JourneyLearning: - Your journey guide

Hostile and uninviting though they may seem, deserts can be wonderfully rewarding for photographers. We tend to visualize deserts as vast, arid wastelands, but in fact, most are rich with life.In the more barren desert regions, because the geologic and graphic components are so minimal--sand, rock, sky, and some plants--your compositions will by necessity often verge on the stark and abstract. In searching for and composing such scenes, then, exploit the visual simplicity to reveal the harsh nature of the place: ripples of wind-driven sand cresting into nomadic dunes, fractured patterns of cracking mud in long-dry watering holes, the delicate trail of lizard tracks leading from

rock to rock. Textures  abound here too, and you can really pop them out with low-angle light from the side or rear. In regions that get some water, the shapes and textures of tenacious forms of plant life may be the main attraction. In the saguaro forests of southern Arizona, for instance, the fanciful profiles of the giant cacti make dramatic silhouettes against a sunset sky. In spring, especially after a wet winter, the desert floor often erupts into a tapestry of colorful blooms. Planning your visit for peak blooming periods requires research and sometimes flexibility, but the satisfaction is worth it. Whatever the specific environment, take to heart all the cautions you've heard about deserts: Heat, nasty insects, sharp cactus spines, and rough footing can be torture if you're not prepared for them. The desert heat can be brutal at midday, and the light is not attractive; save your film for the low-angle light of early morning and late afternoon. Always, but always, bring more water and film than you think you'll need. Store both in a white cooler on the floor of the car.