9 November 2013:
Veteran's Day weekend, a three-day weekend. And of course, that means getting away.

I hadn't shot long exposure night sky photos in Joshua Tree since May, six months ago, a long time by my standards, so I was looking forward to going out into the cold desert air and get a few shots.

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Raining stars over the California desert, a long exposure photo showing the celestial movements of the heavens.

I'm always amazed at how much color comes out in a photo that is hidden or barely discernible when we are looking at it with our own eyes. I know this intellectually, of course, but am still amazed every time. It's this sort of quality that further inspires me to slow down and really appreciate the night sky and how the world looks at night in general.

Title: Magic Rock Star Trails
Photographer: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, 1970s metal tripod from Sears. This is a long exposure night sky photo of 21 minutes in total, with each individual photo exposed for 30 seconds at f/2.8 ISO 400, stacked "by hand" in CS4. I light painted this with a Streamlight LED flashlight. Taken 10:29 pm P.S.T. on 9 November 2013.
Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA

The Magic Rock Star Trails photo on 500px.com!

The beautiful celestial movements around the North Star.

Title: Los Reyes Magos Star Trails
Photographer: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, 1970s metal tripod from Sears. This is a long exposure night sky photo of 18 minutes in total, with each individual photo exposed for 30 seconds at f/2.8 ISO 400. Light painted with handy-dandy flashlight. 9 November 2013, 8:57 pm D.S.T.
Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA

Los Reyes Magos Star Trails photo on 500px.com!

Title: Night of the Skull Rock
Photographer: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, 1970s metal tripod from Sears. This is a long exposure night sky photo of 30 seconds at f/2.8 ISO 400. I light painted this with a Streamlight LED flashlight. Taken 7:40 pm P.S.T. on 9 November 2013.
Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA.

Title: Vaal
Photographer: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, 1970s metal tripod from Sears. This is a long exposure night sky photo of 30 seconds at f/2.8 ISO 400. Taken 7:42 pm P.S.T. on 9 November 2013.
Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA.

This photo is named after the Star Trek series called "The Apple" in which the Enterprise's landing party beams down to a Garden of Eden sort of planet. Eventually, people in red shirts die (of course), Spock is struck by lightning, plants shoot darts, and the inhabitants worship Vaal (below). And yes, I had to look most of this up.

Title: Night of the Magic Rock
Photographer: Ken Lee
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, 1970s metal tripod from Sears. This is a long exposure night sky photo of 30 seconds at f/2.8 ISO 400. I light painted this was a Streamlight LED flashlight. Taken 10:26 pm P.S.T. on 9 November 2013.
Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA.

Ken's photos of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as photos of Peru, Burma, India, Morocco, China, Thailand, Ghana, Ecuador, and elsewhere, have appeared in many books, magazines, websites, and galleries.  Visit the Ken Lee Photography Website. Some of Ken's select photos may be purchased through his Imagekind Store.

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