More Scenes from Burning Man 2012

The Shark Car, a mutant vehicle built by a Seattle-based camp, made a welcome return to Burning Man after sitting out for several years.

Yana, a longtime Burner from Venice, California, embodied a Russian pirate.

An aerial view of Black Rock City, the temporary encampment that was home to some 52,000 people during the week of Burning Man 2012.

"Heartfullness," a beautiful sculpture of a heart repeatedly broken and pieced back together by artist Katy Boynton, doubled as a love shack at night.

The Golden Mean, an art car built on the chassis of a 1966 VW Beetle by metal artist Jon Sarriugarte.

A Burner plays a didjeridoo at sunrise.

Burners ride on the porch of an art car that is essentially a house pulled by a tractor.

A theme camp with faux palm trees.

Two Burners ride in style through La Playa.

Smoke from a nearby wildfire created an unusual red sky in the early mornings at Burning Man 2012. Here the sun rises behind Abraxas, a massive art car in the shape of a golden dragon.

Burners traverse the walkway away from the shipwreck in the desert.