These photographers want you to see what Burning Man 2018 was really like

Each year we hear about the headaches and gripes related to Burning Man, and yet roughly 70,000 participants make the trek to the Black Rock Desert each year. For those that have never been, the rationale behind setting up camp outside of Gerlach, Nevada for a week can be a bit of a mystery. But a "Doc Team" of volunteer photographers and videographers tries to demystify the event for the uninitiated and chronicle it for those who want to relive the memories.

Professional photographer Sidney Erthal is one of those photographers. He attended his 14th burn this year and is co-creator of the best-selling photo coffee table book Burning Man Art on Fire. He has provided SFGATE with photographs of the event in the past, and shared many of his best 2018 shots in the gallery above


The Brazilian-born Erthal found his way to California to study English. After earning a degree in tourism, he "accidentally" ended up in Sausalito, where he had the opportunity to meet people who introduced him to the art of photography.

One of the principles of Burning Man is to welcome everyone, Erthal noted. He hopes sharing his photos will help acculturate prospective participants about what to expect from the event. The art theme of this year's burn was "I, Robot," which focuses on the many forms of artificial intelligence that permeate our lives.

Burning Man Doc Team photographer Jane Hu contributed her photographs as well this year.


"This was my 9th year on the playa," said Hu. "I first started hearing about Burning Man well before that, but it took a few years for me to get over my initial preconceived notions of the event. With the help of some amazing friends, I made the first trip in 2010 and have been heading back there ever since."

"I try to go into each year with a different perspective in mind. This year I kept the word "transition" in my head and focused on experiences that better allowed me to process some major life transitions, experiences like flying over Burning Man to see the scale and temporary nature of what we all built together," added Hu. "The art is new, the interactions are new, even the weather conditions are new. Not to mention every year, despite my attempts to see as much as I can, I probably only cover a single digit percentage of what there is to experience.

Photo: Sidney Erthal / Burning Man

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By Douglas Zimmerman, SFGATE ,Thursday, September 6, 2018


Douglas Zimmerman is the Online Photo Editor of SFGATE and oversees SFGATE's Instagram. View his latest stories and send him news tips at dzimmerman@sfgate.com.