It was the end of September, but the days were still very hot in the Algerian Sahara desert, while nights were much more bearable. Touaregs people as guides and drivers, sturdy Toyotas for transport, food and water provisions, individual light tents, those were the basics to explore Ahaggar and Tassili N’Ajjer National Parks in the South of the country. Surprisingly enough, here the desert is not only massive dunes and ochre-colored sand, but also rock formations and oasis. But what struck me the most were the signs of human presence dating back to long before the Sahara slowly turned into a desert: engravings representing animals that are usually found in more humid and luxuriant environments.

Canon A1, Canon T90. Ektachrome 100, a few Kodachrome 64. Since there’s no A/C in the desert, do the impossible to keep your film in the shade.

All photos ©Michele Molinari