CASE STUDY
Desert Dwellers
A long-form, medium format analog documentary project exploring the residents of an off-grid desert community in Southern California, fully photographed and written by Daniel Skwarna.
Sector: Photojournalism & Documentary
Format: Medium Format Film & Written Editorial
The Build: Analog Photography, Immersive Journalism, Editorial Writing
The Problem: Telling the story of an isolated, off-grid community without falling into the trap of poverty tourism or outsider clichés.
The Solution: A slow, deliberate analog approach that prioritized patience, trust, and authentic human connection over quick digital snapping.
The Challenge
Telling an Off-Grid Story with Respect
Slab City is a unique, off-grid community in the Southern California desert. It’s a place that is often sensationalized or misunderstood by transient media. The goal of this long-form personal project was to document the residents and their environment authentically, combining medium format photography with a self-written article. The main hurdle was earning the trust of the community and finding a way to tell their story with dignity, rather than just dropping in for a quick, superficial look.
Avoiding Clichés: Steering clear of the stereotypical angles and sensationalism that often plague stories about fringe communities.
Earning Access: Building genuine relationships with residents in a place that is naturally skeptical of outsiders with cameras.
The Solution
The Slow Pace of Medium Format
Shooting on medium format film was a deliberate choice. It forces you to slow down. You can't just fire off hundreds of frames and hope for the best. Every shot has to be considered, which means you spend more time talking, listening, and connecting with the subjects before the camera ever comes up to your eye. Writing the piece myself also meant the narrative and the visuals were completely unified from the start.
Analog Patience: Using medium format film to create a slower, more intentional shooting environment that put subjects at ease.
Unified Storytelling: Acting as both photographer and writer to ensure the visual tone and the written narrative were perfectly aligned.
The Result
A Dignified, Grounded Narrative
The project stands as a respectful, intimate portrait of life on the fringes of society. By combining the rich texture of medium format film with first-hand reporting, the final piece offers a deep, humanizing look at Slab City that goes far beyond the typical headlines.
Authentic Connection: A series of environmental portraits and landscapes that feel earned, not stolen.
Complete Creative Control: A fully cohesive long-form documentary piece where the words and the images support each other perfectly.
LUMEN
Based on Wellington, Prince Edward County, working across North America & beyond.
Navigation
Process (Coming Soon)
About
(Coming Soon)
Connect
Social
Connect
daniel@lumendesign.ca
Tel. 647-280-5977
359 Wellington Main Street
Wellington, ON. K0K 3L0
© 2026 by Lumen