Llano Del Rio Star Trails – Mysterious 100 Year Old Ruins of a Former Socialist Desert Colony

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You’re looking at the 100 year old ruins of Llano del Rio Colony, a socialist utopian community, established in SE Antelope Valley in 1914. Llano del Rio was founded by Job Harriman, a young lawyer who almost won a bid for mayor of Los Angeles. Not trusting the political system to enact social change, Harriman founded the community out in the desert north of Los Angeles. The cooperative thrived, its population exceeding 1000, until their water supply was diverted by an earthquake fault. They had one of the country’s first Montessori schools, hosted a fertile intellectual and cultural climate, and had innovative low-cost housing, Social Security, minimum-wage pay, and universal health care services that predated the rest of the country by decades. Although Llano del Rio is today considered Western American history’s most important non-religious utopian community, there is unfortunately no protection for the site despite being a California Historic Landmark.

Title: Llano Del Rio Star Trails
Photographer: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. 20 minute exposure in total, “stacked” in Photoshop CS4 from 5 individual photos of 4 minutes each at ISO 200 f/8, using Triggertrap to control the camera for the star trails. “Light painted” grain silo with LED flashlight and speedlight with gel. 18 January 2014 8:30 pm.
Location: Llano Del Rio, California, USA

Equipment:  Nikon D7000, Tokina AT-X 116, Feisol tripod.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
You can see more of these photos here  on my Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like). We discuss long exposure, night sky, star trails, and coastal long exposure photography, as well as lots of other things, so I hope you can join us!

And you can go to the Ken Lee Photography website, which has more photos from Ken Lee.  Thank you very much for visiting!

 

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Hot Lips – M*A*S*H TV Site Light Painting Night Sky Photo

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I had gone on a hike a short while before in Malibu Creek State Park, and I thought it would be a fun idea to come back here and photograph – to experiment, trying my hand at “light painting” with surreal colors, something I had done very little of before, and certainly not with vehicles, only creating mist with El Wire.

Although warm during the day, it got down to around freezing. I wore thermals and wool sock and cap, but still was a bit cold, so during some of the star trails photos, I ran back and forth to keep warm.

The older ambulance, left at the M*A*S*H filming site after the TV show was over. I stayed up all night taking photos, light painting the M*A*S*H TV show jeeps, finally getting in about 5 am. You know you are getting home late if the morning paper is already delivered!

Usually when I light paint, it’s in a more “naturalistic” manner, often mimicking how moonlight falls on the subject. Not so much this time! The whole process was a lot of fun, and the hours flew by in a flash despite the cold weather!!!!

Despite the close proximity to Los Angeles, the light pollution wasn’t too bad, and I could still see a fair amount of stars in the sky.

Title: Where did Hot Lips Go?
Photography: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens, Feisol tripod. 136 second exposure at f/8 ISO 200 at 12:08 am 21 December 2013. Light painted with LED flashlights, a speedlight, and gels.
Location: Agoura Hills, California, USA

Equipment:  Nikon D7000, Tokina AT-X 116, Feisol tripod.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
You can see more of these photos here  on my Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like). We discuss long exposure, night sky, star trails, and coastal long exposure photography, as well as lots of other things, so I hope you can join us!

And you can go to the Ken Lee Photography website, which has more photos from Ken Lee.  Thank you very much for visiting!

 

Chimney Moon: Mysterious Ruins of Llano Del Rio Socialist Colony (Night Sky Light Painting Photo)

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The desert holds many mysteries. One of these  mysteries is Llano Del Rio.

This old chimney is mostly what’s left of the hotel ruins, part of the 100 year old ruins of Llano del Rio Colony, a socialist utopian community, established in SE Antelope Valley in 1914. Llano del Rio was founded by Job Harriman, a young lawyer who almost won a bid for mayor of Los Angeles in 1911, obtaining over a third of the votes. Not trusting the political system to enact social change, Harriman founded the community out in the desert north of Los Angeles. The cooperative thrived, its population exceeding 1000, until their water supply was diverted by an earthquake fault. They had one of the country’s first Montessori schools, hosted a fertile intellectual and cultural climate, and had innovative low-cost housing, Social Security, minimum-wage pay, and universal health care services that predated the rest of the country by decades. Although Llano del Rio is today considered Western American history’s most important non-religious utopian community, there is unfortunately no protection for the site despite being a California Historic Landmark.

Today, signs of decay abound at Llano Del Rio. Although a designated California landmark, the site rots, its grain silo tagged, broken glass and automobile debris everywhere. A 150 pound plaque designating the site as a Historical Landmark was erected in 1982, only to be stolen two weeks later. It’s never been replaced.

According to the LA Times, County officials and members of Llano Community Association have proposed a county park that would preserve the site and provide a historical display. There is fear that the area could be leveled by a developer.

But a park costs money, and the county does not have about half a million dollars that it would take. Even worse, the land where most of the substantial ruins are concentrated, including the hotel, commissary, bakery, post office, and horse barn, is owned by two doctors in Illinois, according to the LA Times. And unless the property is acquired, the ruins will continue to languish.

Title: Chimney Moon
Photographer: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. 109 second long exposure, f/8 ISO 200. “Light painted” the old hotel chimney with LED flashlight and speedlight with gel. The streaks of light on the right are car lights from the nearby highway.
Location: Llano Del Rio, California, USA

Equipment:  Nikon D7000, Tokina AT-X 116, Feisol tripod.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
You can see more of these photos here  on my Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like). We discuss long exposure, night sky, star trails, and coastal long exposure photography, as well as lots of other things, so I hope you can join us!

And you can go to the Ken Lee Photography website, which has more photos from Ken Lee.  Thank you very much for visiting!

 

The Tree Car: Abandoned Vehicle Light Painting Photo

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This is an abandoned Ford Model T truck that I came across while driving around the back roads of Sonoma County. It’s light painted. The streak on the bottom right is a car driving past. The photo is a 176 second exposure, which is about how long it took me to light paint the whole truck. I hope you like it. Thanks!

Title: The Tree Car
Photography: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens, Feisol tripod. 176 second exposure at f/8 ISO 200. Light painted with LED flashlights and gels.
Location: Sonoma County, CA USA

Equipment:  Nikon D7000, Tokina AT-X 116, Feisol tripod.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
You can see more of these photos here  on my Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like). We discuss long exposure, night sky, star trails, and coastal long exposure photography, as well as lots of other things, so I hope you can join us!

And you can go to the Ken Lee Photography website, which has more photos from Ken Lee.  Thank you very much for visiting!

 

Hawkeye Star Trails – Night Sky Photo of M*A*S*H Film Site!

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A long exposure photo with light painting, showing the celestial movement of the heavens at the site where the TV show M*A*S*H was filmed.

Despite thermals and wool socks, I felt cold. Instead of laying on my back and looking at the stars or wandering around, I kept warm part of the time by running back and forth between the abandoned ambulances as the camera clicked away.

Title: Hawkeye Star Trails
Photographer: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, Feisol tripod. This is a long exposure night sky photo of 30 and a half minutes in total, with each individual photo exposed for 30 seconds at f/4 ISO 400 and stacked “by hand” in CS4. Light painted with Streamlight LED flashlight and speedlight. Begun 2:36 am D.S.T. on 21 December 2013.
Location: Agoura Hills, California, USA

Equipment:  Nikon D7000, Tokina AT-X 116, Feisol tripod.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
You can see more of these photos here  on my Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like). We discuss long exposure, night sky, star trails, and coastal long exposure photography, as well as lots of other things, so I hope you can join us!

And you can go to the Ken Lee Photography website, which has more photos from Ken Lee.  Thank you very much for visiting!

 

Light Painting and Star Trails in Llano Del Rio Ruins

The desert holds many mysteries. One of these mysteries is Llano Del Rio.

You’re looking at photos of the 100 year old ruins of Llano del Rio Colony, a socialist utopian community, established in SE Antelope Valley in 1914. Llano del Rio was founded by Job Harriman, a young lawyer who almost won a bid for mayor of Los Angeles in 1911, obtaining over a third of the votes. Not trusting the political system to enact social change, Harriman founded the community out in the desert north of Los Angeles. The cooperative thrived, its population exceeding 1000, until their water supply was diverted by an earthquake fault. They had one of the country’s first Montessori schools, hosted a fertile intellectual and cultural climate, and had innovative low-cost housing, Social Security, minimum-wage pay, and universal health care services that predated the rest of the country by decades. Although Llano del Rio is today considered Western American history’s most important non-religious utopian community, there is unfortunately no protection for the site despite being a California Historic Landmark.

Please click on the photo to view it larger and more clearly!  Thanks!

Title: The Fireplace of Forever
Photographer: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. 20 minute exposure in total, “stacked” in Photoshop CS4 from 5 individual photos of 4 minutes each at ISO 200 f/9, using Triggertrap to control the camera for the star trails. “Light painted” with LED flashlight and speedlight with gel. 18 January 2014 9:51 pm.
Location: Llano Del Rio, California, USA

 

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Title: Tower of Utopia
Photographer: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. 136 second long exposure, f/8, ISO 400. “Light painted” grain silo with LED flashlight and speedlight with gel. 18 January 2014 8:04 PM.
Location: Llano Del Rio, California, USA

Equipment:  Nikon D7000, Tokina AT-X 116, Feisol tripod.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
You can see more of these photos here  on my Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like). We discuss long exposure, night sky, star trails, and coastal long exposure photography, as well as lots of other things, so I hope you can join us!

And you can go to the Ken Lee Photography website, which has more photos from Ken Lee.  Thank you very much for visiting!

 

Ford Model T Truck Light Painting Night Photo

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I believe this is an old Model T Ford truck, but of course, with the benefit of some light painting added. I popped the speedlight in the interior with a red gel, and used flashlights elsewhere. This was taken in Sonoma County along one of the roads winding through the redwoods. I saw this during the day and knew I had to return at night.

Title: People can have the Model T in any color so long as it’s black
Photography: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens, Feisol tripod. 121 second exposure at f/8 ISO 200. Light painted with LED flashlights and gels.
Location: Sonoma County, CA USA

Equipment:  Nikon D7000, Tokina AT-X 116, Feisol tripod.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
You can see more of these photos here  on my Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like). We discuss long exposure, night sky, star trails, and coastal long exposure photography, as well as lots of other things, so I hope you can join us!

And you can go to the Ken Lee Photography website, which has more photos from Ken Lee.  Thank you very much for visiting!

 

Mystery Ruins of the Desert – Llano Del Rio Socialist Colony

The desert holds many mysteries. One of these mysteries is Llano Del Rio.

This grain silo is part of the 100 year old ruins of Llano del Rio Colony, a socialist utopian community, established in SE Antelope Valley in 1914. Llano del Rio was founded by Job Harriman, a young lawyer who almost won a bid for mayor of Los Angeles in 1911, obtaining over a third of the votes. Not trusting the political system to enact social change, Harriman founded the community out in the desert north of Los Angeles. The cooperative thrived, its population exceeding 1000, until their water supply was diverted by an earthquake fault. They had one of the country’s first Montessori schools, hosted a fertile intellectual and cultural climate, and had innovative low-cost housing, Social Security, minimum-wage pay, and universal health care services that predated the rest of the country by decades. Although Llano del Rio is today considered Western American history’s most important non-religious utopian community, there is unfortunately no protection for the site despite being a California Historic Landmark.

If you climbed inside the grain silo, and, ignoring the remains of a bonfire and the broken glass, laid down on your back and peered straight up, this is what you would see. I take these risks so you don’t need to, and that’s very sweet of me.

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The colony’s local economy was almost totally self-sustaining. Their economy included agriculture, orchards, a paint shop, a print shop, and a fish hatchery. Despite the desert climate, their farms succeeded, their farmers using purchased water to create fertile farmland, and growing alfalfa, corn, and grain, stored here in this grain silo. By 1916, Llano Del Rio grew ninety percent of the food they ate. A world class rabbitry provided the colonists with their main source of meat; and a large stable complex just outside the colony could house up to 100 horses.

Llano Del Rio opened on May Day of 1914, its first inhabitants members of the Young People’s Socialist League. In the beginning, only the community center had been constructed, and during much of the colony’s existence, very few permanent structures were ever built. Many people lived in canvas tents, able to do so because of the warm desert climate.

Llano Del Rio held a parade, dances, and had a champion baseball team and other sports. They also had a drama society, staging black-face minstrel shows. And Llano were chivalrous and gentlemanly, not allowing f-bombs in the presence of women and children. Liquor was not allowed unless granted permission by a doctor.

Equipment:  Nikon D7000, Tokina AT-X 116, Feisol tripod.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
You can see more of these photos here  on my Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like). We discuss long exposure, night sky, star trails, and coastal long exposure photography, as well as lots of other things, so I hope you can join us!

And you can go to the Ken Lee Photography website, which has more photos from Ken Lee.  Thank you very much for visiting!

 

Pine Mountain Star Trails – Winter Star Trails

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It is possible to create star trails with clouds. If the clouds are relatively insubstantial (thin) and are moving along, the star trails will still come out…and if the clouds are lit up by the setting sun, light pollution, or something else, they can make for some colorful night sky images.

Title: Pine Mountain Star Trails
Photographer: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, Feisol tripod. This is a long exposure night sky photo of 23 and a half minutes in total, with each individual photo exposed for 30 seconds at f/2.8 ISO 800, stacked “by hand” in CS4. I did light paint the tall pine tree with a Streamlight LED flashlight but then decided it looked better without it and got rid of that frame. Photo begun probably about 8:40 pm D.S.T. on 23 November 2013.
Location: Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple, Maricopa, Callifornia, USA

Equipment:  Nikon D7000, Tokina AT-X 116, Feisol tripod.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
You can see more of these photos here  on my Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like). We discuss long exposure, night sky, star trails, and coastal long exposure photography, as well as lots of other things, so I hope you can join us!

And you can go to the Ken Lee Photography website, which has more photos from Ken Lee.  Thank you very much for visiting!

 

Winter Milky Way Photo – Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple and Meditation Retreat night sky photo

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Milky Way over Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple and Meditation Retreat.

Title: Rizo Trails Hills Milky Way
Photography: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens. 20 second f/2.8 ISO 2500. Photo 10:05 pm D.S.T. 18 November 2013.
Location: Pine Tree Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center, Maricopa, CA, USA.

Equipment:  Nikon D7000, Tokina AT-X 116, Feisol tripod.

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!
You can see more of these photos here  on my Ken Lee Photography Facebook Page (poke your head in, say hi, and “like” the page if you would, uh, like). We discuss long exposure, night sky, star trails, and coastal long exposure photography, as well as lots of other things, so I hope you can join us!

And you can go to the Ken Lee Photography website, which has more photos from Ken Lee.  Thank you very much for visiting!