There are three main problems working in the desert: The dust, the light, and looking after your kit.
The dust is very fine and gets everywhere – into your clothes and into your camera. I tried not to change lenses too often, but even then I had to take everything to be cleaned both times I came back. The dust also affects photography: Sometimes it looks misty and ‘flat’– it’s just the dust.
Some of the best light was in the ‘golden hour”, just as the sun was rising or setting.
My cameras took a bit of a bashing – on and off aircraft and clambering around armoured vehicles – there seemed to be hard edges everywhere.
I said three problems… there’s a fourth one I should have mentioned: Food. It’s not as bad as they tell you. I quite like the boil-in-the-bag chicken tikka masala – I even brought one back with me.
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