State of Light / Burning Man
A personal photography project · Since 2011
Burning Man
Black Rock City, Nevada
I’ve been returning to Burning Man since 2011, photographing the art, the people, and the temporary city they create together.
These galleries are my personal record of those visits—of time spent with The Artery, encounters on the playa, and the changing experience of returning with a camera.
From the 2025 collection
Tomorrow Today
Burning Man 2025
This visit brought storms, rain, and a different pace. I spent the first days photographing on film, becoming more selective and taking more time to absorb the city.
The full collection brings together art, weather, and the people who kept creating through it.
Stories & perspectives
Different ways of seeing the same week.
Back to film
A return to the Olympus OM-2 and a more deliberate way of photographing.
From the archive · 2019
Moving images
Video is part of the way I document Burning Man, alongside the photographs. This film comes from the 2019 gallery.
Explore the archive
Photographs and stories from earlier visits, including the annual collections and individual perspectives.
Burning Man 2025
Burning Man 2025 Burning Man 2025 carried the spirit of a World’s Fair — not about consumerism, but about art, imagination, and collective action. The theme asked us to look past the myths of utopia and dystopia and instead explore a “protopia” — a future that gets a...
Burning Man 2025: Art Cars
Burning Man 2025 Tommorow Today: Art Cars & Mutant Vechicles Each year, hundreds of Art Cars — or Mutant Vehicles — bring the playa to life, transforming Black Rock City into a moving gallery of light, sound, and imagination. Some roar like dragons or glide like...
Burning Man 2025: Shot of Film
Burnining Man 2025: Shot On Film This year I wanted to slow down. Lately I’ve been very aware of how much our society is wired for instant gratification, and I’ve been asking myself what still keeps me patient. Gardening does—planting, tending, growing from seed....
Burning Man 2025: Stormy Weather
Stormy Weather: Burning Man 2025 Tomorrow Today I arrived in Black Rock City on August 23rd in the early afternoon. The weather was calm at first, but later that day the storms began. Winds over 50 mph ripped across the playa, bending poles, collapsing shade...
Burning Man 2025: The Trash Fence
The Trash Fence Ride, “Burning Man 2025 Mother F&#king Champion.” I like to ride out to the Trash Fence during the event — the furthest edge of Black Rock City. Out there, the city shrinks on the horizon and the desert feels cinematic under the midday sun....
SF Decompression 2024: Black Top City
Burning Man - SF Decompression 2024: Black Top City
Burning Man 2024
Burning Man 2024: Curiouser & Curiouser The art and landscape of Black Rock City, Nevada[el_masonry_gallery...
Burning Man Center Camp 2024
Urban Renewal: Burning Man Center [el_masonry_gallery...
Burning Man 2024 B&W
Burning Man 2024: Curiouser & Curiouser Build Week Saturday, August 24, 2024. [el_masonry_gallery image_ids="15857,15856,15855,15854,15853,15852,15850,15849,15820,15847,15845,15844,15843,15842,15840,15819,15838,15837,15835,15833,15830,15828,15822,15821"...
Burning Man 2024: Build Week
Burning Man 2024: Build Week [el_masonry_gallery _builder_version="4.5.3" _module_preset="default"...
Burning Man 2023 – Mudtopia
Burning Man - Black Rock City, NV Saturday, September 2, 2023 I woke up in the middle of the night to a cold, wet tent. I got into my car and wrapped myself in all my dry clothes and faux furs. In the morning, I aired out my tent and used my car’s heater to dry my...
Animalia 2023
Burning Man 2023 Animalia The Art & Landscape Black Rock City, NV David C. Hill Photographer For more information about the artist please visit Burning Man Art Installations 2023 [el_masonry_gallery...
Waking Dreams 2022: Transporation
Waking Dreams 2022
Burning Man 2022 Waking Dreams The Art and Landscape of Black Rock City, NV The theme is centered around the transformative power of dreams, both literal and figurative. It celebrates the dreamers who channel this potent energy in surrealistic and life-changing ways....
Metamorphoses 2019
Burning Man- Metamorphoses 2019 Black Rock City, NV The concept of personal and societal transformation is a powerful and ever-present force in literature, art, and personal experience. From Ovid's tales of metamorphosis to Franz Kafka's depiction of Gregor Samsa's...
I, Robot 2018
Burning Man, I, Robot 2018 Black Rock City, NV 1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A...
Radical Ritual 2017
Burning Man 2017 - Radical Ritual Black Rock City, NV The Burning Man festival's 2017 theme was "Radical Ritual", which explored the power of ritual and its role in our lives. The festival encouraged participants to create art, , ritual processions, shrines, icons,...
Da Vinci’s Workshop 2016
Burning Man 2016 - Da Vinci's Workshop The for 2016 was inspired by the Italian Renaissance, particularly the city of Florence. The organizers aimed to recreate the potent social alchemy of Florence by combining Burning Man art, maker culture, and creative...
Carnival of Mirrors 2015
Burning Man 2016 - Carnival of Mirrors The Carnival of Mirrors theme at Burning Man is a fascinating exploration of the ways in which our identities and perceptions of reality are shaped by the world around us. The theme asks three essential questions: within our...
Caravansary 2014
Burning Man 2014 - Caravansary The theme for Burning Man 2014 was "Caravansary", which was inspired by the Silk Route's network of oases and sanctuaries. The Burning Man community created a bazaar , where travelers from all over the world could come together to share...
Cargo Cult 2013
Burning Man 2013 - Cargo Cult John Frum is a mythical figure who brings abundance and mysterious technology. The Burning Man event in 2013 had a theme centered around him, questioning who he is, where he is from, and where we are all going on planet Earth. The event...
Rights of Passage of 2011
Burning Man 2011 - Rites of Passage Many people view attending Burning Man as a transformative experience, and the Rites of Passage theme in 2011 certainly added to this perception. By exploring the different rites of passage that exist in different cultures,...
Continue exploring
Bay Area burner culture → San Francisco → More personal projects →
© David C. Hill · State of Light