The eighth (and possibly final) video in our series exploring photographers working in the landscapes they call home came together as a bit of a fluke. I was originally set to travel from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon to profile an experienced Grand Canyon photographer and guide. Unfortunately that photographer had to cancel at the last minute due to a family emergency, which left me scrambling for a replacement from my Vegas hotel room. I am lucky I found Justin Kelly. Justin is a relatively new photographer, he’s only been taking the art form seriously for a couple of years – before that he was in the military. What I liked about Justin’s story is how he has been documenting the vanishing landscape around his home town, where the desert is quickly becoming the outer edges of the city. Justin took me out to a part of Red Rock Canyon that is not usually visited by tourists and we filmed this piece on a hot, windy afternoon in June of 2019. Inspired by some of my favourite westerns (one in particular) I decided to present it in black and white.

Enjoy!

You can see more of Justin’s photography here: https://www.instagram.com/justinkelly_photography/?hl=enPlease stay tuned for a follow up article that will review the entire series as a whole and will shine some light on some behind-the-scenes details from the shoots including some set photographs and some tech information for those who might be interested. I’ll also keep an eye on the forums over the next week if you have any questions and I’ll be happy to answer. Thanks so much to the Lula community for watching and supporting! 

Nick Taylor

October 2020