View allAll Photos Tagged Humanmade
Germer Iluminando
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Wouldn't you love to have one of these in your house? It's an old Germer stove, a beautiful work of art. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the interior of the stove as well as the exterior from camera right. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting." Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images. This was photographed while Tim Little and I were teaching a night photography workshop at Nelson Ghost Town in Nevada and Goffs, CA, along Route 66.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 3065) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. October 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #Nelson #NelsonGhostTown #ambientnightsmag #GermerStove
Drive to Greatness
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An old service station and cafe with a V-shaped roof and canopy on a cold 20F night in rural Kansas. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld flashlight capable of producing different colors and illuminated the abandoned building with warm white and blue light. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images. I love the way the streaking clouds frame the gas station as well, one of the reasons I love long exposure night photography so much. That and it's thoroughly enjoyable, always a beautiful, creative experience.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 0668) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. October 2023.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mojave #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #urbanexploration #kansas #gasstation #servicestation
Dreaming of Forever
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A fisheye night view of a 1946 Ford 1-ton 95-HP 6-cylinder pickup and mill, bathed in full moonlight and my handheld light. Purchased new, it was used by the original owner until 2005. I illuminated the truck with warm white light from a handheld Lume Cube RGB Panel Pro 2.0 during the long exposure. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated art. California desert.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 4696) Nikon D750/Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 fisheye lens. 2 minutes f/8 ISO 200. September 2023.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mojave #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #urbanexploration #truck #Ford
In the Time Before the Flux Capacitor
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Before the DeLorean, there was this vintage time machine. Consequently, I am posting this three days from now. Stationary and handheld lights used. It's more fun than AI-generated images. Photographed while Tim Little and I were teaching a night photography workshop at Nelson Ghost Town in Nevada.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 4473) Pentax K-1/15-30mm f/2.8 lens. April 2025.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #mylensrental #nightscaper #astrophotography #longexposure #humanmade #ProtoMachines #urbex #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #Nelson #NelsonGhostTown #ambientnightsmag
Burj Khalifa ("Khalifa Tower"),[8] known as Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the tallest humanmade structure in the world, at 829 m.
*Wikipedia
,
برج خليفة كما يعرف أيضا ً بـ برج دبي , ناطحة سحاب تقع في إمارة دبي بالإمارات العربية المتحدة ويعد برج خليفة أعلى بناء شيده الإنسان وأطول برج في العالم بارتفاع 829 متراً.
*ويكيبيديا
,
Burj khalifah - Dubai
UAE
,
Nikon D300
Tokina AT-X AF 10-17mm f3.5-4.5 DX "Fisheye"
This Way to the Stars
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Nelson Ghost Town, photographed after our night photography workshop in dark sky conditions. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the scene. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 7759) Nikon D750 DSLR/Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens. October 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #Nelson #NelsonGhostTown #Goffs #MotelSign
Charging the Heart
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Do you need fuel for the soul? If so, you might want to visit Soul Service Station, a Desert X art installation created by Alison Saar, located in Desert Hot Springs, CA. On a cool night after the rains had come, I perched my camera on a tripod, opened the shutter for a long time, then walked around lighting this subject with a handheld light. The mountains in the back are Joshua Tree National Park, my spiritual home for night photography.
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Photos, books, workshops: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 4005) Pentax K-1/15-30mm f/2.8 lens. March 2025.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #LightPaintingPhotography #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #astrophotography #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #LongExposure #humanmade #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #SoulServiceStation #AlisonSaar #DesertX #artinstallation #CoachellaValley #JoshuaTreeNationalPark
Green Ice Cream and a Heart of Gold
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I had been wanting to photograph this for years. I arrived on a beautiful February evening, somewhere around 47F. After stumbling in the same gully a couple of times, I put on my glasses, a grudging admission of my increasingly lousy eyesight. Stars and mountains looked gloriously sharp. I kept the glasses on for the rest of the evening. Nonetheless, I still managed to trip a couple more times It happens. This structure has stood in the shadow of the Sierra Nevadas for over a hundred years, serving Owens Valley as an ice cream parlor, a schoolhouse, a bunkhouse, and a post office. Can you imagine how great this must have been to travel through Owens Valley on hot summer days, but be able to treat yourself to cold velvety ice cream along the way? Oh, and I don't know that any of the ice cream was green. That's just one of my punny titles. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the scene with blue and warm white light. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light instead of paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 1689) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. February 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #mojave #urbex #urbanexploration #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #OwensValley #SierraNevadas
When Dragons Swallowed the Stars
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I photographed this enormous rattledragon while teaching a night photography workshop with Tim Little in Borrego Springs. It feels like a privilege to photograph under such dark skies. But it's even more special when with a great group of people. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the scene. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images. This is a single exposure of fifteen seconds. That's right, I had to do my light painting verrrry fast!
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 7145) Nikon D750/Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens. June 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #urbex #Nikon #california #RicardoBreceda #BorregoSprings #MilkyWay
Pinhead
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A rather small truck cab of an International Loadstar 1600, bathed in full moonlight and my handheld light. I illuminated the truck exterior with warm white light from a handheld Lume Cube RGB Panel Pro 2.0. I illuminated the interior with a brilliant red light from a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light during the long exposure. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated art. California desert.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 4703) Nikon D750/Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 fisheye lens. 2 minutes f/8 ISO 200. September 2023.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mojave #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #urbanexploration #truck #InternationalLoadstar
Filling the Soul
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Do you need fuel for the soul? If so, you might want to visit Soul Service Station, a Desert X art installation created by Alison Saar, located in Desert Hot Springs, CA. On a cool night after the rains had come, I perched my camera on a tripod, opened the shutter for a long time, then walked around lighting this subject with a handheld light. You can see the apparent movement of the stars over 48 minutes. If you look closely, you can see some blue and red reflections in the window. This is from two patrol cars racing past with their lights blazing.
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Photos, books, workshops: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 4084) Pentax K-1/15-30mm f/2.8 lens. March 2025.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #LightPaintingPhotography #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #astrophotography #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #LongExposure #humanmade #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #SoulServiceStation #AlisonSaar #DesertX #artinstallation #CoachellaValley
I was on the terrace, at home and i decided to try to do something with the artificial light of the streets around here also using an old Plexiglass panel. Everything is artificial! Enjoy it!
Leaning Towards the End
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Selfie photo. The End. Mojave Desert, CA. And yes, those huge letters are real. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the scene. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 3830) Pentax K-1/15-30mm f/2.8 lens. November 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #MojaveDesert #TheEnd
Home of the Throttlebottom
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Many of us can probably think of a few people who should move to a new home at the Federal Clown Prison, haha! To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod, big giant fisheye lens and all. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the bus with blue and warm white light. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 4853) Nikon D750/Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 fisheye lens. January 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #urbex #FederalClownPrison #Bus
The Shadow is Mine, and So Is the Valley
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I love shadow play. This building interior was photographed in beautiful Owens Valley. It's a lot of fun to light things from different angles with a handheld light. I arrived on a beautiful February evening, somewhere around 47F. After stumbling in the same gully a couple of times, I put on my glasses, a grudging admission of my increasingly lousy eyesight. Stars and mountains looked gloriously sharp. I kept the glasses on for the rest of the evening. Nonetheless, I still managed to trip a couple more times. It happens. This structure has stood in the shadow of the Sierra Nevadas for over a hundred years, serving Owens Valley as an ice cream parlor, a schoolhouse, a bunkhouse, and a post office. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the scene with warm white light. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light instead of paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 1697) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. February 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #mojave #urbex #urbanexploration #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #PentaxAustralia #OwensValley #SierraNevadas
Come Grain or Come Shine
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Hay bales. Enormous grain elevator. The quiet of night. Friends. It's all good. A long exposure night photo of an immense grain elevator rising high above the prairie of Kansas. Photo taken during the Nightaxians Journey to the Center of the Country Night Photography Trip. Tim had a fun idea that we would make this our Nightaxians lair, putting it on wheels. It could happen. For now, however, it will remain stationary. The long streaks in the sky? Star trails, showing the apparent movement of stars over 12 minutes.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 0561) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. October 2023.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mojave #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #urbanexploration #kansas #grainelevator
Wild West Theater
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In late January, it snowed in Pioneertown and elsewhere. The desert is so beautiful with a blanket of white snow. And elsewhere, that meant that Los Angeles got rain to help the firefighters battle the apocalyptic fires. To create this night photo, I lit the subject with a handheld flashlight while the camera shutter was open for a long time. This photo is near Pappy and Harriet's saloon.
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Photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 3895) Pentax K-1/15-30mm f/2.8 lens. January 2025.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #ShootPentax #Pioneertown #Pentax #PentaxK1
Return to Terra Nova
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Looks like a time travel trip gone terribly awry. However, this is actually an abandoned Lockheed Lodestar airplane in rural Kansas. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld flashlight capable of producing different colors and illuminated the airplane with warm white and teal light. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images. Terra Nova was a short-lived TV series in which people are transported 85 million years back in time to a prehistoric colony named Terra Nova to escape their dystopian existence.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 0554) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. October 2023.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mojave #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #urbanexploration #kansas #airplane
In the corner of the stream, industry runs at a scale no city planner could fathom. A wheel turns slowly, fed by nothing more than patience and the river’s hum.
Some call it quaint, others obsolete — here, it’s simply life in miniature.
Entered in the World Photography Day 2025 – Built Environment (Urban) category.
"This Way to the Moon"—Roy's Cafe sign, Amboy, along historic Route 66. I perched my camera on a tripod, opened the shutter for a long time, and then walked around lighting the scene with a handheld LED light. Photos, books, workshops: www.kenleephotography.com (Plate 6140) Pentax K-1/15-30mm f/2.8 lens. 3 Oct 2025. #kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #LightPaintingPhotography #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #astrophotography #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #LongExposure #humanmade #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #Route66 #Amboy
When Alien Drones Grow Hungry
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This looks like it could be a cleaning drone from "Star Wars" or maybe a friend of Mike Wazowsky. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the scene. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images. This was photographed while Tim Little and I were teaching a night photography workshop at Nelson Ghost Town in Nevada.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 2134) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. April 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #urbex #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #Nelson #NelsonGhostTown #mower #drone #ScienceFiction
The French Teacher
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One-room limestone schoolhouse, built in 1896 in rural Kansas. The first teacher was paid $40 per month. I'm happy to say that teachers make a little bit more than that now. She taught eight French families ranging from five to nineteen years of age. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod and allowed it to register the scene for this very long night exposure. The streaks on the road are from a nearby road. The streaks in the sky are the apparent movement of the stars for 16 minutes.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 0630) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. October 2023.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mojave #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #urbanexploration #kansas #schoolhouse #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1
Avestrus Nocturna
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Creative parking from a pilot? Nelson Ghost Town, with something that looks like an airplane crash but is actually left over from a movie. I illuminated the scene with warm white light from a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light during the long exposure. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. It's more fun than AI-generated art this way. This photo may appear in my fourth book of night photography, history, and stories. Photographed during a night photography workshop that we taught in the Nevada desert.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 9883) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. 117 seconds f/8 ISO 200. May 2023.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mojave #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #urbanexploration #airplane
Red Fire and Light
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Nestled in nature, it's easy to see why the Hog Farm hippie commune would have moved to this actual hog farm on top of a mountain in the 1960s. Founded by peace activist Wavy Gravy, the Hog Farm is perhaps best known for their involvement at Woodstock. Regrettably, not much is left from those days, and what may have been was burned in a catastrophic fire. This was a day for a lot of walking. Earlier that day, I had walked three miles for my usual exercise. Then in the evening, I made the 1.3-mile night hike up to the steep mountain trail. I probably walked for about two miles while photographing. Then the hike back down, where my knees began feeling the weight of the camera bag and the day's events. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the building with red light. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 1839) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. March 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #urbex #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #hippiecommune #wavygravy #hogfarm #california
Blue Raspberry Pop
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Nocturnal look at a Studebaker Land Cruiser, made between 1934–1954. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the Studebaker windows with teal light. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images. That said, we did have a very foggy sky this evening, and I did what I rarely do: replace the sky with some star trails that I took from another evening. The sky was too bland otherwise.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 1035) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Earth: 1 minute f/8 ISO 200. Sky: 50 minutes total. Each photo 30 seconds f/2.8 ISO 640. January 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #urbex #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #Studebaker #startrails
Leaning In to the Cosmos
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I photographed this on a hot evening in Joshua Tree National Park. I had just delivered 28 night photos to La Quinta Museum for my upcoming Abandoned Planes Trains and Automobiles" exhibit. After this, my friend Natalie and I headed over to the Park. I was also reviewing a new RGB Critter BT LED flashlight for Photofocus, this one controlled by an app and is capable of producing different colors, although I didn't use it for this silhouette photo. Sometimes, leaving the subject in shadow is the most alluring. Thanks!!
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 7201) Nikon D750/Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens. Single exposure. 12 July 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #urbex #Nikon #california #JoshuaTreeNationalPark #JoshuaTree #MilkyWay #StarTrails #Silhouette
She is the Staff of cold coffee®, a shop directly managed by HUMAN MADE® by nigo
I've known her for more than 4 years since she was working at Bape Cafe and Curry Up.
@maho_kambara on Twitter
Autumn, 2011
Norelco
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The mighty blades of a Convair 240 airplane, abandoned in a grassy field in rural Kansas. This was a very cloudy, wet night after a full day of rain. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld flashlight capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the scene. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 0437) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. October 2023.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mojave #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #urbanexploration #kansas #convair #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1
The Sea Ranch Lodge opens to the Pacific in a way that feels both designed and inevitable. Through a clean-lined doorway, the ocean glows—an endless horizon framed by cedar walls, sunlight, and silence. Every element of this view speaks to the Sea Ranch philosophy: architecture that doesn’t compete with nature but completes it. The deck’s wood grain carries the touch of wind and salt, its texture harmonizing with the land’s muted palette of browns, blues, and silvers.
The Adirondack chairs stand ready for quiet contemplation, perfectly aligned with the rhythm of the waves below. It’s a scene of simplicity and reverence—an intersection where built space becomes a lens for the natural world. The afternoon light spills across the boards, elongating shadows and reminding you that even the most minimal forms can feel deeply human when set against the vastness of the sea.
Standing here, the hum of the ocean becomes part of the architecture itself. The balance of light, line, and landscape feels like a meditation on presence—one that invites you to exhale and simply look west.
Light Runner
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Chopped bug with some eerie light reminiscent of "Tron". This is an attempt to recreate a botched 2019 photo I created after seeing Tim Little pull it off during this workshop. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the scene. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images. This was photographed while Tim Little and I were teaching a night photography workshop at Nelson Ghost Town in Nevada.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 2088) Pentax K-1/15-30mm f/2.8 lens. April 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #urbex #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #Nelson #NelsonGhostTown #Tron #choppedbug #dunebuggy
The Warmth of Light
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The warm inner glow emanating from the former ice cream parlor, schoolhouse, bunkhouse, and post office. I arrived on a beautiful February evening, somewhere around 47F, just after some large rain. After stumbling in a fresh new gully a couple of times, I put on my glasses, a grudging admission of my increasingly lousy eyesight. Stars and mountains looked gloriously sharp. I kept the glasses on for the rest of the evening. Nonetheless, I still managed to trip a couple more times. It happens. This structure has stood in the shadow of the Sierra Nevadas for over a hundred years. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the exterior and interior of the building with warm white light. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light instead of paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 1709) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. February 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #mojave #urbex #urbanexploration #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #OwensValley #SierraNevadas
The Castle of the Prairie
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A long exposure night photo of an immense grain elevator rising high above the prairie of Kansas. Photo taken during the Nightaxians Journey to the Center of the Country Night Photography Trip. Tim had a fun idea that we would make this our Nightaxians lair, putting it on wheels. It could happen. For now, however, it will remain stationary. During the exposure, holding a ProtoMachines light, I kissed the light off the front of the grain elevator, just to get a little bit of texture without brightening it too much.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 0588) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. October 2023.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mojave #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #urbanexploration #kansas #grainelevator #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1
Rusty Porcupine
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I illuminated this, um, vintage tachyon emitter, warp core, engine block, whatever it is, with red light from a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light during the long exposure. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated art. California desert. Special thanks to Pacific Southwest Railway Museum and Lew Wolfgang.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 0332) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. 40 seconds f/8 ISO 200. September 2023.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mojave #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #urbanexploration
Neither Sleet or Rain or Gloom of Night
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There was none of that. It had rained just a couple of days ago, but no sleet, no gloom. It is abandoned, however, and especially at night, can evoke nostalgia, loneliness, wonder, or creepiness in some. I photographed this green post office on a beautiful February evening, somewhere around 47F, with the shimmering northern end of the Milky Way overhead as a nearly full moon began to rise. After stumbling in the same gully a couple of times, I put on my glasses, a grudging admission of my increasingly lousy eyesight. Stars and mountains looked gloriously sharp. I kept the glasses on for the rest of the evening. Nonetheless, I still managed to trip a couple more times. Oh well. This structure has stood in the shadow of the Sierra Nevadas for over a hundred years, serving Owens Valley as an ice cream parlor, a schoolhouse, a bunkhouse, and, yes, a post office. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the scene with warm white light. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light instead of paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 1652) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. February 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #mojave #urbex #urbanexploration #OwensValley #SierraNevadas
A Night Erin
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Night time at the abandoned Dixie Inn, a surprisingly tiny former restaurant located in Hinckley CA (PG&E and Erin Brockovich infamy). I illuminated the night scene with warm white and Teal (GST-TM) light from a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light during the long exposure. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than typing key prompts for AI-generated art.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 0169) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. 130 seconds f/9 ISO 200. July 2023.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mojave #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #urbex #urbanexploration #airport #dixieinn #erinbrockovich
Caught in a serene moment, this tree frog floats effortlessly on the surface of a tranquil swimming pool, showcasing the delicate balance between wildlife and human leisure spaces. The frog was rescued and released back into the wild.
Dawn of Shadows
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The shortest school bus I have ever seen. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the bus interior with red light. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images. This was photographed while Tim Little and I were teaching a night photography workshop at Nelson Ghost Town in Nevada.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 2080) Pentax K-1/15-30mm f/2.8 lens. April 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #urbex #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #Nelson #NelsonGhostTown #schoolbus
Where the Forest Meets the Stars
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In Owens Valley, if you drive on almost any road up the Eastern Sierra, you will soon be immersed in a very breathtaking land of sharp jagged snow-capped peaks, pine trees, clear lakes, babbling brooks, wildflowers, ferns, and fresh mountain air. At night, a canopy of stars appears, its light reflecting off the beautiful waters of the lakes below. As you remain still, the chatter and noise in your brain begins to melt away. Time moves slower. We realize that as we gaze at the light from the center of our Milky Way, we are looking at ancient light that began its journey 26,000 years ago. Convict Lake, CA, named for a group of convicts that escaped from Carson City, NV and were eventually cornered at the lake by locals. It's also one of our favorite places to kayak.
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Books, photos, workshops: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 4462) Nikon D750/Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens. September 2023.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mojave #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #mammothlakes #easternsierra #owensvalley #california #stars #milkyway #convictlake
"The Burning Bush of the Desert"—A night photo of the otherworldly curves of "Truth Arrives in Slanted Beams," a Desert X art installation by Sarah Meyohas. I perched my camera on a tripod, opened the shutter for a long time, then walked around lighting the scene with a handheld LED light. Photos, books, workshops: www.kenleephotography.com (Plate 5027) May 2025. #kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #LightPaintingPhotography #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #astrophotography #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #LongExposure #humanmade #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #DesertX
Vivid in Denial, Tall in Promise
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Above the bright lights of the city below, it's easy to see why the Hog Farm hippie commune would have moved to this actual hog farm on top of a mountain in the 1960s. Founded by peace activist Wavy Gravy, the Hog Farm are perhaps best known for their involvement at Woodstock. Regrettably, not much is left from those days, and what may have been was burned in a catastrophic fire. This was a day for a lot of walking. Earlier that day, I had walked three miles for my usual exercise. Then in the evening, I made the 1.3-mile night hike up to the steep mountain trail. I probably walked for about two miles while photographing. Then the hike back down, where my knees began feeling the weight of the camera bag and the day's events. To create this night photo, I set the camera on a tripod. I opened the camera shutter for a long time. While the shutter was open, I walked around with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light capable of producing different colors, and illuminated the building with warm white and red light. During the exposure, all the light I shined on the subject was cumulative. This process is called "light painting". Why? Because one uses the flashlight as a paint brush, "brushing" on light, not paint. Light painting to illuminate subjects is a beautiful, addictive art, as you can walk around the scene, deciding what to bring to light and what to keep in shadow. And it's more fun than AI-generated images.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 1820) Pentax K-1/28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. March 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #urbex #ShootPentax #Pentax #PentaxK1 #hippiecommune #wavygravy #hogfarm #california
Valley of the Spires
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Sometimes night photography is all about the stillness of the night. And other times, it's very social. I ran out to meet up with Josh Madison and photograph the Milky Way at Trona Pinnacles. I also met Susan Magnano, who was there with her night photography workshop group. Beautiful May night. You can still see our faint Milky Way despite a waning gibbous moon with 91% illumination rose around 11 pm, bathing Trona Pinnacles below in beautiful light. This particular scene reminds me a bit of Monument Valley. I illuminated the large nearby tufa with a hint of warm white light from my handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light while taking the photo.
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For photos, books, workshops and more: www.kenleephotography.com
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(Plate 6473) Nikon D750/Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens. 26 May 2024.
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#kenlee #nightphotography #lightpainting #YourShotPhotographer #mylensrental #nightportraits #astrophotography #universetoday #astrophoto #nightsky #nightscaper #starphotography #landscape_nightscape #igsouthwest #divine_deserts #splendid_earth #instagood #beautifuldestinations #humanmade #ProtoMachines #urbex #Nikon #california #Trona #TronaPinnacles #MilkyWay