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: Mount Pinos Milky Way #4862
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. 2014-07-26 23:18. I used a Protomachine LED2 for light painting.
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: Mount Pinos Milky Way #4862
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 07/26/2014. Yo utilizado una Protomachine LED2 para pintura de luz. 
Ubicación: Mount Pinos, California, EE.UU.

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

Title: Mount Pinos Milky Way #4827
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. 2014-07-26 22:09. I used a Protomachine LED2 for light painting.
Location: Mt. Pinos, California, USA

~~

Título: Mount Pinos Milky Way #4827
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 07/26/2014 22:09. Yo utilizado una Protomachine LED2 para pintura de luz. 
Ubicación: Mount Pinos, California, EE.UU.

Title: Mount Pinos Milky Way #4852
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. 2014-07-26 23:00. I used a Protomachine LED2 for light painting.
Location: Mt. Pinos, California, USA

~~

Título: Mount Pinos Milky Way #4852
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 07/26/2014 23:00. Yo utilizado una Protomachine LED2 para pintura de luz. 
Ubicación: Mount Pinos, California, EE.UU.

The light on the left is from a campfire.

Title: Mount Pinos Milky Way #4835
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. 2014-07-26 22:27. I used a Protomachine LED2 for light painting.
Location: Mt. Pinos, California, USA

~~

La luz de la izquierda es de una hoguera.

Título: Mount Pinos Milky Way #4835
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 07/26/2014 22:27. Yo utilizado una Protomachine LED2 para pintura de luz. 
Ubicación: Mount Pinos, California, EE.UU.

Title: Mount Pinos Milky Way #4858
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. 2014-07-26 23:06. I used a Protomachine LED2 for light painting.
Location: Mt. Pinos, California, USA

~~

Título: Mount Pinos Milky Way #4858
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 07/26/2014 23:06. Yo utilizado una Protomachine LED2 para pintura de luz. 
Ubicación: Mount Pinos, California, EE.UU.

Title: Mount Pinos Milky Way #4830
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. 2014-07-26 22:17. I used a Protomachine LED2 for light painting.
Location: Mt. Pinos, California, USA

~~

Título: Mount Pinos Milky Way #4830
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 07/26/2014 22:17. Yo utilizado una Protomachine LED2 para pintura de luz. 
Ubicación: Mount Pinos, California, EE.UU.

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.

Join the fun and participation on Ken's Facebook Page.