NOMAD’S LAND

DESERT OBSERVATIONS

WRITTEN & CAPTURED BY TEE BAKER

Sand Sailors


To survive the dunes and scorching heat of the desert is to master a delicate balance of grit and submission, characteristic of most of its residents.

These neighbours vary drastically in shape and size: loping camels, flitting dragonflies and keen-eyed falcons above. They coexist in the unhurried way that life in the desert demands, succumbing to the predetermined rhythms and cycles.

Great expanses of sand stretch as far as the eye can see, shifting under the command of the wind. We, the sailors, are tethered to the elements by taut Sadu tents and sheer determination.

Pictured in this visual essay are portraits of a herd of camels and their shepherd, a resting dragonfly, and a falcon.

BAHRAH, SAUDI ARABIA

JANUARY 2024

A woman with dark hair and earrings, posing with her hands behind her head, wearing a cream-colored sweater against a gray background.

Tee Baker is the founder and editor of The Spillbook. An MA graduate in screenwriting, her work spans cultural commentary and narrative-led digital storytelling across industries. She is the author of Bark & Ink (2020), a debut poetry anthology. Away from the page, she spends her time outdoors, often on foot or on horseback.

Behind the Pour