I am a night photographer. I drive long hours in a dusty car listening to weird music, stay out all night creating photos, get dirty, hang out with other creative sleep-deprived weirdos, see the stars drift across the sky, and always find the best taco stands. I have been exploring the Southwestern United States as well as parts of the East Coast for over six years, brandishing a camera, tripod, and colored flashlight. I especially love creating night photos of abandoned historical places, unique features, and beautiful landscapes. These are experiences that I absolutely cherish. I also currently have several books of night photography of abandoned locales that I am working on with a publisher. My images have appeared in National Geographic Books, Omni Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Westways Magazine, and many other publications. Keep up with me at www.kenleephotography.com and social media.
ChatGPT uses AI to offer information to responses — or sometimes create fascinating conversation. I asked ChatGPT what the five night photography cameras were. And it offered some poetry as well.
Just for fun, I decided to ask ChatGPT to offer an opinion about the top five night photography cameras. I’ll share how it responded after briefly describing ChatGPT.
What is ChatGPT?
Getting ready to help the public! Image generated by Dream. AI.
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence deep learning program developed by OpenAI. And yes, our favorite Twitter guy, Elon Musk is involved. In 2015, Musk, along with Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever and Wojciech Zaremba, founded OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research organization.
ChatGPT is based on GPT-3, the third model of the natural language processing project. The technology uses GPT-3 architecture to scour an immense pool of internet data and sources to build its knowledge base.
The language model can answer questions, and assist you with tasks such as composing emails, essays, and code. Or give you hints on night photography cameras or write poetry, as it turns out.
ChatGPT, what are the top five cameras for night photography?
Space alien robot. Night photo, Vasquez Rocks, CA.
As an AI language model, I do not have personal opinions or preferences, but here are five cameras that are often recommended for night photography based on their features and capabilities:
Sony Alpha a7S III: This full-frame mirrorless camera has excellent low-light capabilities with a high sensitivity range and impressive image quality, making it a popular choice for night photography.
Nikon D850: This DSLR camera features a high resolution and large sensor, along with advanced autofocus and noise reduction technology, making it a strong performer in low-light conditions.
Canon EOS R5: Another full-frame mirrorless camera, the Canon EOS R5 boasts impressive image quality and excellent low-light performance, thanks to its advanced autofocus and image stabilization technologies.
Fujifilm X-T4: This mirrorless camera is compact and lightweight, making it a great option for night photography on the go. It also features advanced autofocus and image stabilization technologies, as well as a high ISO range.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III: This mirrorless camera is another compact option with excellent low-light capabilities and advanced autofocus technology. It also features in-body image stabilization, making it easier to capture sharp images in low-light conditions.
It’s worth noting that there are many other cameras that are capable of producing excellent night photography results, and the best choice ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences.ChatGPT
Observations
Two space alien robots and their space ships. Trona, CA.
What’s fascinating about the response is the additional information it provides about each camera. But also, these aren’t specifically canned responses. I asked this question again, and it gave me a slightly different answer. On the second list, the D850, EOS R5 and X-T4 were the same. However, the two other cameras were different. The conclusion was also slightly different, mentioning accessories and lenses.
And no, it didn’t mention the Pentax K-1 or Nikon Z9 during the first two attempts.
Is ChatGPT Sentient?
In a word, no. It’s programmed to generate responses based on patterns and algorithms from its enormous pool of internet data. I suppose what’s startling is how human it often seems and where it will go from here. After all, we’re in the infancy of AI.
Whether machines will gain sentience is up for debate. But certainly, we’ve seen some fascinating science-fiction depictions involving SkyNet, androids on “Star Trek,” and more. We’ve pondered this collectively for a while.
Poetry
Night photo of a strange robot monster in the Mojave Desert.
I promised poetry. And not to worry, you’ll get it. After all, you do turn to my Photofocus articles for all your photographic poetry needs, do you not?
Here, I asked ChatGPT to offer up some haiku.
You’ll notice my polite request. I realize ChatGPT is not sentient. But better safe than sorry.
ChatGPT, please write a haiku about taking night photos in the desert. Thanks.
Poetry in motion. Star trails over Joshua Tree National Park, CA.
In the desert night
Silent camera captures stars
Desert dreams in sightChatGPT
Great. I think ChatGPT writes haikus better than I do.
If you have opinions about artificial intelligence in art, ChatGPT and its abilities, AI in general, whether machines will ever become sentient, or night photography poetry, please leave them in the comments below. An actual sentient human will respond.
“I’m ready for all your chatting needs!” Image generated by Dream. AI.
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BOOKS AND PRINTS: Head on over to the Ken Lee Photography website to purchase books or look at night photography and long exposure prints and more. My books are available there and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Booktopia, Books A Million, IBS, and Aladin. If you enjoy the book, please leave a nice review, thanks!
NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:
Night photographers Tim Little, Mike Cooper and I all use Pentax gear. We discuss this, gear, adventures, light painting, lenses, night photography, creativity, and more in this ongoing YouTube podcast. Subscribe and watch to the Nightaxians today!
How did I illuminate this amazing Cadillac and garage in a ghost town while the camera shutter was open in this long exposure photo? Glad you asked.
I will describe how I used light painting to illuminate and add interest to a photo taken near a full moon at night. Hopefully, this gives you a few ideas for approaches.
I use a handheld LED light. That’s right. No stands, no stationary lights.
My handheld ProtoMachines LED2, which I use for light painting while the camera’s shutter is open during long exposure photos!
Think of the flashlight as a “brush,” only we are “brushing on” light instead of paint. We set up a camera on a tripod. Using an intervalometer or a remote shutter release, we open the camera’s shutter for a couple of minutes. Then we light paint the scene. We decide what to illuminate and what to keep in shadow, similar to what a film director might do. The light is cumulative. And if I don’t stand still for too long in front of the camera, I am invisible to the camera! You and I … we both have this magic power of invisibility!
Four steps to light painting the Cadillac
Step one: Illuminating the car from the left
This was actually the most difficult angle. Why? Because I am using a fisheye lens. It’s very easy to mistakenly shine the handheld light into the camera lens. This would result in a spot. To try to avoid this, I used a short snoot over the flashlight. At other times, we can use a piece of cardboard as Mike Cooper does, or we can block the light from the lens with our body.
I caressed the light from the left side at an angle. This angle allowed me to pick up that beautiful glow on its right side. I found this appealing and went with it. I also wanted the right side of the garage to be in shadow, so this helped continue that.
Step two: Illuminating the car from the right
For my first attempt at light painting the Cadillac, I actually didn’t light paint the car from camera right. However, I found that there was too much of the car in shadow for my liking. After all, the camera is predominantly on that side! It felt too dark even though technically it looked good.
For the second and final attempt, I shined the light from camera right. I used a sharp angle to once again pick up some detail. However, I kept the illumination darker than what I did from camera right. I did use my hand to block some of the light from hitting the white gas pump. I didn’t want that to get “blown out” by the light or detract from the car’s magnificent grille.
Step three: Let’s give the eyes some sparkle!
It’s so much fun to make it look like the headlights are on! I was a little more subtle about this than I sometimes get. These are almost more sparkly than looking like they are full-on headlights. I used the same snoot that I had used for camera left. This enables me to direct the light very carefully at the headlights instead of having light spill all over. A quick second burst of light for each headlight was and I was finished!
Step four: Let there be red!
The ceiling of the wooden garage would ordinarily be completely black. Given that I was pointing my fisheye upward and the ceiling was an enormous part of the overall photo, having that be completely in shadow seemed wrong. Besides, I wanted context.
Switching my light, a ProtoMachines LED2, to red, I walked over to the opening on the side of the garage. From several different angles, I light-painted the ceiling. Choosing a red color would create additional separation from the greenish-hued Cadillac. Also, it would add an odd eeriness to the photo and make it stand out more.
And really, I do love strange-looking night photos! A night photo already looks somewhat unusual. A night photo with a fisheye, even more so. And one with a strangely-glowing red ceiling? So good and weird!
About that Cadillac grille
I get asked what kind of car this is all the time. Part of the reason is this unusual grille. This is a 1940s Cadillac Fleetwood. However, it has a 1950s Buick bumper attached.
Night photography workshop at Nelson Ghost Town
Nelson ghost town workshop, May 4 — 6, 2023. Photo by Ken Lee.
Tim Little and I are having a night photography workshop for three nights at this strange and unusual ghost town in Nevada. It’s privately owned, so you will have amazing access to a very wide variety of cars, trucks, buses, weird one-of-a-kind vehicles, an amazing barn, a giant neon motel sign, a church, abandoned pianos, gas pumps, and so much more. And then there are two airplanes, one of which is stuck nose down in the ground, and the other a small Navy trainer! The instruction will be fun, informative, fascinating, friendly, and accessible. Click here for more information!
VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
BOOKS AND PRINTS: Head on over to the Ken Lee Photography website to purchase books or look at night photography and long exposure prints and more. My books are available there and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Booktopia, Books A Million, IBS, and Aladin. If you enjoy the book, please leave a nice review, thanks!
NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:
Night photographers Tim Little, Mike Cooper and I all use Pentax gear. We discuss this, gear, adventures, light painting, lenses, night photography, creativity, and more in this ongoing YouTube podcast. Subscribe and watch to the Nightaxians today!
We are teaching a night photography workshop in the amazing Old Car City USA for three nights (with a bonus fourth night of abandoned school buses for those who can’t get enough!). The workshop will cover the basics of night photography, composition, creativity, tips, techniques, star trails, post-processing and more.
This is THE workshop for anyone who wants limitless photography opportunities with the safety of a group environment while learning a lot along the way!
What is Old Car City USA?
Light painting with RGB Critter 2.0, Old Car City USA, Georgia.
Old Car City USA in White, Georgia contains the world’s largest known classic car junkyard. Imagine a beautiful forest with vines and other vegetation of the Deep South, intertwined with the thousands of automobiles, trucks, vans, buses, and even an ice cream truck. 34 acres of this in rural Georgia, about an hour north of Atlanta. The same family has owned Old Car City since 1931, when it began as a general store.
Please note that may be the only time we are able to offer a night photography workshop at this location.
What will you learn?
Night photo with light painting from a handheld light added while the camera shutter was open. Old Car City USA, Georgia.
Quite a bit if you wish. You may learn various light painting techniques, night photography, composition, creative and practical techniques, star trails, light painting techniques and more, presented in a very accessible manner in a fascinating space.
You’ll also be among numerous creative photographers, giving you the opportunity to make friends, work together on photos, and share in the experience in a safe environment.
Furthermore, this isn’t one of those workshops where the instructors are inaccessible in the field. Both of us will be available throughout the evening to help if you need to. We will issue small 2-way radios for ease of communication, whether asking for help or coordinating with others. And we’ll also provide you with GPS units to help in case you get confused about your location on the 34-acre forested property (uh, not that I would ever do that, oh no…).
Timothy Little
Timothy Little is a gifted nighttime landscape artist based on Cape Cod. Since 2006, he has used his moonlit and starlit photographic art to connect the natural beauty of “the Cape” with the inherent solitude of night. His portfolio is exclusive to night photography making him the only area artist specializing in this genre. He also specializes in photographing abandoned scenes in the southwest United States.
His work has been featured on Space.com, the Cape Cod Times, Cape Cod Life, Visit Massachusetts and several other New England based publications.
In addition to creating art, he shares his knowledge through group workshops and guided night tours.
Ken Lee
I am devoted to teaching night photography, light painting, star trails and Milky Way photography. Whether that has been through the Night Photo Summit, my own workshops, or writing here at Photofocus, I hope to help you on your journey through night photography.
My photos have been featured in National Geographic Books, Omni Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Westways Magazine, and numerous other publications.
The Old Car City USA night photography workshop will include one day and three nights (with a fourth night add-on at a location photographing abandoned school buses). It will be from October 25-28 2023. We will be staying in nearby Cartersville, GA.
BOOKS AND PRINTS: Head on over to the Ken Lee Photography website to purchase books or look at night photography and long exposure prints and more. My books are available there and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Booktopia, Books A Million, IBS, and Aladin. If you enjoy the book, please leave a nice review, thanks!
NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:
Night photographers Tim Little, Mike Cooper and I all use Pentax gear. We discuss this, gear, adventures, light painting, lenses, night photography, creativity, and more in this ongoing YouTube podcast. Subscribe and watch to the Nightaxians today!
You can create bold vivid rainbow lighting when light painting at night. This works especially well with plain surfaces such as cinder block. Here’s how you can create rainbow light painting in three easy steps.
Rainbows of the Crossbar Hilton. This abandoned jail in a desert ghost town had some plain surfaces. I decided to punch up the interior a little by creating a rainbow effect inside each room.
Adding color interest to a plain building
Looking at the remains of the abandoned two-cell jail, I saw that it was a rather plain gray surface all the way around. Light painting is endlessly creative and gives you the opportunity to add extra color if you wish. Here, I decided to create a rainbow color rather than a single color for one of the photos.
The light painting device that I use, the ProtoMachines LED2, produces any light within the RGB spectrum. I realize that many people do not have one of these. However, there are other lights that do this, including LED panels such as the Luxli Viola.
Walking inside the left cell of the jail, I hid behind the door so the camera lens wouldn’t pick up me or any direct light from my ProtoMachines LED2 light painting device. I held the light closely to the wall. Starting from the top, I slowly illuminated the wall while simultaneously altering the color control so that it would gradually shift by the time I got to the bottom of the wall.
Step three: Inside the right cell
I walked to the cell on the right and did the same as above.
Other thoughts
Most of the time, I tell people that they can replicate the sort of lighting I do with a decent LED flashlight as a Streamlight or Coast flashlight and some gels from a Roscolux Swatchbook sample booklet. While it might be technically possible if you continually swap out gels and do some blending of colored lights, it would be considerably more challenging. Also, it would be even more challenging to replicate the same colors on both cells as I have done here.
VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
BOOKS AND PRINTS: Head on over to the Ken Lee Photography website to purchase books or look at night photography and long exposure prints and more. My books are available there and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Booktopia, Books A Million, IBS, and Aladin. If you enjoy the book, please leave a nice review, thanks!
NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:
Night photographers Tim Little, Mike Cooper and I all use Pentax gear. We discuss this, gear, adventures, light painting, lenses, night photography, creativity, and more in this ongoing YouTube podcast. Subscribe and watch to the Nightaxians today!
The Night Photo Summit online event will offer three days of dynamic presentations from 35-plus world-class photographers, authors, artists, astronomers, and national park and dark-sky activists. And I am honored to be invited to speak for a second time.
Abandoned airplane with the glorious Milky Way overhead. This is the cover for my first book.
What is it?
National Parks at Night holds night photography workshops that provide top-shelf education both in the classroom and in the field. They are arguably the best in the world at doing so. They have invited 35+ speakers to join in the fun of their Night Photo Summit.
The speakers at this online event will include night photographers, of course. Also speaking are authors, artists, astronomers and national park and dark-sky activists. They will speak about astronomy, dark skies, creativity and of course photo techniques — both in the field and post-processing. Presentations will include beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.
I will be one of the presenters at Night Photo Summit, discussing publishing photography books.
The varied speakers for Night Photo Summitinclude Forest Chaput, Sherry Pincus, Royce Bair, Michael Frye, Katrina Brown, Joseph DePasquale, Albert Dros, Rachel Jones Ross, Rafael Pons, Alyn Wallace, Sussan Magnano and more. And of course, it includes National Parks at Night instructors Gabriel Biderman, Chris Nicholson, Lance Keimig, Matt Hill and Tim Cooper.
I will be offering a presentation entitled “Behind the Book: My Path to Publishing a Monograph.” This will be about publishing two books on history, stories and night photography of abandoned locations. Offering examples from several of my books, I will describe my initial contact and negotiations with a publisher. I will then will take you through the process of creating the initial concept for each book. I will also discuss how the book’s topical theme informs the way I go about planning long road trips and the sorts of photos I take.
“Abandoned Planes, Trains and Automobiles: California Revealed” by Ken Lee
When is it?
Night photo with light painting in a damp cold forest in Georgia!
The Night Photo Summit will run Feb. 3-5 from 11 a. m. to 7:15 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 6:00 on Sunday. There will also be an “after-hours” event Friday and/or Saturday nights.
BOOKS AND PRINTS: Head on over to the Ken Lee Photography website to purchase books or look at night photography and long exposure prints and more. My books are available there and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Booktopia, Books A Million, IBS, and Aladin. If you enjoy the book, please leave a nice review, thanks!
NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:
Night photographers Tim Little, Mike Cooper and I all use Pentax gear. We discuss this, gear, adventures, light painting, lenses, night photography, creativity, and more in this ongoing YouTube podcast. Subscribe and watch to the Nightaxians today!
Night photo at an abandoned mine in the Mojave Desert. Pentax K-1 camera.
Much of the camera industry has pivoted toward mirrorless cameras. However, there are compelling reasons why the Pentax K-1 an excellent choice. Find out about this unusual high-quality camera that often flies under the radar on the Nightaxians YouTube podcast.
Above: Joshua Tree National Park/Pentax K-1.
Above: An abandoned water park/Pentax K-1.
VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
BOOKS AND PRINTS: Head on over to the Ken Lee Photography website to purchase books or look at night photography and long exposure prints and more. My books are available there and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Booktopia, Books A Million, IBS, and Aladin. If you enjoy the book, please leave a nice review, thanks!
NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:
Night photographers Tim Little, Mike Cooper and I all use Pentax gear. We discuss this, gear, adventures, light painting, lenses, night photography, creativity, and more in this ongoing YouTube podcast. Subscribe and watch to the Nightaxians today!
Light painting is illuminating a subject at night with light. This can be disruptive to others. Or to wildlife. And it’s compounded if it is with a crowd of people, such as what was happening at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park.
Mojave National Preserve, CA, part of the National Park System.
While I have joked about this while discussing photographs of people pointing their flashlights up at the Milky Way, this is actually a real issue borne out of some people’s frustration.
Where can I use artificial lighting in the National Park system?
The National Park Service manages 423 individual units. These 423 also include Monuments, Preserves, Reserves, Lakeshores, Rivers, Parkways, Historical Parks, Battlefields, Forests, and other designations. In 417 of these places, you may use artificial lighting, including light painting.
Joshua Tree National Park, CA.
Where is artificial lighting banned?
This has changed in the past couple of years. However, to the best of my knowledge, the use of artificial light sources to illuminate landscapes, rock formations, or other park features is banned in Arches, Canyonlands, Natural Bridges National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Capitol Reef and Grand Teton National Parks. This of course includes “light painting”.
However, it also includes ultra-dim static lighting as well. This ultra-dim lighting is typically as bright as the stars and is virtually imperceptible to people.
Controversy
Arches National Park, Utah.
The ruling from these six units has been controversial among night photographers. Some feel that using very dim lighting from static panels does not disturb anyone, to the point where they are often not discernible except to the very sensitive sensors of a camera set to photograph long exposures at high ISOs.
Joshua Tree National Park, CA
Some photographers point out that it is OK to have cars racing through the parks at night. And in the case of Grand Teton, there’s also a highway, international airport, and private properties within its boundaries, all of which create more light than photographers ever would.
There are multiple sides to this issue. And people from these various sides often make strong points.
Regardless, most night photographers acknowledge that light painting can be disruptive to wildlife and people. Consequently, we choose to respect park regulations and share the space with others.
Inyo National Forest
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BOOKS AND PRINTS: Head on over to the Ken Lee Photography website to purchase books or look at night photography and long exposure prints and more. My books are available there and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Booktopia, Books A Million, IBS, and Aladin. If you enjoy the book, please leave a nice review, thanks!
NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:
Night photographers Tim Little, Mike Cooper and I all use Pentax gear. We discuss this, gear, adventures, light painting, lenses, night photography, creativity, and more in this ongoing YouTube podcast. Subscribe and watch to the Nightaxians today!
Intervalometers are inexpensive and invaluable, so why not throw one or two of these in your bag?
But what is it? An intervalometer is basically a remote shutter release that offers more controls. It allows you to tell the camera shutter when to shoot, how long the shutter should stay open and how long the shutter should remain closed until it opens again.
Night photographers use these to create star trails, time-lapse, a succession of images to “stack” to reduce noise in high ISO photos, and more while avoiding vibrations.
Intervalometers come in different forms, including wired and wireless, with some allowing you to control your camera using an app on your smartphone. I use a wired intervalometer because they are inexpensive and very reliable.
This is my trusty Vello Shutterboss II for my Pentax K-1, hence the punny “Kentax” name. Never run away from a great pun.
Understanding the settings of an intervalometer
Let’s go over some of the settings so we can better understand what they are and why we use them. I use a wired Vello Shutterboss II, and many wired intervalometers currently available have similar or identical controls. Look for the black horizontal line, which tells us which setting we are viewing or adjusting.
Self (self-timer delayed-release)
The first setting is the self-timer. This allows you to set the amount of time it takes for the camera to initiate the sequence you have programmed into the intervalometer.
This helps us with anything from doing selfies to getting into position to light paint a tree or abandoned building. This intervalometer allows you to set the time anywhere from one second to 99 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds. Wow! Below, it is set to 0 seconds, so the camera will start clicking right away.
Long (timed exposure length)
How long do you want each exposure to be? Right here is where you set it! This one is set for two minutes. This is especially handy because most cameras have a maximum exposure length of 30 seconds and offer a limited amount of long exposure times.
Intervalometers allow you to specify a shot between one second and 99 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds. And yes, that means that you cannot photograph anything shorter than one second.
Interval
The interval setting allows you to control the time period between two or more shots. If you want to do time-lapses, perhaps you might want some time to pass between shots. On the other hand, if you want to do star trails for “stacking” later, you want the shortest possible time between shots.
The interval shown below is set to one second, the shortest time between shots possible on most intervalometers.
No. (Number)
The number simply stands for how many photos you wish to take in your sequence of shots. Below, I have this set for 10 consecutive shots. You may set it anywhere from 1 shot to 999 shots. After running the sequence, the camera will stop unless set it to infinity. This is typically signified by two dashes (—). On this setting, your camera will shoot and shoot and shoot …
How night photographers use an intervalometer
Now that we know what the four basic settings are (I’m not going to go over whether you want a beep or not), let’s apply this to some real-life night photography scenarios.
Star trails
Many night photographers love to show the perceived movement of the stars caused by the earth’s rotation of long periods of time. Taking a succession of shots and “stacking” them together for post-processing is a great way of achieving this while minimizing noise.
In the photo above, I set my intervalometer at four minutes and photographed the starry night sky for two hours in total.
The settings would have looked like this:
Self (Self-Timer Delayed Release): 0 seconds
Long (Timed Exposure Length): 4 minutes
Interval: 1 second
No. (Number): 30
Stacking to reduce noise for milky ways
Many night photographers use intervalometers to take 15-20 photos in succession to reduce noise for their high-ISO Milky Way photos. For the above, I set my intervalometer to take photos for 20 seconds each.
For this photo, the settings are:
Self (Self-Timer Delayed Release): 0 seconds
Long (Timed Exposure Length): 20 seconds
Interval: 1 second
No. (Number): 31 (the slightly strange number tells me that I most likely set the device to click away on “infinity” while I grabbed a snack!)
Never dangle your intervalometer
I’ll leave you with this important bit of advice: Never let your intervalometer dangle from your camera. Several things may happen — none of them good!
The intervalometer jack may get pulled out of the camera
This may stop the entire shooting process you’ve set into motion. You don’t want that to happen, do you? No. No, you don’t.
The intervalometer may swing
This isn’t so great either. It doesn’t take much wind to get your intervalometer to start tapping against the tripod and cause shakes and vibrations.
The intervalometer cable will weaken
This occurs over time when the cable gets increasingly stressed. As it is, this is a common point of failure for intervalometers, so why hasten its death?
Pro tip: Velcro to the rescue!
I would never leave you hanging (apologies for the pun). There’s an easy solution, and it’s called Velcro. Yes, that’s right, add a strip of Velcro to the back of your device and to your tripod leg. No more swinging.
BOOKS AND PRINTS: Head on over to the Ken Lee Photography website to purchase books or look at night photography and long exposure prints and more. My books are available there and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Booktopia, Books A Million, IBS, and Aladin. If you enjoy the book, please leave a nice review, thanks!
NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:
Night photographers Tim Little, Mike Cooper and I all use Pentax gear. We discuss this, gear, adventures, light painting, lenses, night photography, creativity, and more in this ongoing YouTube podcast. Subscribe and watch to the Nightaxians today!
I photographed Aung San Suu Kyi in summer 2000 in Burma (Myanmar). At the time, it was extremely rare for Westerners to see her, much less meet and photograph her. This is the surprising and frightening story behind the photo.
Who is Aung San Suu Kyi?
Aung San Suu Kyi is a Nobel Peace Prize winner, leader of the National League for Democracy, and the democratically elected leader of Myanmar. Her father, General Aung San, was the first leader of Burma’s independence movement and was assassinated in 1947.
Incredibly, she later was elected State Counselor of Myanmar. Since then, she came under fire internationally for her treatment of the Muslim Rohingya minority. She was then deposed by a military coup in 2021 and sentenced to jail.
A chance meeting in Burma (Myanmar)
Aung San Suu Kyi, Yangon, Burma (Myanmar). Photographed with a Nikon N70 SLR camera, summer 2000. Scanned from 3×5″ print using a Canon Canoscan 8600F.
I traveled to Burma with my girlfriend Lisa and a friend named Paula in summer 2000. We were in the capital city of Yangon. We were returning from the Martyrs Day events at the Arzani Mausoleum commemorating General Aung San’s death. Along the way, we saw a large crowd outside a building adorned with large red banners with Burmese words and English words saying “National League for Democracy.” Intrigued, we wandered over. They told us that Aung San Suu Kyi would be arriving in 15 minutes!
A rare opportunity
Aung San Suu Kyi had previously been under house arrest for six years. At the time we met her, she had limited freedom and could not leave Yangon.
The crowd enthusiastically waved us in. They led us to some white resin seats just behind ambassadors from the United States, Britain, and Japan. We sat in front of members of the international press. However, we noticed that many cameras warily followed our every move.
Aung San Suu Kyi arrives
“The Lady” arrived to much commotion. Several speakers gave speeches in Burmese. They also handed us some Burmese literature. We managed to talk to Aung San Suu Kyi briefly — an incredible opportunity, given her limited freedom. She scanned all of us and said, “You are very brave for coming here.”
After the meeting, the gravity of our situation continued to sink in. We walked out with one of the U.S. embassy employees to make ourselves feel safer. “I have no control over what happens here,” he had said. “We have no diplomatic relationship with this country.” We knew that, nodding glumly. As we exited the meeting, many people with cameras started taking photos of us. Their cameras followed us ominously as we walked.
“We’re being followed!!”
We quickly flagged down a taxi. However, a man in a white car followed our every turn. We changed directions several times, but the car continued following. Lisa and Paula commented that this was just like some sort of bad movie. However, this was real life.
Our taxi driver was visibly nervous. We finally asked the terrified driver to drop us off at the U.S. Embassy. We eagerly scrambled inside to report to the Marine on duty that we were being followed. He replied, remaining stoic, telling us that others had reported being followed before.
We sat for a while in the Embassy. I was so nervous that my right leg was jittering, bouncing up and down involuntarily. After some minutes, we left the Embassy. The man in the white car was still there. He rolled behind us on the street slowly, ominously.
Mixed drinks and burgers to calm our nerves
We decided to walk to an expensive hotel called The Strand. There, we ordered mixed drinks and burgers to calm our nerves. For some reason, we also felt that they might not come in there. And they didn’t.
After feeling calmer, we walked back out, looking around. We no longer saw the white car. Where was he? Why did he drive off? Were others following? We walked the wrong way down one-way streets and traipsed through stores to exit the back side, trying to make certain that we were no longer being followed.
“Surely they’re on to us!”
The next day, Paula left. However, her phone call from Singapore several hours later. We thought the hotel phones might be bugged. Therefore, we had created a sort of “code” so that Paula could impart what had happened. And what she said left us in shock. The airport officials, who had her name on a list, had searched her belongings. They confiscated all her film, books and cassettes. Luckily, she was allowed to go.
We were to leave by plane the following day.
But we thought, “If the Burmese military identified her, surely they’re on to us!”
Hiding our rolls of film
I wanted to leave Burma with at least a few rolls of our film. I purchased 10 rolls of film. Then, I shot one or two pictures in each before rewinding the film. I then placed these rolls in my lead-lined bag as a decoy. Lisa and I hid the rest of the film in every crevice of our backpacks, including dirty socks, aspirin bottles, shirts, shoes, artwork. I even jammed a roll in each of my shoes, which caused great pain as the day wore on. One of the rolls in my shoe contained this photo of Aung San Suu Kyi.
“What if they get really upset that we’re hiding this?” Lisa asked. But still we did it. We had nothing of value, nothing inflammatory, and felt odd to hide such innocuous photos from the military. I locked my backpack several different ways and hoped for the best.
Our nervous wait at the airport
Still completely dark, we arrived early that morning at the dimly-lit airport. We checked our luggage in and sat nervously in the waiting room for two hours watching Bon Jovi videos play on their large screen. We couldn’t relax until the plane had lifted off the ground. This was one of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard.
“You have no idea how happy we are to be in India!” I exclaimed to the Indian immigration official.
A short window of time that we could have met her
A month after we left Myanmar, the military prevented Aung San Suu Kyi from going to an NLD youth rally only 30 km from Yangon. Aung San Suu Kyi remained in her car for about 11 days — the fourth such stand-off in the last 10 years — before finally being forced to return to her house. The military then raided the NLD headquarters, carting away documents. We had somehow met her in this small window of time.
BOOKS AND PRINTS: Head on over to the Ken Lee Photography website to purchase books or look at night photography and long exposure prints and more. My books are available there and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Booktopia, Books A Million, IBS, and Aladin. If you enjoy the book, please leave a nice review, thanks!
NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:
Night photographers Tim Little, Mike Cooper and I all use Pentax gear. We discuss this, gear, adventures, light painting, lenses, night photography, creativity, and more in this ongoing YouTube podcast. Subscribe and watch to the Nightaxians today!
People are hungering to get some outside time. Getting some fresh air while still being able to socially distance if necessary is particularly appealing after the pandemic. One fantastic U.S. destination is West Virginia.
Below, I’ll offer a mix of natural beauty, unusual locations and parks with, er, slightly too many photos of waterfalls, just to mix it up a bit and offer you a variety of photographic opportunities.
Almost Heaven, West Virginia
Jackson’s Mill, West Virginia
If you want to enjoy the outdoors, it would be hard to do better than West Virginia. After all, it’s sparsely populated compared to many states on the East Coast. And not only that, it’s covered in beautiful forests, lakes, waterfalls, rivers and more.
It’s frequently mentioned in Outside Magazine as one of the best white water rafting destinations in the nation. And the Mountain State is also popular for rock climbing, especially in locations such as Dolly Sods and Seneca Rocks.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
This very new National Park will put the gorgeous New River Gorge area on more people’s radar. Consider coming here before the crowds eventually descend upon the area.
Fayetteville is probably one of the best places to access the National Park. Often included in lists as one of the best small towns in America, Fayetteville has beautiful bed-and-breakfasts and Airbnbs, charming people and delicious food. I especially love Pies and Pints, Secret Sandwich Society and Wood Iron Eatery. Get breakfast at Cathedral Cafe, where you quite literally eat in a former cathedral with stained glass windows.
This area is popular for white water rafting and checking out the amazing suspension bridge, the New River Gorge Bridge. One popular access point for photographing the bridge during sunset, fog, or any other time is to walk down the path to the lookout point from the Visitor’s Center.
The New River Gorge Bridge is such a landmark that it can be found on the West Virginia version of the quarter!
Many people explore paths that walk on the many paths that parallel the New River. They offer short walks to ledges that provide stunning views of the river. Some of these areas are popular for wedding photos. Fayette Station Road winds through the gorge and provides great views, including along the lower bridge, offering a great vantage point for watching rafters as well.
The New River Gorge area is rather large, and you could easily spend many days wandering through the forests, soaking your feet in the streams and admiring its many waterfalls.
One of the most accessible waterfalls is the gorgeous Cathedral Falls. This is located near the town of Gauley Bridge, and can be reached from Route 60 on the east side of the New River.
Thurmond
Nearby Grandview overlooks the New River bending, with Thurmond stretching around the bend. These are some of the most beautiful views of New River Gorge National Park.
Thurmond, West Virginia, a former boom town.
And of course, you can also drive to Thurmond. During the first two decades of the 1900s, Thurmond was a classic boomtown. Now, it is virtually a ghost town, remarkably well preserved. Talk to the friendly rangers at the Visitor’s Center in the former depot to find out more about its history.
The enormous coal tipple at night, Thurmond, West Virginia.
You may photograph here day or night. However, trains run regularly, so you must stay off the tracks and stay alert when exploring Thurmond. The almost ghost town looks great in black and white as well as color, and looks great when cloudy as well as other times.
Hawks Nest State Park
Not far from New River Gorge National Park is this 270-acre park. This has a nature museum, an aerial tramway which take you down to the river, hiking trails, waterfalls and some rather challenging white water rafting. If you enjoy quirky roadside attractions, stop by the nearby Mystery Hole, where the “laws of nature have run amok.”
One of my favorite hikes in the area is the rail trail. I like to take the tram down to the river and hike up a mile to Mill Creek Falls. Along the way, you can also see the foundations of an old water tower, an old trestle bridge and an old mine. If you continue on this trail, you will walk back up to the town of Ansted.
Babcock State Park
The famous Glade Creek Grist Mill, although during this particular summer, there was not much water flowing.
Glade Creek Grist Mill, one of the most photographed destinations in West Virginia, is located in Babcock State Park. The most popular time is during the fall, when the trees turn color and the water is flowing. This is about 30 miles southeast of Cathedral Falls along the New River Gorge.
Camp Creek State Park and Forest
Camp Creek State Park is a very accessible, charming park with an easy walk that follows the creek.
Brush Creek Preserve
Brush Creek Falls, not far south of Camp Creek State Park, is another place with beautiful waterfalls. There is often more water than this in the fall, but this reveals the beautiful rocks behind the water.
Not far off the Highway 77, right by the diminutive Brush Creek Preserve, is a gorgeous waterfall. This is a short walk from the preserve and is well worth a visit.
Charleston
In a state engulfed in endless rolling mountains, I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that the capital of West Virginia isn’t a sprawling metropolis. Still, this city laid out among the banks of the Kanawha (which seems to always be pronounced “Ka-GNAW” locally” River has plenty of things to visit.
The gold-domed historic State Capitol building dominates the city’s riverfront, and at 292 feet (89 meters) is the tallest building in West Virginia. This is part of a historic area listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This was designed by Cass Gilbert, who also designed the U.S. Supreme Court, the Woolworth Building, and much more. The building is five feet taller than the dome of the U.S. Capitol. And yes, the top of the dome is actually covered in gold leaf. While there, visit the West Virginia State Museum to see one of the greatest quilt exhibits on the face of the planet.
Charleston has many things to do. Visit the Capitol Market, an outdoor market and collection of shop selling anything from chocolates, books, wines, or produce. Outdoor markets always provide vibrant colors, perfect for exquisite photography.
Wander inside 240,000 square foot Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, a center for performing and visual arts as well as sciences located on Clay Square. This is very kid-friendly, and offers many interactive science exhibits as well as traveling exhibits. There’s also two theaters in the center.
One of my favorite places to walk along the brick walkways of Capitol Street and the surrounding area. Capitol Street is filled with good boutique shops, galleries, and restaurants. In March through December, the area hosts ArtWalk events that celebrate local talent with free tours of shops and galleries featuring paintings, sculptures, photography, and music. There are plenty of photographing opportunities here, especially during the ArtWalk.
I’m particularly fond of Taylor Books. This is an independent bookstore, coffee shop, cafe, and art gallery. The buyers for this bookstore seem to have discerning taste, as the book selection is fascinating, compelling, and diverse. It also features a wide variety of local artists, authors, and books about West Virginia and the Appalachian region.
Some of my favorite restaurants in Charleston include Pies and Pints, Tricky Fish and Books and Brews. The latter has amazing pepperoni rolls as well as pizza and local brews. And books, of course. So many books.
Blackwater Falls State Park
This beautiful park is located approximately three and a half hours northwest of Fayetteville in the Allegheny Mountains. The park is named for the amber waters of Blackwater Falls, a 57-foot cascade tinted by fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. The falls, along with Elakala Falls, Lindy Point and Pendleton Point Overlook, are some of the state’s most photographed spots.
Blackwater Falls is a short 0.4 mile walk. There is a large lookout that offers a good vantage point for photos. I like taking photos of waterfalls when the light is not harsh, such as early mornings, early evenings or if it is cloudy.
Also well worth the look is the more delicate Elakala Falls. There’s actually several falls as you follow the path down. The first waterfall is extremely close to Blackwater Falls Lodge. This waterfall doesn’t have the volume of water of nearby Blackwater Falls, but it’s absolutely gorgeous. During warm months, you might take your shoes off and take photos from the water so you can get closer to the falls and achieve a straighter view.
If you are using a tripod or Gorillapod and it is overcast or in the shade, as Elakala is, you may be able to take long exposure photos of waterfalls with just a circular polarizer.
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Located in Weston, this National Historic Landmark served the mentally ill beginning in the mid-1800s. The area is very large, and consequently, there are many tours. You can discover fascinating stories of Civil War raids, gold robberies, the “curative” effects of architecture and the efforts of determined individuals to help better the lives of the mentally ill. They also offer paranormal tours and even a night photography workshop in May.
Dolly Sods Wilderness
Dolly Sods. Photo by Mark ‘Indy’ Kochte/IndyVision.
This is located in the northeastern part of the state in the Monongahela National Forest. Filled with hiking trails, this is a popular place that offers beautiful vistas perfect for photography, and dark skies for night photography. One of the most popular viewpoints is Lion’s Head Rock. This is a popular area to view the setting sun.
Seneca Rocks
Seneca Rocks attracts rock climbers from all over the world. Gunsight View at noon. Photo by Mark ‘Indy’ Kochte/IndyVision.
Seneca Rocks is one of the best-known natural landmarks in the state. This is close to Dolly Sods Wilderness and located in Monongahela National Forest, is scenic and popular with rock climbers and night photographers due to its dark skies. You can also photograph these rocks from Route 28 and U.S. Route 33.
Alternatively, you could check out the views from Spruce Knob, the highest point in the Mountain State. You may hike 14 miles from the base to the summit. Or simply drive to the top. From the parking lot, it’s only a quick quarter-mile walk to the observation point.
4th of July fireworks from the Gunsight, Seneca Rocks. Photo by Mark ‘Indy’ Kochte/IndyVision.
West Virginia Penitentiary, Moundsville
The foreboding exterior of West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville.
This imposing Gothic-style prison is located in the far north of West Virginia. It has a fascinating, violent history, and operated from 1876–1995. Many of the tour guides worked as prison guards, so you get a firsthand account of the penitentiary. It’s well worth a visit.
As a bonus, you may arrange for night photography if you wish. A warning, though: This is by far the creepiest place I have ever photographed at night!
West Virginia Penitentiary at night, Moundsville.
West Virginia Penitentiary at night, Moundsville.
The roads less traveled
One of many beautiful scenes in the back roads of West Virginia, probably one of the better states for country driving.
Perhaps one of the greatest pleasures of West Virginia is to get off the highway and travel through some of the back roads. These never disappoint. Travel through small charming towns, rolling green hillsides, verdant forests and much more. I hope this inspires you to get outdoors and explore West Virginia.
Part of the fun is eating and meeting people too. This is Hillbilly Hot Dogs, home of the enormous Homewrecker. Not to worry, they have much smaller portions as well.
Trees. So many trees. If you love trees, West Virginia is surely paradise.
VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
BOOKS AND PRINTS: Head on over to the Ken Lee Photography website to purchase books or look at night photography and long exposure prints and more. My books are available there and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Booktopia, Books A Million, IBS, and Aladin. If you enjoy the book, please leave a nice review, thanks!
NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:
Night photographers Tim Little, Mike Cooper and I all use Pentax gear. We discuss this, gear, adventures, light painting, lenses, night photography, creativity, and more in this ongoing YouTube podcast. Subscribe and watch to the Nightaxians today!
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