Your Favorites - Enjoy! - Trey Ratcliff | Stuck In Customs | HDR Photography Portfolio
She was broken by time and the winds beat her into the dirt below.  She sank into it without control.  A gentle grace hungered in the vibrations that pulsed out from her previous life.  Some people saw this and they came to bask, to climb, to commune, to sit, to laugh, to cry, to hold hands, to find a hand to hold, to stroll, to watch the moon, to add to the vibrations, to clambor, to hold, to rest, to meditate, to feel something new as she sank ever deeper into the earth, leaving rhythms of new life behind.
Dragon in the Fire
I don't use my "big" camera too much out in the desert because of the sandstorms... So I've been using this little Olympus PEN camera from time to time, and I like the results. Of course, I do a bit more post-processing and this sort of thing... but I'm happy with the results generally from this new line of cameras.

At Burning Man, there are hundreds of unique vehicles that roll around the desert during all times of the day and night. It's a feast for the eyes and the camera! :)

- Trey Ratcliff

Read more here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Thunderdome - Blood on the Sand
I was only partially injured while getting this photo from the wild sands of Burning Man.

A group tenderly called the "Death Guild" erected a Thunderdome in the desert city here at Burning Man. I was riding home on my customized Mad Max bike (thx for making it for me +Cliff Baise !), and I saw hundreds converging on the Thunderdome for a massive fight. Screaming hordes started climbing the super-structure to get a closer look. By the time I arrived, the observers were 10 deep on all sides, everyone crushing in to get a view of the big fight ...

- Trey Ratcliff

Read the whole story here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Almost Burning Man Time: Happy Tassels

Nobody is really shy there, and that's nice. Or, maybe if people are shy, they get over it pretty quick. After a few days, everyone is very relaxed and everything seems okay and natural.

- Trey Ratcliff

Read the rest (and see all of the Burning Man images in the same spot) here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Almost Burning Man Time: Painting

Center camp is a mecca for all kinds of artistic activities. Artists set up canvases, jugglers toss knives, and dancers gyrate around the court. It's really a feast for the eyes... and there was never a dull moment for my camera!

- Trey Ratcliff

Read the rest (and see all of the Burning Man images in the same spot) here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Almost Burning Man Time: Dancing in the Sun

On one of my first mornings, I walked away from my camp towards the middle of the playa. This gypsy was dancing around in the sun and having fun... I smiled and squatted down low to grab a photo.

- Trey Ratcliff

Read the rest (and see all of the Burning Man images in the same spot) here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Biking Across the Playa
I think I need a bike this year at Burning Man!  And, I need an awesome bike... with all kinds of lights and perhaps some speakers where I can plug in my iPod.  The only problem is that I am not handy.  I have only a few skills, and none of them seem to include all the things that everyone at Burning Man can build except me.  Wherever I go, I'm surrounded by all kinds of nice hand-made art exhibitions...  fanciful and crazy stuff is everywhere.  Sure, I'm handy with a stylus and a Wacom tablet, but that doesn't do me much good in the desert.

So, if you come out to the playa and have an extra amazing bike sitting around, let me know.  I'll bring you some Belgian gourmet chocolate for the trade.

from Trey Ratcliff at www.stuckincustoms.com
Steampunk at Burning Man

Everyone at Burning Man is in costume all the time.  That's about 50,000 people at a week-long costume party that becomes pretty intense.  On the night of the actual burn of the tower (which you can see in the background), there was a little gathering of steampunk players toward the inner ring.  One of the girls saw me taking photos, and came over to compare goggles for a bit.  I grabbed this one of her just before it was time to return to her party.

I've processed many photos from Burning Man.  It was an amazing time, and I took a different approach.  I did the usual HDR style on a few, but I also experimented quite a bit.  I'll share some of this in an upcoming post -- I'm aiming to get them up sometime this week if I can!  

Read the rest here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Your Favorites - Enjoy! - Trey Ratcliff | Stuck In Customs | HDR Photography Portfolio
Your Favorites - Enjoy! - Trey Ratcliff | Stuck In Customs | HDR Photography Portfolio
Your Favorites - Enjoy! - Trey Ratcliff | Stuck In Customs | HDR Photography Portfolio
See photo in original gallery.