Dust to Dust is a photo project about the towns surrounding Death Valley, CA and the people who live there. Despite being one of the most severe climates in the world and being infamous for taking the lives of unfortunate travelers, people continue to visit Death Valley; and some choose to stay. Regardless of their reasons for being there, every person describes it the same way, “like paradise”.

Photographed over 6 years in decaying boom towns and blossoming communes, these images serve as meditations on life, death, legacy and hope. In this work Robins offers an alternative vision of the American West, where those who’ve abandoned their quests for fortune have cultivated peace through struggle and sacrifice while living harmoniously with the land.