Santa Rosa is situated 26 ½ miles off the coast of Santa Barbara. At 84 square miles in size, it’s the second largest of the 8 Channel Islands.

The wind blows here with such frequency and voracity, that it has driven past inhabitants insane.

I found this island to be incredibly beautiful and austere. Yes, the wind was constant. At times it would gently blow and cause the tall grass to tickle my arms as I walked along and just as quickly it would gust up sending my pinhole camera and tripod crashing down in the middle of an exposure.

But I found that the wind only adds to the mysterious aura of this desolate place. There are so few places on earth where it is so quiet, the many voices of the wind can still be heard.