Fresno, Bakersfield, Lancaster, Los Angeles, and Furnace Creek in Death Valley have one thing in common this year. They have all received less than 2 1/2 inches of rain.
In the best of times, most of these areas are semi-arid and require irrigation to create the agricultural powerhouse the State of California is.
California’s agricultural success would not be possible without irrigation. In an average year, approximately 9.6 million acres are irrigated with roughly 34 million acre-feet of water; an amount that would cover 31 million football fields with 1 foot of water. Most of this irrigation water is used very efficiently. (https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/Agricultural-Water-Use-Efficiency#:~:text=California’s%20agricultural%20success%20would%20not,water%20is%20used%20very%20efficiently.)
After 4 days of slow travel, I have reached the Mojave Desert. I have not shot as much film as planned. I still have a few days, so we shall see what happens.
These images were shot with the Nikon Df, with either the 28mm 2.8d or the 85mm 1.8d Lens attached.
Steven Lawrence Pictures 