the silence, the light, the stillness — and to leave the busy and rushed world behind. Even in the emptiness, you realize everything you need is already there. 

 

Lesson 2: Connection 

By Natascha Klein | @tashi_ka

Ammassalik Island, East Greenland

In the Arctic, desert isolation is not emptiness but presence. The silence makes you attentive, every sound and shift in the ice amplified. The cold demands respect — every step and decision must be deliberate, reminding you how closely survival is tied to nature. In this way solitude here draws you nearer: to yourself, in discovering your resilience, and to the natural world, in recognizing our deep connection to its forces.

 

Lesson 3: Renewal 

By Paul Hoelen | @paulhoelen

Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, South Australia

Standing so small against such immensity shifts my perspective — quieting the mind, realigning values, and dissolving everyday concerns into something far simpler, purer and more authentic to who I am. In that stillness, my inner voice and intuitive knowing rise closer to the surface as the mental chatter fades away. Such is the gift the desert offers us all.

This image presents the arrival of extremely rare floodwaters at Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, Australia’s largest salt lake. Usually one of the driest, hottest, and harshest places on Earth, its sudden transformation by life-giving water sharpens a certain lesson: that even in the most remote and unforgiving environments, life persists, surprises, and reminds us of our own capacity for renewal.

 

Lesson 4: Reverence 

By George Steinmetz | @geosteinmetz

Dasht-e Lut, Iran

Flying in remote desert locations has allowed me to document the natural forces that have shaped our planet, and the impact of humanity on these fragile wildernesses. My time in these arid environments has filled me with both awe and respect for the natural world: awe for its austere beauty, and respect for what a mess I will be in if anything goes wrong for me out there.

 

Lesson 5: Reflection 

By Richard Misrach 

Southern California

I see the desert as a natural and cultural landscape that could tell us a lot about America today. I think of the desert as a vast stage where civilization is played out. — From his book On Landscape and Meaning

Photographer: RICHARD MISRACH | Title: Desert Fire #1 (Burning Palms), 1983 | Credit: © Richard Misrach, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco

See more from Richard in Fraenkel Gallery’s upcoming exhibition Richard Mirsach: Rewind in San Francisco, now through December 20th. 

 

Feature image by Ricardo Braz | @ricardobrazb