Lightgathering 2021 | Salton Sea

Posted on William Bay

I’ve written before about the group of wise and experienced photographers called Lightgathering that get together on a yearly basis. The same group that has adopted me as one of their own. Unfortunately with Covid, there wasn’t a Lightgathering in 2020, and 2019 was held here in San Diego, and I was playing host more than shooting.

Now that we are in a post-ish Covid world, with vaccines, and no more stay-at home orders, we were excited to hold another Lightgathering. This year it was decided to meet at the Salton Sea, despite it only being 2 hours from me, I hadn’t had the sheer joy of experiencing what a unique and quirky place the whole area is. I hope my photos below convey just how much fun I had photographing.

Chapter One | Lightgathering Cast of Characters

I arrived a day later than everyone else. Alan, Neil, Dennis, Richard were already photographing when I met up with them at the Sonny Bono Wildlife Reserve along the shores of the dead Salton Sea.

Plovers lining up in flight.
Richard Senti pretending to photograph something interesting.
Alan Pitcairn photographing obsidian covered in salt deposits.
Alan photographing his wife Brigit (not covered in salt deposits).
Richard actually photographing something interesting.
Dennis casting a shadow, and taking great curiosity in the geothermal powered mud pots.

Chapter 2 | Bombay Beach

All the dead fish are gone, but the stench is still there.

While the place is a ghost town, and Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby no longer hang out there, Bombay Beach still has a pulse of life. There are art installations everywhere you look. In fact many of Burning Man’s art pieces come here to retire.

Slow news day.
Johnny 5 couldn’t survive the Salton Sea.
If at least one Tesla owner drove onto the beach to try this, it would have been worth the effort of this joke.
Tonight’s double feature is Blues Brothers, and Blues Brothers 2000.
Bombay Beach’s newest drug peddlers. Richard & Neil down on the corner dealing Lithium.
Met this cool couple that made me buy them beers in trade for photographing them.

Chapter 3 | East Jesus

This place was fun! Found object art. The Honda XR was probably my favorite. Oh! And the outdoor bowling alley (sorry, no pictures of that).

There is also a place called West Satan. But I didn’t go.
It ran when it was parked.
I think the HOA might take objection to this.
They’re not East Jesus, they’re South Flamingo.
Herbie’s more raunchy cousin, Hirschel The Boink Bug.
What happens when a whale and an alligator have a baby?
I feel like you’re trying to tell me something here.

Chapter 4 | Slab City

“The Last Free Place in America” This is the allure for many outcasts and people on the fringes of society. If you don’t want to be found, this is a good place to get lost.

The few people I met and spoke with were running from something, although some were running to this. They wanted to be embraced by a community of unembraced.

I saw a sign for a skatepark, and of course I had to go.
I was welcomed into the community by these two awesome people.
They moved from Seattle to Slab City just two weeks ago, and have fallen in love with the community.
You wouldn’t think it from looking at them, but Gilly and Jupiter are both sweethearts.
Gilly was so fun to photograph with. He was determined to make incredible art.
Jupiter is a Pitbull/Mastiff mix, and likes to give kisses. Gilly might too.

Chapter 5 | Salvation Mountain

Leonard Knight was the man that brought this colorful and whimsical monument to God and love to life. Sadly he has passed away, but his legacy lives on with the mountain, and the works of art made from dead cars, and found objects.

Taking Leonard’s place for the last 5 years is Ron. His smile is infectious, and so is his work ethic and devotion to preserving Leonard’s vision.

Charolette had the most outstanding shoes!
Ron took over the massive job of preserving Salvation Mountain after Leonard passed.
Moving to Salvation Mountain about 5 years ago, he is the caretaker and ambassador. Greeting and sharing this unique place with all the tourists that visit.
When he’s not smiling and sharing about the mountain, Ron’s smiling and adding more layers of paint or mud.

Also published on Medium.

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