Journey Inland: Moments in the California Desert Landscape
How have over 100 years of environmental exploitation transformed the California desert? These pictures are part of a 7-year investigation into the changing physical landscape of the Imperial, Coachella, San Joaquin and Palo Verde valleys. This arid, inland region is an intersection of essential resource production separate from the rest of the state. Having industrial agriculture and oil production side-by-side depletes the ground nutrients and alters the environment, requiring massive amounts of water, generating chemical runoff and endangering the quality of life for local inhabitants and workers. Places like the Salton Sea -- a man-made disaster that became the largest lake in California -- inspired me to create pictures from multiple vantage points. From aerial views to more intimate perspectives, I’m asking the viewer to carefully reflect upon land use and the toll modern life takes on the land and our communities.