Joshua Tree : 3 days in californian desert
Joshua Tree. 3 days. Definitely too short. We'll be back.
Amélie, Romeo, and I landed in the California desert with a simple idea: unplug from our Tahitian routine, explore this lunar landscape, and just... be together.
No signature sessions. No clients. No mandatory golden hour (okay, I still shot during golden hour—I can't help myself).
Just the three of us. And our cameras. Because a photographer on vacation is still a photographer.
The gear: everything we had on hand
Here's what we packed:
My pro camera (the one I work with every day)
The iPhone (because the best camera is the one you have with you)
A compact digital Polaroid (for instant memories, for fun)
Amélie and I switched between all three. iPhone for spontaneous moments, Polaroid for that tangible, immediate feel, pro camera for... well, because I can't resist.
And you know what? It reminded me of a truth I sometimes forget behind my demands for perfect light and technique: it's not about the gear. It's about taking the photo.
Kate, Leaf & Rose: beautiful encounters
Special shoutout to Kate and Leaf, who welcomed us into their incredible Airbnb. A thoughtfully designed, warm space that made us feel at home 6,000 miles from Tahiti.
And Rose, who introduced us to Cyanotype—an ancestral photographic technique where chemistry and sunlight create unique blue-toned images.
Romeo loved the workshop. Watching his hands manipulate the negatives, observing the magic unfold under the desert sun... It reconnected me to the essence of this craft: light. Always light.
The images: us, Joshua Tree, the moment
In the photos throughout this post, you'll see:
Me (rare, I know)
Amélie
Romeo
Joshua Tree's stunning landscapes: giant boulders, ghostly Joshua Trees, sublime sunrises and sunsets—freezing cold, but sublime!
Nothing posed. Nothing calculated. Just the moment.
It's funny: as a photographer, I spend my time creating timeless memories for others. But here, for once, these memories are ours.
What Joshua Tree reminded me
Three days in the desert, and I'm leaving with this:
You don't need perfect gear to tell a story. You need to be present. To observe. To feel.
That's what I always tell my clients: we don't photograph poses. We photograph emotions.
And that's exactly what we experienced in Joshua Tree.
We'll be back
3 days was too short. We'll return. With the same cameras. With the same intention. And probably with Romeo wanting to do more cyanotype.
Until then, here are some images from our escape.
If you want authentic memories of your family, your relationship, or your special moments captured in Tahiti or Moorea, you know where to find me. But right now, I'm still soaking in the California desert.
