I am on a skiff flying through the Sea of Cortez from the capital of Baja Sur, La Paz. Destination is Isla Espiritu Santo. It's a large island just off La Paz, and I've hired local divemaster Lucio to guide me into its shallow lagoons and bays.

Our objective is to photograph the island's landscapes in large format, with an old style camera.

The problem is that in my four days of shooting with Lucio, I wouldn't know that each of my sheets of film wouldn't be 'catching.' That's right, the camera is shooting blanks.

These days, I carry an extra camera with me, mostly to document an animal or plant species that I can later identify with the use of the image. Because I lost my landscapes, I'll use my species photos to talk about the strange flora and fauna of Isla Espiritu Santo. And why conservationists see this desert island to be of extreme importance.

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