Photo: Riding Pine (Milky Way Near Los Angeles, CA)

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Riding Pine

Mount Pinos is probably the best place near Los Angeles for viewing the stars because it has relatively low light pollution, clear skies, and is 8,847 feet (2,697 m) in elevation. Mt. Pinos is the highest point in Ventura County, and one of the most popular spots near Los Angeles for star gazing. As a bonus, if you are in a hurry, you can easily drive up to near the summit, just about 1.4 miles away. My girlfriend and I did just that. There were many people in the parking lot near the summit, many with RVs, telescopes, lawn chairs, cameras, and an occasional acoustic guitar. We walked along the trail to a couple of meadows near Chula Vista Campground and took these photos. That night was a new moon, and so many people wanted to see the Milky Way, as it is more prominent in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer.

In this photo, we are looking just about straight up at the sky, so this is not the densest part of the Milky Way.

Mt. Pinos, called “Iwihinmu” by the Chumash, was considered to be the center of the world (“Liyikshup”), an area where everything was in balance, and was the center of their ancestral home.

Title: Riding Pine (7845)
Photo: Ken Lee Photography
Info: Nikon D610, AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens at 14mm, 20 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 4000. 2015-07-17 22:45. Light painting with Protomachines LED2 flashlight.
Location: Mt. Pinos, California, USA
~~~~~
Riding Pine.

Mount Pinos es probablemente el mejor lugar cerca de Los Angeles para ver las estrellas ya que tiene relativamente poca polucion de luz, cielos claros, y es 8,847 feet (2,697 m) de altura. Mt. Pinos es el punto más alto en el condado de Ventura, y uno de los lugares más populares cerca de Los Angeles para observar las estrellas. Y tambien, si usted está en un apuro, puede conducir fácilmente hasta cerca de la cumbre, a tan sólo unos 1,4 kilómetros de distancia. Mi novia y yo hicimos precisamente eso. Había mucha gente en la playa de estacionamiento cerca de la cumbre, muchos con RVs, telescopios, sillas de jardín, cámaras y una guitarra acústica ocasional. Caminamos por el sendero a un par de prados y tomamos estas fotos. Esa noche era luna nueva, y entonces mucha gente quería ver la Vía Láctea, ya que es más prominente en el hemisferio norte durante el verano.

Monte Pinos, llamados “Iwihinmu” por el Chumash, fue considerado como el centro del mundo (“Liyikshup”), una zona donde todo estaba en equilibrio, y fue el centro de hogar ancestral para ellos.

Título: Riding Pine (7845)
Foto: Ken Lee Photography
Info: Nikon D610, AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED en 14 mm, 20 segundos, f/2.8, ISO 4000 2015-07-17 22:45. Pintura de luz con Protomachines LED2 flashlight.
Ubicación: Mt. Pinos, California, EE.UU.

#stars #astrophotography #mtpinos #pinos #astronomy #milkyway #nature #night #pinetrees #venturacounty #mountain #nightsky #kenlee #stargazing #vialactea #lightpainting #nightskyphotography #longexposure #nikon #lospadres #nationalforest

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), on 500px, or my Ken Lee Google+ Page. 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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Photos: Pinos Envy (Milky Way)

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This photo shows why so many stargazers and astronomers come up when there’s no moon out, especially during the summer when it’s not super cold. This is a photo from our campsite in McGill Campground that I took Friday night (2015-07-17) at Mt. Pinos, near Frazier Park in California, and is a photo from our two day camping trip at Mt. Pinos.

Make that ONE day. The thread of thunder and rain made us retreat to our friends’ home in nearby Frazier Park.

Later, Frazier Park was pummeled with really heavy rain, causing a mudslide that blocked the road, hemming us in for the evening. I took Milky Way shots after the others had gone to sleep. We stayed at our friends’ house overnight, so it was all good.

Friday was gorgeous, and we had fun hanging out amongst the towering pines. Friday night was beautiful and clear. Saturday, the clouds began rolling in from the coast, and by mid-morning, we had decided to pack it up and head down the hill.

Lots of fun, and always a pleasure hanging out with our friends among the beautiful pines and fresh mountain air.

Mount Pinos is probably the best place near Los Angeles for viewing the stars because it has relatively low light pollution, clear skies, and is 8,847 feet (2,697 m) in elevation. Mt. Pinos is the highest point in Ventura County, and one of the most popular spots near Los Angeles for star gazing. As a bonus, if you are in a hurry, you can easily drive up to near the summit, just about 1.4 miles away. My girlfriend and I did just that. There were many people in the parking lot near the summit, many with RVs, telescopes, lawn chairs, cameras, and an occasional acoustic guitar. We walked along the trail to a couple of meadows near Chula Vista Campground and took these photos. That night was a new moon, and so many people wanted to see the Milky Way, as it is more prominent in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer.

In this photo, we are looking just about straight up at the sky, so this is not the densest part of the Milky Way.

Mt. Pinos, called “Iwihinmu” by the Chumash, was considered to be the center of the world (“Liyikshup”), an area where everything was in balance, and was the center of their ancestral home.

Title inspired by Elson Trinidad’s pun!

Title: Pinos Envy (7856)
Photo: Ken Lee Photography
Info: Nikon D610, AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens at 14mm, 20 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 4000. 2015-07-17 23:02.
Location: Mt. Pinos, California, USA
~~~~~
Mount Pinos es probablemente el mejor lugar cerca de Los Angeles para ver las estrellas ya que tiene relativamente poca polucion de luz, cielos claros, y es 8,847 feet (2,697 m) de altura. Mt. Pinos es el punto más alto en el condado de Ventura, y uno de los lugares más populares cerca de Los Angeles para observar las estrellas. Y tambien, si usted está en un apuro, puede conducir fácilmente hasta cerca de la cumbre, a tan sólo unos 1,4 kilómetros de distancia. Mi novia y yo hicimos precisamente eso. Había mucha gente en la playa de estacionamiento cerca de la cumbre, muchos con RVs, telescopios, sillas de jardín, cámaras y una guitarra acústica ocasional. Caminamos por el sendero a un par de prados y tomamos estas fotos. Esa noche era luna nueva, y entonces mucha gente quería ver la Vía Láctea, ya que es más prominente en el hemisferio norte durante el verano.

Monte Pinos, llamados “Iwihinmu” por el Chumash, fue considerado como el centro del mundo (“Liyikshup”), una zona donde todo estaba en equilibrio, y fue el centro de hogar ancestral para ellos.

Título inspirado en un juego de palabras de Elson Trinidad! 😀

Título: Pinos Envy (7856)
Foto: Ken Lee Photography
Info: Nikon D610, AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED en 14 mm, 20 segundos, f/2.8, ISO 4000 2015-07-17 23:02.
Ubicación: Mt. Pinos, California, EE.UU.

#stars #astrophotography #mtpinos #pinos #astronomy #milkyway #nature #night #pinetrees #venturacounty #mountain #nightsky #kenlee #stargazing #vialactea #lightpainting #nightskyphotography #longexposure #nikon

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), on 500px, or my Ken Lee Google+ Page. 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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Please click on the photo to view it larger and more clearly!  Thanks!

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

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!

 

Pine Mountain Stupa Star Trails – Night Skies Over Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple!

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

I had the pleasure of staying overnight at the remote Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple, located in rural Ventura County, up in the mountains, sort of between Ojai and Frazier Park. I was able to take some night sky photos, as well as day photos, on the grounds of this beautiful retreat, and figured I’d share them with you. The people there were kind, generous, and welcoming, and made my brief stay a total joy.

Starry nights underneath the stupa at Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple and Meditation Retreat in the mountains of rural Ventura County, with this long exposure photo showing the movement of the stars around the North Star. A stupa typically contains relics of the Buddha and is used by Buddhists as a place of meditation.

Title: Pine Mountain Stupa 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 500, stacked “by hand” in CS4. I light painted the stupa and foreground with a Streamlight LED flashlight. Photo begun 7:40 pm D.S.T. on 23 November 2013.
Location: Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple, Maricopa, 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!