Photofocus Road Trip: “Almost Heaven,” West Virginia

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

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 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.

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!

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like)
Instagram

PODCAST:
Behind the Shot video podcast – interview February 2020

VIDEO PRESENTATION:

How We Got the Shots: Five Photographers, Five Stories – Night Photo Summit 2022

VIDEO INTERVIEW:

Ken Lee’s Abandoned Trains Planes and Automobiles with Tim Little of Cape Nights Photography
Conversation about night photography and my book with Lance Keimig of National Park At Night

ARTICLES:
A Photographer Captures Haunting Nighttime Images of Abandoned Buildings, Planes, and Cars in the American Southwest – Business Insider by Erin McDowell
A Photographer Explores Southern California’s Desert Ruins – Los Angeles Magazine article by Chris Nichols

Our many challenges photographing a bus graveyard at night

We attempted to photograph a bus graveyard. The night photography gods threw up some hurdles. Some were dangerous. These are some of the challenges thrown our way that night.

bus graveyard at night — Nighttime at a mysterious bus graveyard in the middle of the desert.

“It’s like a parking lot here!”

I met up with night photographer Tony Donofrio at the lively Lemon Festival in Upland, CA. Later that evening, we drove to a mysterious bus graveyard hidden away in the desert. The freeways were clogged. The last of them involved killing our engines for 20 minutes and sitting on a freeway as emergency vehicles kept trying to inch past everyone.

An hour commute became two. Tony and I felt that if we had known about this traffic, we might have hung out the remainder of the evening at the Lemon Festival instead.

Gas station sandwiches

We realized that we would not be able to eat at the restaurant as planned. It was already dark, and we had planned on getting there while there was still light. We grabbed some pre-packaged gas station sandwiches and ate them en route.

“Where’s Tony?”

I arrived at the bus graveyard. I quickly changed my pants before Tony’s headlights would reveal my indecent exposure. However, he didn’t show up. I called. He had stopped about a quarter mile away. He was concerned that his car would get stuck on the rough dirt road. I went back to get him.

Night photo of an abandoned school bus with the emergency door missing.

“My camera’s dead!”

I had just put a battery in my Nikon D750 camera. To my surprise, the screen suddenly showed a message that I had to reset the clock. That was surprising. I had never seen that happen before. Furthermore, none of the buttons worked. The camera was completely unresponsive.

I changed batteries and lenses, all with the same result. After 20 minutes, I gave up and began using my other camera, the Pentax K-1 with the 28-105mm lens. I would not be able to photograph with the fisheye, which was my intent. I was, however, quite disturbed by this because I had to do event photography in a few days.

Stepping on a nail

The photography gods weren’t quite done with me yet. Right after putting away my non-functioning camera, I walked around a shadowy area. Suddenly, I stepped on a nail. This went through my shoe. I could feel the nail on the bottom of my right foot! I immediately felt that something was wrong, so I stopped. A wooden board was stuck to my shoe! I carefully pried it off with my other foot.

However, because I had not put my weight down, the nail never punctured my skin. I immediately went back to the car and put on boots with steel-shank soles.

Meanwhile, on the other side …

While I was having my challenges, Tony’s photoshoot was going well. Mostly. However, he had a near scrape himself. He was lighting the interior of a bus while walking slowly backward down the center aisle. After about 10 feet, he turned around with his light. With a jolt, he realized that the center floor access panel was no longer there! One more step and he would have fallen through!

Now, the good news

After the nail, I managed to get in a creative flow. Thankfully, that seems to occur quickly and naturally. I was happy with the process and the results.

Furthermore, I was able to resuscitate the unresponsive camera, the Nikon D750. After leaving the battery in for a while, the camera became responsive again. The camera clock is powered by an independent, rechargeable power source. This is charged when the main battery is installed. When I got home, I left the battery in. After this, it seemed to work fine. The camera worked without issue for the event.

The continuing mysteries are this. I had only left the main battery out for three days. However, my camera repairman says that this is long enough to create this problem. Strange. And also what I don’t know is why the camera seized up and was completely non-responsive.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like)
Instagram

PODCAST:
Behind the Shot video podcast – interview February 2020

VIDEO PRESENTATION:

How We Got the Shots: Five Photographers, Five Stories – Night Photo Summit 2022

VIDEO INTERVIEW:

Ken Lee’s Abandoned Trains Planes and Automobiles with Tim Little of Cape Nights Photography
Conversation about night photography and my book with Lance Keimig of National Park At Night

Night photography workshop: Creativity, camaraderie in Nelson Ghost Town!

Nelson ghost town workshop, May 4-6 2023.

Interested in spending three nights in an amazing, weird and fun location filled with old cars, trucks, buses and buildings? Join me and host Tim Little as we explore this small Nevada town under moonlight!

We are teaching a night photography workshop in the amazing Nelson ghost town near Las Vegas, Nevada. The workshop will cover the basics of night photography, composition, creativity, tips, techniques, star trails 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 Nelson Ghost Town?

Nelson is easily one of my favorite places to photograph. Whether it’s vintage cars, gas pumps, old Western buildings, soda machines, creepy dolls, a spectacular airplane “wreck” or phone booths, enormous post-apocalyptic “Mad Max”-style vehicles, vintage signs and more, you will have no shortage of fascinating subjects to photograph. This is, in short, a night photographer’s paradise.

Airplane. Nelson ghost town workshop, May 4-6 2023.

Given its proximity to Las Vegas, it’s also quite accessible. The area is frequently used for movies, TV shows, music videos, commercials, wedding ceremonies and much more. However, we’ll have it all to ourselves.

What will you learn?

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.

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.

When is the night photography workshop?

Nelson ghost town workshop, May 4-6 2023. Photo by Tim Little.

The Nelson night photography workshop will be three nights: May 4-6 2023 under the beautiful Nevada desert moonlight. We will be staying in nearby Boulder City.

Find out more about our Nelson Ghost Town workshop here.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like)
Instagram

PODCAST:
Behind the Shot video podcast – interview February 2020

VIDEO PRESENTATION:

How We Got the Shots: Five Photographers, Five Stories – Night Photo Summit 2022

VIDEO INTERVIEW:

Ken Lee’s Abandoned Trains Planes and Automobiles with Tim Little of Cape Nights Photography
Conversation about night photography and my book with Lance Keimig of National Park At Night

Have you ever seen ghosts while photographing abandoned buildings?

“Have you ever seen ghosts while photographing abandoned buildings at night?” It’s one of the most common questions I am asked. I have been places that are allegedly haunted after all.

The creepiest place I have ever photographed

The creepiest place I have ever photographed is Moundsville Penitentiary in West Virginia. Why? It’s a large stone Gothic behemoth of a penitentiary. This imposing place was a last stop for murderers, rapists and thieves. Almost 1,000 men lost their lives here. Between 1876 and 1995, these prisoners were hung, electrocuted, bludgeoned or have committed suicide. Some met grisly deaths in the outside weightlifting area.

A most unsettling room

I began photographing in the Sugar Shack.

Sugar Shack Moundsville Penitentiary — The infamous Sugar Shack in Moundsville Penitentiary, home to numerous unspeakable tragedies. Many say that it is haunted.

This room was basically a free-for-all, a place where the guards looked the other way, a place where gambling, fighting, rape and murder took place. As you might imagine, there was indescribable mayhem, violence and injuries in this room. Chuck Ghent, our guide during our day tour, said, “Things happened in this room that made people call it the ‘Sugar Shack’ … something you may not want to think too much about, heh heh.”

Paranormal investigators have reported hearing whispers, arguments, unexplained noises and cold spots in Sugar Shack. Ghent has said, “I’ve had footsteps walking behind me, and I’ve had doors close behind me.” Ghent worked as a correctional officer in the facility from 1986–1995. “In here, there wasn’t a day when you didn’t wonder if today might be your last day.”

“It just went dark in here!”

Worse, my head lamp died while I was setting up. I finished off a long exposure photo. I felt extremely uneasy there. And given that I regularly explore abandoned places at night, I’m typically not the uneasy sort. I left after that one photo. None of my other friends ever went there.

Was this due to malevolent spirits, ghosts of ones bludgeoned? Or was it because it was dark and creepy? Or because I already knew the history?

I don’t know. But I wanted to leave.

A haunted abandoned water park

Abandoned water park at night — A creepy abandoned water park at night.

The caretaker of the abandoned water park had been giving me a tour. “The gift shop is haunted. There is a painting of a woman on the wall inside. People keep tagging it. But the paint never stays on.”

I asked how long this had been happening. “I’m not sure. It’s been happening for a while, though. Don’t worry, they won’t bother you,” he assured me.

Later that night while photographing, I came across the gift shop.

Haunted gift shop abandoned water park. — The haunted gift shop in the abandoned water park. Shortly after this, I felt a sudden cold wind.

I ventured in, saw the painting of the woman, and smiled. I shined some blue light on her to give an eerie, bold and cartoonish quality. This sort of light painting would never stay on her. True to the caretaker’s word, the spirits never bothered me.

Shortly after that, an eerie cold wind blew in from nowhere. The air had been still and hot, but the sudden wind was gusty and cooler. Then just as suddenly, it stopped. Whether this was an atmospheric anomaly or the last vestiges of a seance, who can say?

Bunny inside abandoned truck Halloween night — An eerie scene inside an abandoned truck.

The haunted ghost town from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” film

Grafton ghost town at night. — Grafton ghost town, Utah. Allegedly haunted, this is also the site of several movies.

I photographed the Grafton ghost town in Utah. It was first settled in 1859. Later, it was the site of several movies, including the bicycle scene in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”

And of course, it’s rumored to be haunted.

While photographing there, a car pulled up, and some young people got out and began exploring the area for ghosts. They said that they would record on their iPhones, mentioning that sometimes, voices that they didn’t hear initially would show up there.

I am sad to report that I never got any creepiness, weird activities or sounds there. But the people were quite friendly.

Creating my own ghost

A ghost on a swing set. — A light drawing and light painting of a ghost floating over a swing.

Since I have had a dearth of encounters with ghosts, I thought I would create my own ghost. I created a light drawing of a ghost floating over a swing. If you want to learn how I created this, check out this article!

Ghosts

A ghost with a bicycle, a surreal image, Goldwell Open Air Museum near Rhyolite, Nevada.

So far, I have had no verifiable, definite encounters with ghosts. I’ve outlined some of my experiences, discussing them here, other articles, and on The Nightaxians YouTube podcast episodes. These may have been the result of paranormal activity. However, they could just as well be attributed to active imagination, weather anomalies, or something else.

However, I have had a number of frightening encounters. I’ve had bats suddenly whizzing past so close that I could feel the “whoosh” of their wings flapping. I’ve had scary encounters with angry burros, frightened birds and curious deer sneaking up on me. And of course, the usual scurrying rodents and other critters.

But for now, I’ve not seen something strange in my neighborhood. I’ve not seen something weird that don’t look good. And I ain’t seen no ghost.

We discuss our creepiest places to photograph here on our YouTube podcast.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like)
Instagram

PODCAST:
Behind the Shot video podcast – interview February 2020

VIDEO PRESENTATION:

How We Got the Shots: Five Photographers, Five Stories – Night Photo Summit 2022

VIDEO INTERVIEW:

Ken Lee’s Abandoned Trains Planes and Automobiles with Tim Little of Cape Nights Photography
Conversation about night photography and my book with Lance Keimig of National Park At Night

Can you photograph at night with lousy eyesight?

I was recovering from surgery for a detached retina in my right eye. Here’s what I found.

Flashes and floaters

24 hours after the surgery I experienced floaters and flashes in my right eye, I was on the phone with an eye doctor. When I saw the first flash of light in my peripheral vision, I had thought, “That was strange. Was that the reflection from a car whizzing past?” The second time, I knew something was wrong.

The doctor said that I had lattice degeneration. This is a thinning of the peripheral retina, the tissue that lines the back wall of the eye. This also helps maintain sharp vision. Lattice degeneration is a cause for concern. Here, the retina is more susceptible to tearing, which can lead to retinal detachment. The doctor made an appointment for five more weeks.

Night photo of an enormous sculpture by Ricardo Breceda, located in Borrego Springs, CA.

Distracting

The next time I went out to the Arizona desert to photograph at night, my vision had grown increasingly worse. The flashes and floaters were more prominent than ever before. Worse than that, my vision in the right eye had grown a little hazier.

The squeaky wheel

I called the doctor again. I wanted to see him now, not in several more weeks. However, the receptionist said that he was out of town. I kept the old appointment. However, thinking it over, I felt I really should see a doctor, so I called again. Same message. So I called again, saying the same thing again. This time, I got an appointment with a different doctor the following morning. Sometimes, the third time really is the charm.

Uh, oh!

Night photo of dinosaurs battling. Sculptures by Ricardo Breceda, Borrego Springs, CA.

It didn’t take long. The doctor said, “You have a detached retina.” He explained that since I was nearsighted, I was more susceptible to lattice degeneration and detached retinas. Swell. He made an appointment with another doctor specializing in retinal surgery. In particular, pneumatic retinopexy and a scleral buckle surgery, would be done during the same visit.

Recovery

Recovery involved staying face down for eight days all day and all night. Yes, that means while sleeping. Or attempting to sleep. I am very active and kinetic. Therefore, I was convinced this was one of the Seven Layers of Hell. My face hurt. My back hurt. And of course, my eye hurt. And with that, I also had headaches for the next three weeks. I rarely looked at myself in the mirror for the first few days. I looked like I had gone 15 rounds with Mike Tyson.

The blob

I had a weird bubble in my eye from one of the procedures. This air bubble slowly pushes the retina back into place. However, to me, it looked like an enormous blob. Slowly over two weeks, the blob diminished, then broke into several smaller blobs, then went away completely. I was overjoyed when it went away.

Blurry photo near sunset, Borrego Springs. While my vision in my right eye isn’t quite this blurry, it isn’t far off either.

Choosing the location to do night photography

A month after surgery, I was ready to get outside and enjoy some night photography in the desert. I chose Borrego Springs. One of the reasons was that the magnificent sculptures that I was going to photograph were only between five to 10 minutes from the motel. The other reason was that the ground near the sculptures was level and didn’t have many sharp pointy plants.

And of course, I love Borrego Springs. Borrego Springs was where I had floated in the pool while looking up at the Milky Way, a magical experience I still remember vividly.

Night photo of a sculpture by Ricardo Breceda in Borrego Springs, CA. April 2022.

Other strategies for doing night photography

While my right eye was healing quite well and I was told I could drive, swim, and exercise, my vision was still blurry. To compensate for this, I began using reading glasses. Rather than fumble around in the dark for them, I purchased eyeglass straps so they could hang around my neck when I wasn’t using them.

I also used a Coast HX4 80-lumen Clip Light with the red light on to see my way around. Surprisingly, I didn’t need this too much because it was during a full moon, and I could see reasonably well.

When reviewing my photos, I blew them up more than I usually would just to make sure I had focused properly. I used my reading glasses to make absolutely sure. I often used Live View. With Live View, I found I could also use my reading glasses effectively. If I needed to, I could also shine my light around to see what was going on more.

I also used the autofocus in my camera. I shined a light on the sculpture I was photographing, used the autofocus, and then switched back to manual focus so the camera wouldn’t keep attempting to acquire focus again.

Other thoughts

I was rather pleased that I could photograph so easily in the dark, even with one eye having rather blurry vision. I was able to photograph again the following month as well. I again photographed during a full moon, photographing some unusual art installations in Wonder Valley. And this time, I had also gotten some specially made glasses from the optometrist, so driving at night was much better. I was very specific with what I wanted with the glasses, and they made them with this in mind.

eye on the end of the world — Night photography at the end of the world, or at least Wonder Valley in California. May 2022.

I found that one of the challenges was the extremes between bright lights and dark. If it were mostly dark, I didn’t have that many issues at all. But if there were large bright signs and storefronts in an otherwise very dark environment, that sometimes caused haziness. My new glasses corrected for this. I didn’t have them when I photographed in Borrego Springs, so that’s largely why I chose to photograph a location that was only minutes from the motel.

Technically, my eye has not recovered fully. That takes about six months after surgery. Shortly after that point, I will have cataract surgery. After that, my vision in my right eye should be considerably sharper, and not the blurry mess it is now.

Dragon head. Ricardo Breceda. eye. — Night photo of part of the enormous rattledragon sculpture by Ricardo Breceda. April 2022.

And yes, I did swim at night. While the Milky Way wasn’t arching over the sky, the full moon and the starry skies were. And that’s still magical. And I felt particularly joyous after spending such a long time staying face down in the house.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

NIGHTAXIANS VIDEO YOUTUBE PODCAST:

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like)
Instagram

PODCAST:
Behind the Shot video podcast – interview February 2020

VIDEO PRESENTATION:

How We Got the Shots: Five Photographers, Five Stories – Night Photo Summit 2022

VIDEO INTERVIEW:

Ken Lee’s Abandoned Trains Planes and Automobiles with Tim Little of Cape Nights Photography
Conversation about night photography and my book with Lance Keimig of National Park At Night

Behind the new Abandoned Planes and Automobiles book

Discover what went into creating the new “Abandoned Planes and Automobiles” book I have written. I spoke with night photographer Timothy Little during this YouTube interview. He also inquires about several specific photos of his choice.

abandoned airplane cockpit night photo — Abandoned plane at night from “Abandoned Planes Trains and Automobiles” book.

“Abandoned Planes Trains and Automobiles: California Revealed” is published by Arcadia Publishing. It is my second book with them. I also have two more books that I am currently creating.

In the book, I explore many secret locations hidden in the deserts of California at night. I illuminate these forgotten scenes with light. This creates haunting dreamlike long exposures. It’s full of vivid travel stories, transportation history, and creative night photography. I drove for thousands of miles throughout several years to create this book.

abandoned train night photo — Night photo of a train from “Planes Trains and Automobiles” book.

Timothy Little makes a living specializing in night photography and light painting. He also explores a world lit by moonlight, stars, Christmas lights and street lamps near his home in Cape Cod, MA as well as the southwestern United States. He knows what goes into traveling for night photography and special considerations to make while still keeping the interview accessible to everyone.

bunny abandoned truck night photo — Night photo from “Abandoned Planes Trains and Automobiles” book.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like)
Instagram

PODCAST:
Behind the Shot video podcast – interview February 2020

VIDEO PRESENTATION:

How We Got the Shots: Five Photographers, Five Stories – Night Photo Summit 2022

VIDEO INTERVIEW:

Ken Lee’s Abandoned Trains Planes and Automobiles with Tim Little of Cape Nights Photography
Conversation about night photography and my book with Lance Keimig of National Park At Night

Why you should clone your drive now

Why should you clone your hard drive? And what is the difference between creating a clone and a backup hard drive?

How is a clone different from a backup?

A disk clone moves the entire contents of one hard disk drive to another. This is effective when you want to include the operating system and installed programs. If the hard drive with your operating system fails or has an issue, you would be able to boot from your clone disk.

A backup drive creates an image file for backing up and recovering data. You may add more information on to a backup and not have to fully backup all data each subsequent time you back up.

A clone does not offer the flexibility of a backup drive as described above.

Why should you clone your hard drive?

The bonus of a clone is that you can boot from it. Consequently, many people use it for backing up the drive that contains their operating system.

Clones do tend to require more space because you may not compress or encrypt the data. And as you might guess, you cannot incrementally add to a clone. In other words, your clone is an exact picture of your drive at that time.

If you need a bootable spare drive to be up and running quickly after your hard drive fails, a clone is what you want to do.

Best practices

A combination of a clone and backups is best practice.

Use the clone of a system drive (operating system) to recover quickly after an emergency.

Use regular hard drive backups for your daily data, such as photos, videos, files, and documents.

I prefer to save these to both external hard drives and the cloud, using a 3-2-1 backup plan. I’ve been using Carbon Copy Cloner for my Mac with good success.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like)
Instagram

PODCAST:
Behind the Shot video podcast – interview February 2020

VIDEO PRESENTATION:

How We Got the Shots: Five Photographers, Five Stories – Night Photo Summit 2022

VIDEO INTERVIEW:

Ken Lee’s Abandoned Trains Planes and Automobiles with Tim Little of Cape Nights Photography
Conversation about night photography and my book with Lance Keimig of National Park At Night

My night photographing an eerie haunted abandoned water park

I had just driven to the front of the post-apocalyptic looking abandoned water park. This was a high-profile abandoned location. After all, you could easily see it while traveling between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Sure enough, there were several cars circling around, wondering where to park or enter. A group of three waved at me.

The entrance to the water park, with the letter “k” missing for quite some time. I lit this with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light during the exposure.

I scooted past the cars, eventually parking at the back end. I had parked here for a couple of reasons. One was so my car would not be on the street. The other was that I hoped to meet with the caretaker.

Encountering the first people at the water park

I wandered the water park as the sun began its descent behind the desert mountains. I didn’t think it was possible, but the place was even more tagged than two years ago when I had first visited.

Inside the gift shop, with the Interstate in the distance. Lit by a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light during the exposure.

The three people who had seen me on the front street gave me puzzled looks. “Where did you park?” I muttered something about parking in the back.

“Hey, do you think it’s cool if I paint here?”

“I don’t think so. It’s private property, although it’s not like that’s stopped anyone else.” I had never understood vandalism, even if the place was going to be eventually leveled.

“Cool, man,” he replied, as if I had given him permission to paint. “I’m from San Francisco. We’re on our way to Vegas. Just had to stop by here.”

Scouting for night photography

I continued wandering and taking photos with my phone. All the while, I was thinking about the angles of the moon as it rose and what might look good, taking photos to remind me of potentially good angles later if I were to return in the evening.

A fisheye view of what used to be the arcade. Using a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light painting device, I lit the interior and exterior of the structure.

But would there be people here in the evening? Would it be safe?

Meeting the guys in the back

I returned to my car, which I had purposely parked near the water tank and the dilapidated house and RV up near the top of the property. As I mentioned, I had hoped to meet the caretaker of the property here. I seem to have this way of connecting with people, and I hoped to do this here.

One guy looked like he was carrying things back and forth between the RV. I waved at him with a smile, doing an almost dorky sort of wave. He waved back and walked slowly down the hill.

Making a connection

We got to talking about the Mojave Desert area, talking about Joshua Tree, Barstow and more. He was quite nice and smiled when I mentioned some of the history of the water park.

Generally speaking, I really dislike graffiti. That said, this particular painting of this woman captivated me, and I knew I had to photograph her at night later. I used a handheld ProtoMachines LED2, using warm white and blue light from numerous angles during the exposure, to create the lighting for this image.

He had lived up in the hills above Ben Lomond, in Boulder Creek. I knew the area and exclaimed how beautiful it was up there, and how I had spent a lot of time in Santa Cruz, Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek, playing music and hanging out.

“You know how there are giant redwood trees that are hollowed out by fire up there?” I nodded. “I lived in one of those trees for two years.”

Now, he was living in an RV parked under a dilapidated house that was tagged. I hadn’t realized how messed up the house was until I had walked closer and began talking to him.

He then mentioned how he had also lived near Beckley in West Virginia. We talked about the beauty of that state, as I had visited numerous times.

Ghosts, accidents and 50 mile-per-hour waterslides

We ended up going on a mini-tour around the property. “The gift shop is haunted. There is a painting of a woman on the wall inside. People keep tagging it. But the paint never stays on.”

I asked how long this had been happening. “I’m not sure. It’s been happening for a while, though. Don’t worry, they won’t bother you,” he assured me.

The first building constructed at Lake Dolores is still standing, although I suspect it’s far more colorful than before.

Soon after, he pointed and said, “That was the first building built here.” It was the bathrooms and changing rooms. And it was indeed built like a brick, uh, something-house.

We looked at the enormous pits which were the lakes in Lake Dolores.

Some of the small waterslides at night, with the Interstate in the distance. The ones that you stood up on or went 50 miles per hour have long since disappeared. This was lit by a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 during the exposure.

He mentioned the long waterslides that used to exist, ones in which one could reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.

“And on some slides, you could go down while standing up! Some people got major road rash from that.”

And worse.

“One time, after the park closed, one of the employees wanted to go down the waterslide. The waterslide had been turned off, and the water was not full enough down below. He slid down and badly injured himself and then sued the water park. This shut it down.”

The weirdest thing

No TV tonight. But plenty of color in this night photo of an abandoned water park.

“We get a lot of visitors here,” he mentioned.

Peering around at all the tagging, I nodded my head. I asked him what the weirdest thing he’s ever seen people do. Without hesitation, he answered, “Seances. I came across people conducting a seance right there,” pointing to an area between what had been the arcade and the gift shop.

He later said, “Come on back later. You can stay here all night photographing. We’ll patrol the area and make sure no one bothers you.”

Not even ghosts, apparently.

Returning later in the night

I was excited about the prospect of photographing this place unimpeded, given the nod by the caretaker. Earlier, I had been thinking of some themes for a new night photography book on abandoned places. Lake Dolores would fit that theme beautifully. I drove in using the “secret locals” way he had also shown me, proud that I actually remembered how to do it.

I set about photographing and felt very creative, using more color in my lighting than I usually did, befitting the cartoonish, colorful nature of the water park.

Several times, I saw an ATV pass. One time, he waved.

Photographing the haunted gift shop

The corner of the allegedly haunted gift shop. Inside is the painting of the girl that allegedly cannot be painted over, according to the caretaker.

Of course, I had to do it. I ventured in, saw the girl, and smiled. I shined some blue light on her to give this eerie, bold and cartoonish quality. This sort of light painting would never stay on her. True to the caretaker’s word, the spirits never bothered me.

As I photographed some of the other buildings, an eerie cold wind blew in from nowhere. The air had been still and hot, but the sudden wind was gusty and cooler. Then just as suddenly, it stopped. Whether this was an atmospheric anomaly or the last vestiges of a seance, who can say?

I worked with mostly primary colors for much of this photoshoot, enhancing the already colorful, cartoonish look of the retro-futuristic water park. I’ll often use only warm white light for photo shoots, or perhaps a dash of color here and there, but here, I let the colors fly.

I packed up and left shortly after 2 a.m. This had been a great, creative night. And the ghosts had been kind.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

MY WEBSITE:
Head on over to the Ken Lee Photography website to purchase books or look at night photography and long exposure photos. My latest book, “Abandoned Southern California: The Slowing of Time” is 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.

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like)
Instagram

PODCAST:
Behind the Shot video podcast – interview February 2020

VIDEO INTERVIEW:
Conversation about night photography and my book with Lance Keimig of National Park At Night

Amazing adventures of creating a night photography history book

Old passenger trains with air conditioning units using ice, located in the Mojave Desert. Illuminated with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light painting device during the exposure. This was one of the many adventures I had while writing my second book of history and night photography.

Night photography explorations bring about fantastic experiences and adventures. Certainly when exploring abandoned planes, trains, and automobiles.

Over the years, I had amassed quite a few stories. I would tell these to friends. Occasionally I would post about them. I had to abbreviate these stories quite often, creating more questions than answers. I now have a second book where I can share these stories and images of strange abandoned sites, secret locations, and the characters along the way.

The Federal Clown Prison bus, one of many stories in a new book published by Fonthill/America Through Time. This is one of numerous fascinating things you see when you seek out abandoned planes, trains, and automobiles in the California desert. Illuminated with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light painting device during the exposure.

The mythical cars jammed in desert sand

We had heard about mysterious cars jammed into the desert sand. These are the locations that you hear about and wonder if it is myth or truth. We rumbled down an impossibly long sandy dirt road, only to come across a car with the rear end sticking up, stranded motorists standing forlornly to one side, stranded. Eventually continuing, we walk across the desert floor for twenty minutes, an area with no trails and no light, guided by the mountains and the glow of our GPS-tracking equipment. Odd shapes finally emerge. Cars jammed into the sand at awkward angles, some sideways, some upside down, some buried.

Oh, and yes, I gave the stranded motorists a ride back to town.

Was this the Manson family car?

A wrecked Corvair hidden in the hills above Spahn Ranch. Was this used by the Manson Family? Illuminated with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light painting device during the exposure.

Some adventures were solo. As an adult, I heard rumors of a Corvair that was hidden up in the hills above Spahn Ranch. Manson had a right hand man named Bruce Davis who drove a Corvair. Many believe that this rusty 1960s Corvair belonged to him. Some refer to this car as the Zodiac Car due to a popular myth that Bruce Davis was involved in the Zodiac killing, although this was never established. If this car could speak, would it tell tales of horror and violence? I decided that I would photograph this car at night. To do this, I had to hike through a couple of miles of hillside, the rugged hills illuminated by the moon. I found the car nestled under a tree in a rocky canyon overlooking the lights of the San Fernando Valley. The location was both beautiful and creepy. On my hike back, I took a wrong turn and discovered another abandoned car.

Another abandoned car, most likely stolen, peering over Los Angeles. I discovered this when I took a wrong turn on the way back to the car. There are several more cars hidden here. Perhaps there will be further adventures. Illuminated with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light painting device during the exposure.

Desert rats, philosophers and scientists

Halloween at an abandoned WWII air field. Illuminated with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light painting device during the exposure.

For many photo shoots, I had permission to be on the grounds. But these often bring about a different kind of experience. I’ve connected with people through our shared love of history. I’ve made friends with people who have enormous collections of old 1920s trains on their property, outdoor military plane museums, collections of hundred year old vintage trucks, many trucks and airplanes on an abandoned WWII airfields during Halloween night, railroad museums, and more. Preservationists, government workers, desert rats, music fans, philosophers, nature lovers, astronomers, scientists, mechanics, and lovers of weird, unusual, and vintage things – I’ve shared time and often dinner with them.

Airplane, abandoned WWII airfield with a full moon peaking behind it. Illuminated with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light painting device during the exposure.

To good friends

The interior of a vintage 1928 Moreland truck, illuminated by a ProtoMachines LED2 during the exposure.

But most importantly, many of the adventures have involved other friends who are night photographers. Rattling through dirt roads on multi-night journeys with friends may be the best gift of all. There is a certain magic in sharing the journey over traveling hours on dirt roads throughout the desert, finding the best taco stands, and photographing at night while waving flashlights in the dark to illuminate these special planes, trains and automobiles.

International Loadstar, with a shooting star aiming toward its crown during this long exposure night photo.

Telling the stories about hopes, dreams and secret locations

Abandoned airplane parts, WW II airfield, California. Illuminated with warm white and red light during the exposure.

I’ve compiled these images and adventures into a book, filled with stories and history of abandoned locations, outlining the successes and failures, dreams and hopes of those who came tried, peeling back some of the secrets that the California desert holds.

Abandoned Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: California Revealed

$23.99; available via Amazon or signed via Ken Lee Photography

Abandoned Planes, Trains, and Automobiles book cover.

This is the description of the book: “Abandoned Planes Trains and Automobiles: California Revealed” is an unforgettable nocturnal journey through secret locations hidden in the deserts of California. California has more than its share of abandoned planes, trains, and automobiles. Famous for its aviation and aerospace, the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad, and car culture, California has long been at the forefront of transportation. Wander with Ken through rarely seen locations as he illuminates these forgotten scenes with light, creating haunting dreamlike exposures of several minutes or more. Immerse yourself in the experiences and adventures. Discover precisely how these night photos are created. If you are a fan of creative photography, transportation history, or vivid travel stories, this exploration of California’s abandoned planes, trains, and automobiles is for you.”

Steam locomotive, Laws Museum near Bishop, CA.

A ghostly view of a vintage GMC truck with an odd tilt-shift blur effect courtesy of a Lensbaby lens.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

MY WEBSITE:
Head on over to the Ken Lee Photography website to purchase books or look at night photography and long exposure photos. My latest 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.

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like)
Instagram

PODCAST:
Behind the Shot video podcast – interview February 2020

VIDEO INTERVIEW:
Conversation about night photography and my book with Lance Keimig of National Park At Night

How can you be a colorblind photographer?

“Why does that dog look green?”

That comment led to my parents discovering that I was red-green colorblind. Years later, I am now a colorblind night photographer.

What do I see since I’m colorblind?

Some people think that if someone is colorblind, they see only black and white. That is an extremel1y rare occurrence.

I am red-green colorblind, also known as deuteranopia. Approximately 8% of males have this, so it’s not unusual. There are different degrees of this. Mine is relatively strong.

It's a fire truck. I know it's red. Got it. Good. — It’s a fire truck. I know it’s red. Got it. Good.

I can easily differentiate between bold colors of red and green. Traffic lights are no issue at all. Grass is green. Fire trucks are red.

However, throw in subtle hues of reds and greens, as well as related colors, such as oranges and browns, and I’m usually sunk. When people discuss cyan, teal, turquoise, chartreuse or aquamarine, they hold little meaning to me.

If someone told me a color were teal instead of blue, I might not know any better. I have little concept about what taupe or chartreuse are. Pale pinks and light gray, subtle shades of blue and purple, bright greens and yellows, or dark greens and gray — they are confusing to me.

How do I take photos?

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Night photo of a strange Mad Max-like bus in the desert. I thought I was lighting it with blue. When I saw this on my LED screen, I then knew that it was a patented color known as GST (Gas Station Teal), developed by night photographer Tim Little. — Night photo of a strange Mad Max-like bus in the desert. I thought I was lighting it with blue. When I saw this on my LED screen, I then knew that it was a patented color known as GST (Gas Station Teal), developed by night photographer Tim Little.

Taking photos is relatively simple. However, I sometimes light my subjects with different colors. Sometimes, I’ve attempted to select blue, only to find that I’ve selected teal. If I select a color like green and I want to be absolutely sure, I will increase the saturation and hold the light against a relatively neutral surface. Same with pink.

How do I post-process photos?

Post-processing colors is one of many reasons why I would never be a wedding photographer. If someone has a specific clothing and I don’t nail the exact color, that’s not so good.

Consequently, I try to set a proper white balance when photographing despite already shooting in RAW. I find nailing the white balance really helps me later. It also enables me to see the histogram out in the field.

When I begin editing, I simply don’t mess with the colors very much. I rarely use saturation much anyway.

How do I really know what color this is?

If I’m really not sure what color something is, I use Photoshop’s Color Picker. I select the color in question on the image. This produces a dialog box that tells gives me a visual representation of where things are on the RGB spectrum. Usually, that’s enough.

The Color Picker dialog box in Photoshop. Most photo editors have something similar for matching and identifying colors. The color I am choosing here sometimes looks like somewhat brown, especially when mixed among other colors. This is a great way to determine the color without guessing.

If I need more information or confirmation, I simply copy the color hex code, as shown above. This is simply a hexadecimal way to represent a specific color in RGB format.

An example of pasting the hex color code into a website such as ColorHexa to identify the color. The color I am choosing here sometimes looks like somewhat brown, especially when mixed among other colors. This is a great way to determine the color without guessing.

Then I paste the code into a site such as ColorHexa. This provides a lot of information about the color.

Saturation

Green tanks, red lights. Despite my red-green colorblindness, I can see this. More subtle hues, maybe not so much. This is a night photo of an old mine in the Mojave Desert.

If I am not certain about how much of a particular color is in an image, I will crank that color to 100% temporarily using a saturation slider. If that color is not there, little will change. If something does change, then I will make subtle adjustments. I don’t overdo it because other people will perceive that as oversaturated.

I have trouble using things like hue sliders and color mix panels. If I shift hues, I will crank the saturation of that color by 100% temporarily so I can determine what color that is.

Natural looking photos thanks to Luminar^AI

More recently, I have been experimenting with the Templates in Luminar^AI. Because Luminar is using machine learning from millions of photos, it sometimes helps me to achieve a more natural looking photo.

Color Cast in Nik Color Efex

I added a green interior to contrast this with blue during this night photo. This, however, is quite a bold green, so I can plainly determine that this is green.

I occasionally use the Color Cast function in Nik Color Efex. I’ll click on something that I know is supposed to be white. Even if I don’t end up applying the Color Cast function, this can sometimes help me to become more aware of some of the colors or casts in my image.

Asking for help while post-processing

What colors are in the Milky Way? I don't know. I basically left the colors alone, just saturating them and warming them ever so slightly. This was photographed at about 11,000 feet in elevation in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in California. — What colors are in the Milky Way? I don’t know. I basically left the colors alone, just saturating them and warming them ever so slightly. This was photographed at about 11,000 feet in elevation in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in California.

If I create any shifts in color, something that might occur if processing a Milky Way photo, I will ask someone if the colors look amiss. And again, I really try not to change or mess with the colors very much at all.

Is there any cure or treatment for deuteranopia?

No, there’s not. However, there are glasses that somewhat address color blindness. You’ve probably seen the videos on social media where someone weeps because they’re seeing colors for the first time.

Curious about this, I purchased Pilestone red-green colorblind glasses. While I did not experience any emotional revelations, they did help me differentiate between challenging colors. However, the colors looked tinted. It was nothing that would help me edit photos. I returned the glasses.

With some ingenuity and persistence, you can definitely overcome color blindness. While occasionally it might be confusing or frustrating, I would urge you not to be discouraged. Photography is something that has brought me great joy despite my deuteranopia. I hope it does for you as well.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like)
Instagram

PODCAST:
Behind the Shot video podcast – interview February 2020

VIDEO INTERVIEW:
Conversation about night photography and my book with Lance Keimig of National Park At Night

Almost Heaven, West Virginia

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Thurmond

Hawks Nest State Park

Babcock State Park

Camp Creek State Park and Forest

Brush Creek Preserve

Charleston

Blackwater Falls State Park

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

Dolly Sods Wilderness

Seneca Rocks

West Virginia Penitentiary, Moundsville

The roads less traveled

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“It’s like a parking lot here!”

Gas station sandwiches

“Where’s Tony?”

“My camera’s dead!”

Stepping on a nail

Meanwhile, on the other side …

Now, the good news

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What is Nelson Ghost Town?

What will you learn?

Timothy Little

Ken Lee

When is the night photography workshop?

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The creepiest place I have ever photographed

A most unsettling room

“It just went dark in here!”

A haunted abandoned water park

The haunted ghost town from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” film

Creating my own ghost

Ghosts

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Flashes and floaters

Distracting

The squeaky wheel

Uh, oh!

Recovery

The blob

Choosing the location to do night photography

Other strategies for doing night photography

Other thoughts

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VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

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How is a clone different from a backup?

Why should you clone your hard drive?

Best practices

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

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Encountering the first people at the water park

Scouting for night photography

Meeting the guys in the back

Making a connection

Ghosts, accidents and 50 mile-per-hour waterslides

The weirdest thing

Returning later in the night

Photographing the haunted gift shop

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

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The mythical cars jammed in desert sand

Was this the Manson family car?

Desert rats, philosophers and scientists

Natural looking photos thanks to Luminar^AI