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

Halloween night photography: a creepy bunny, an abandoned Chevy truck, and a blue moon

On Halloween day, I was rumbling toward an old airfield, littered with rusting abandoned vehicles, airplanes, and more. I had just called the previous day spontaneously, wondering if I could run up and photograph at night. It was a special day. Yes, Halloween, but a Halloween with a blue moon. What could be better? I was only too happy to make the three and a half hour drive to the airfield for some night photography.

In honor of Halloween, I had also brought a bag full of creepy looking dolls. They’d be difficult to explain if I got pulled over by California Highway Patrol. Thankfully, the only thing I stopped for was gas and tacos.

Just the right amount of cobwebs, dust and rust

After photographing some rusty airplanes and trucks, I found the perfect setting for my Halloween photo. I opened the creaky door of an abandoned Chevy flatbed. The cab was perfect. Just the right amount of cobwebs, dust and rust.

I became rather choosy about posing the bunny. The bunny should slump a certain way. I wanted the eye to look warily elsewhere. And also, I wanted one ear up, the other down. This was not something I usually did.

A bunny, truck, cobwebs, rust, and a blue moon: the perfect recipe for a Halloween night photo.

Setting up the camera

Satisfied, I set up the Pentax K-1, using a Lensbaby Edge 35 Optic. This creates these quasi-tilt-shift blurs, keeping a slice of the image in focus. During daylight, this lens is somewhat challenging to focus. At night, it was really difficult.

I managed to adjust the slice of focus so that it was on the eye and head of the bunny. The rest would fall into blur. I opened the shutter. Holding a ProtoMachines LED2 in my hand, I carefully shined it overhead, trying to get some texture and illuminate the bunny in an abnormal, creepy sort of way, keeping most of the cab in almost total darkness. I “grazed” some of the rusty springs, steering wheel and cobwebs with the light quickly, just for good measure. Satisfied that I completed the photo, I closed the shutter.

A 75-second exposure, all done. Good, weird, creepy, and dark, just as it should be.

I continued photographing among the creaky trucks and airplanes. Tonight was Halloween. Tonight was a good night.

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

Exploring the history of Route 66 through photography: Goffs Cultural Center

I woke to horrible news. Before I had gotten out of bed, I saw a photo of the historic Goffs General Store along Route 66 engulfed in flames. An abandoned home in Goffs had burned the same day, as had an abandoned building in nearby Essex. Officials suspected foul play.

I had been working on my third book, a history and night photography book about Route 66, and had photographed Goffs before. I knew Goffs had played an important part of that history.

And I was to have photographed that structure a week later.

Saving history through photography

I had photographed Goffs General Store before. I now felt fortunate that I had done so.

The photo that saved the Goffs General Store and Saloon sign.

Also, I had photographed the store sign at night. It had fallen and was leaning against one of the exterior walls. Someone had seen the sign. That person brought it to the attention of the nearby Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association in Goffs. They took the sign over to the cultural center for preservation.

Now, that sign was all that was left of Goffs General Store.

Route 66 and Goffs

Goffs is an almost-ghost town. There are few residents left. Located hours from Los Angeles or Las Vegas, it sits on an old alignment of Route 66 approximately half an hour west of Needles, CA. The town prospered until 1931, when Route 66 was realigned and bypassed Goffs by six miles.

The restored Goffs Schoolhouse, photographed at night with a Lensbaby Edge 35 Optic, which produces a side-to-side, slice of focus effect.

The cultural center includes the restored historic mission-style Goffs Schoolhouse, built in 1914. The school served students until 1937. After that, things changed. The U.S. Army stationed troops in Goffs during World War II, with the school serving as a cafe for soldiers. It eventually fell into disrepair before Dennis and Jo Ann Casebier purchased it. They and MDHCA eventually raised money and restored the historic structure.

The cultural center also has an impressive outdoor display of items from the Mojave Desert and Route 66, occupying some of the 70-acre property. This land was donated to the Association by the Casebiers.

I was going to stay there for three nights.

The perfect place to stay

Night photo of an old vintage gas pump at Goffs Cultural Center.

The last time I had photographed the cultural center, one of the volunteers asked if I wanted to stay there the next time I visited. It’s a fantastic place for history as well as for night photography. Everyone there is extremely friendly. I was excited.

Goffs is spitting distance from the fascinating Mojave National Preserve. It’s also reasonably close to many historic areas that I would want to photograph or visit along Route 66, including Amboy, Essex, Oatman, Yucca and, of course, Goffs itself. Other places to stay are at least half an hour away or more. Therefore, it would also drastically reduce the amount of late-night driving.

A beautiful surprise

I was greeted warmly by Mo and Judy on June 21, 2021. They showed me where I was staying. It was a comfortable single-wide trailer with air conditioning, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a sitting area with a microwave. Luxurious!

To stay here, I became a member of the association. I also left a donation. There’s no way I couldn’t.

My trailer sat among numerous travel trailers or RVs. The cultural center holds various events. Members and guests gather for a still-operating historic 10-stamp mill in April, the Mojave Road Rendezvous in October and even a camel trek along 90 miles of the Mojave Trail. They can stay in one of the trailers.

The first night of photography

Night photo, Goffs Cultural Center, showing the movement of the stars over long periods of time.

I wandered the grounds of the cultural center, photographing with a Pentax K-1 and 15-30mm f/2.8 lens, creating three to 15-minute long exposures while light painting with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light painting device. It was a hot night. At 12:30 a.m., it was still close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. But it didn’t matter. I was out in the quiet of the desert, with only the nearby trains to break the silence.

Here today, gone tomorrow. Almost nothing left of the historic Goffs General Store. The light on the horizon is the light pollution from Las Vegas, NV, about 100 miles away.

I did briefly drive over to the Goffs General Store. To my surprise, there was nothing left. Workers had cleared the remains. I photographed the area from three different angles anyway. I included a similar angle to an earlier photo for the sake of comparison. I then returned to the cultural center to photograph more.

Finishing, I simply walked over to the trailer to go to sleep. This felt luxurious. Usually, I would have to drive back to a motel, one that was not always near.

The second night of photography

Upon waking up, I opened the outside door. An oven-blast of air greeted me. I had slept blissfully late, but now it was over 100° F outside. I retreated back inside.

I had brought lots of food. With the closest restaurant at least half an hour away, this was especially great. The trailer had a refrigerator. Actually, two. Fantastic.

Night photo of the old Whiting Brothers Motel sign in Yucca, AZ.

After consulting the Clear Outside app to determine weather conditions, I decided to drive to Yucca, AZ, a little more than an hour away. Yucca is also along Route 66. It has a number of historic signs, including a motel sign and Whiting Brothers service station sign as well as an old cafe and a truck on a pole.

I arrived during blue hour, after the sun had set. I photographed there with the same setup as the previous night.

Photographing Essex

The Wayside Cafe as well as the station and market were built in the 1930s, selling much-needed water, among other things. Illuminated by a full moon and warm white and teal light from a handheld ProtoMachines LED2.

After an hour, I drove to the almost-ghost town of Essex. It feels like there are more abandoned structures than occupied ones there. I had heard about the aforementioned structure fire from the week before. I was concerned about what would be left. Would the cafe still be standing? The old wooden homes?

I quickly saw that the building that had burned was 1.6 miles outside of the town center.

A fisheye night photo of an abandoned house along Route 66 in Essex, CA, located in the Mojave Desert. Once considered the “Mother Road,” much of Route 66 dried up when the Interstate Highway System was built.

I photographed the old Wayside Cafe, the rustic Western-style wooden homes, and an old house with the roof beams still showing, the rest of the roof stripped away. Then I grabbed the Nikon D750 and Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 fisheye to create different looks.

This was a beautifully quiet night with almost no traffic. I returned to my trailer in Goffs around 3 a.m.

The third night of photography

I woke up late. This time, upon opening the door, the air was noticeably cooler. A cloud cover had helped with that.

I visited with Laura, the Executive Director of MDHCA. I wandered the outside area around the exhibits for two hours, enjoying the cooler weather.

Photographing at an abandoned home in Goffs

Nighttime with an abandoned camper on the property of a house recently destroyed by a fire. I lit the scene with warm white and red light from a handheld ProtoMachines during the exposure.

Laura suggested that I photograph the nearby abandoned Harris House, the house that had burned under suspicious circumstances. I ordinarily don’t photograph structures after fires, but she had mentioned that there were some interesting vehicles and trailers there. I would be photographing history.

All that was left of the house were several charred posts, lots of ash, a surprising amount of appliances and several vehicles and trailers. The area still had that sickening smell of a house fire, a smell I knew all too well since my house had caught on fire years ago. It’s a smell that you never forget.

I primarily photographed the trailers and vehicles. After a while, the smell got to me. I returned to the cultural center, just a minute away.

Atlas Engine Works boiler, photographed at night with the Lesbaby Edge 35 Optic.

This time, I used The Nikon D750 and fisheye lens as well as the Pentax with a Lensbaby Edge 35 Optic, experimenting with some different looks. I went to sleep around 3 a.m.

I will return

I woke up very late and said my goodbyes. This had been an amazing experience. And I was now a proud member of the MDHCA. As I was leaving, I was already plotting my return.

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

Road trip! How to find the best places for dark sky night photos!

Although stunning photos can be made near a full moon, most night photographers wish to photograph the Milky Way or photograph as many stars in the night sky as possible. And why not? It’s breath-taking. I never tire of seeing the Milky Way.

Road trips are exciting. The long drives, strange music, late night taco stands, the fascinating conversations. But if you do a little bit of homework, you can take a good road trip and make it epic.

You don’t need to plan everything to within an inch of its life either. Allow for fun, spontaneity, and exploration while still knowing that at a certain time at a certain place, you can create a photograph that will put a smile on your face.

Let’s start with dark skies first.

According to National Geographic, 80 percent of the planet’s land areas—and 99 percent of the population of the United States and Europe – live under light-polluted skies that blot out the Milky Way. Naturally, the first order of business is to get away from light pollution.

But how do we do this? I’ll use an example of a photo I took in 2014 of the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park in Utah, shown in the header and the last photograph, as an example of how I planned.

Finding dark sky areas

The first place I would direct someone to is the International Dark Sky Association, who encourage communities, parks and protected areas around the world to preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting policies and public education. They have a map that allows you to find many dark places around the globe.

Another useful site is Dark Site Finder. They also offer a useful tip, noting that it is difficult for many to get away completely from light pollution, but to consider photographing in areas where the sky is sufficiently dark in the desired direction. For example, if you wish to photograph the core of the Milky Way, you can look for places that are dark to the south.

Finding places of interest

Within these dark places, consider what makes a strong foreground. In my opinion, the most interesting night photos are usually ones that have strong subjects, providing context, a perfect marriage of earth and sky.

I would recommend doing a search in the dark sky areas, keeping notes about what seems appealing. This can be a lot of work, perhaps even more so if you want to photograph subjects that are original and relatively unknown. You can go down “rabbit holes” that consume hours of your time.

Google Maps

I often begin my searches by looking around the dark sky area chosen on Google Maps. Google Maps often points out the areas of interest. Sometimes, you may see a camera icon. Click on that and this often produces photos submitted by various Google users. This gives you an idea of what it looks like.

I will often change the map to satellite view. This gives me an idea of what the terrain looks like and provides further context and visual information.

I like to zoom in and look around. You can look at the orientation and figure how which way it is facing and get a strong idea of the surroundings. I wanted a photo of the otherworldly Delicate Arch, but I wanted to look up at it while facing more or less south. The screen shot above shows you the valuable visual information that one can gain from zooming in using its satellite view.

Social media sites

I often will check social media or photography sites such as Flickr, 500px, Instagram, and Facebook. I particularly find Flickr and Facebook useful because they encourage a lot of interaction through their groups. I can often contact the people who created the photographs. I’ve even met up with some of the photographers, making new friends and having a local “tour guides” of sorts. Fantastic!

Groups on Flickr or Facebook can be surprisingly specific, and sometimes, scrolling through that area can yield valuable and current information about accessibility and provide more photos. I often join these groups to participate in the discussion. Because I love photographing abandoned areas, all this information and interacting with others can really help here as well. I received some information about the trails leading up to Delicate Arch, including one area where the trail narrowed to about six feet, with a sheer drop on one side. Yikes!

Determining compositions in advance

Sometimes it’s possible to determine compositions in advance, particularly if you are photographing with specific celestial events in mind. For example, I wanted to photograph tDelicate Arch . But I wanted to do so with it framing the core of the Milky Way through a vantage point that I had never seen anyone else photograph before.

Through a combination of The Photographer’s Ephemeris and PhotoPills, i was able to determine that the Milky Way would drift further south and be in the position I wanted by approximately 11:00 pm. Both apps also informed me that there would be no moon in the sky to blot out the stars. From this, I had specific times and dates to make this happen! Both apps help you plan outdoor photography, showing you how light will fall on the subject for day or night in any location on earth. PhotoPills is an actual photographer’s planner which does the above but also helps you to calculate camera settings and much much more.

Winging it

There’s nothing like doing it “old school” and winging it. I love to explore during the day, hiking or driving around, serving sort of as a scouting mission. I’ve found many great places this way. And even more so, there’s nothing like going to a dark sky area and being in the moment, reacting to what makes you gasp with amazement. For locations like this, I love to choose generally inspiring areas. For me, since I am located in Southern California, those areas include the numerous National Parks in south Utah, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park, Salton Sea, White Mountains, and the Sierra Nevadas.

About the photo

This is the photo that I planned, which I’ve called “Door to Infinity”. As you can see, I achieve my vision, managing to create a photo looking up, the arch framing the magnificent Milky Way. I discovered why I had never seen a photo like this before. At night, it is terrifying to be perched on a ledge below this. You can slip and fall into a large rocky “bowl” or have your equipment slide down, ensuring certain ruin for either. I can safely say that although I am happy to have created the photo, I will never do that again.

I “light painted” the arch with a small Streamlight LED flashlight to keep it from appearing as a silhouette. I created this in June 2014, before the Park banned “light painting” at night. This was photographed with a Nikon D610 and a Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens at 14mm. I used a 20 second exposure at f/2.8 with an ISO of 4000. It is a single exposure.

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

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

Share this:

Like this:

Just the right amount of cobwebs, dust and rust

Setting up the camera

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

Share this:

Like this:

Saving history through photography

Route 66 and Goffs

The perfect place to stay

A beautiful surprise

The first night of photography

The second night of photography

Photographing Essex

The third night of photography

Photographing at an abandoned home in Goffs

I will return

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

Share this:

Like this:

Finding dark sky areas

Finding places of interest

Google Maps

Social media sites

Determining compositions in advance

Winging it

About the photo

VISIT ME, VISIT ME!

Share this:

Like this: