Tuesday 19 March 2013:
A few days off? Road trip! Lisa and I - and George the stuffed monkey, of course - took off Tuesday for Valley of Fire State Park, driving on I-15. And we all know that no trip going toward Las Vegas or beyond is complete unless we stop by Baker, home of the World's Tallest Thermometer, to eat at the Mad Greek Cafe. I like their gyros and strawberry shakes quite a bit, although their falafel are okay, and the over-the-top Greek statues add a beautiful flare. George, too, is crazy about the gyros, although he doesn't eat 'em because, after all, he is a stuffed monkey and his mouth doesn't open. How he talks, I'm not sure, but he doesn't eat.

We left Los Angeles around 2:45 or so and finally arrived in Overton, near Valley of Fire, around 9 pm, happy to get out of the car and go to sleep but anxious to check out the Park.

Wednesday 20 March 2013:
The next morning, we woke up and explored the Valley of Fire State Park, about an hour's drive past Las Vegas in Nevada. The park is relatively small, so if one wanted to blow through it by car and hit a few of the highlights, it could easily be done in a day. On the other hand, avid hikers or photographers like me could easily stay here for a week or three.

This photo is of Elephant Rock, although from the angle that I'm taking it, it's more challenging to see the shape of the elephant because we're going for a more dramatic view from down below. The day was extremely overcast, the light rather blah. George suggested that rendering the photo in black and white might capture the beauty and drama of the rock formations better. And as usual, George was right.

Petroglyphs at Valley of Fire State Park, the oldest state Park in Nevada.

You're wondering, "Hey, I wonder who left the petroglyphs there?" And because I'm absolutely a sweetheart of a guy, I'll tell you. They were left by the Anasazi, or Ancient Pueblo Peoples, who farmed nearby Moapa Valley. The petroglyphs can be seen in several places around the Park, but are easily visible at Atlatl Rock. Or here on my website, on this very photo, and again, that's very sweet of me.

One of the rock features that was just a couple of minutes' walk from our campsite was the amazing Piano Rock. And whether the ancient Anasazi named it that because they came upon it and exclaimed, "Fwhooaaa, that rock looks so totally like a Steinway!" I don't know.

Title: Nocturne
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm lens. 30-second exposure, ISO 100, f/6.3. Light painted with flashlight on 20 March 2013 during the twilight's "blue hour" around 7:43 pm. Red sandstone rocks "light painted". I was actually practicing my "light painting" and ended up liking this enough to share.
Photographer: Ken Lee
Location: Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada U.S.A.

And this is what I was practicing for, a front view of Piano Rock. I waged war with the moon all evening. It had a mind of its own, seemingly wanting to appear in every photo I was taking, forcing me to sometimes alter my angles. This would continue throughout the trip. You know, I photograph the night sky when I can, not necessarily when it's ideal. That said, I'm very pleased with how many of these photos, including this one, turned out.

Title: Alien Piano
Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm lens, 95 second exposure at f/8 ISO 100, around 8:08 pm 20 March 2013.
Photographer: Ken Lee
Location: Valley of Fire State Park, NV USA

Half moon, seemed really bright with a mind of its own. Red sandstone rocks "light painted".

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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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