For this show, we have a returning guest, night photographer Ken Lee. I’ve known Ken for awhile, and the way he ended up as a guest for the show Capturing the Slowing of Time is one of my fave Behind the Shot stories.

Ken Lee, along with being an accomplished photographer, is also a regular watcher, or listener, of Behind the Shot. Years ago, when I was giving away Red River Paper Sample Packs, Ken was one of the winners. He also won the How to Build Real Influence e-course from Trey Ratcliff and Lauren Bath.

As I did with every winner, I checked out Ken’s work at that time and made a mental note I wanted to get him on the show, but I got sidetracked. One of the downsides of only doing a show on your own is that potential guests back up quickly.

Then, when I was at The NAMM Show in Anaheim CA back in 2020, I met up with another Behind the Shot watcher (or listener – I really need to find an easier way to get through that variable), Mike Martin of Casio. Mike is great guy, and we had fun chatting in-between him actually working. Next thing I knew, Mike tagged me in a tweet to tell me about a friend of his that he thought would be a good guest on the show. This friend had just released a new book, and the cover image was awesome. When I saw the name on the cover I had to do a double take, it was Ken’s book!

Well, Ken has another new book out, Abandoned Roadside Attractions: Under a Southwest Moon (Abandoned Union), and once again we need to chat about the cover shot.

I introduced Ken above as a “night photographer”, which isn’t a genre you hear often, so let me let him explain:

“I drive long hours in a dusty car listening to weird music, stay out all night creating photos, get dirty, hang out with other creative sleep-deprived weirdos, see the stars drift across the sky, and always find the best taco stands.”

Let me interrupt Ken for a second. I need to know the names of some those taco stands Ken. You need to write that up somewhere. Sorry for the break… back to Ken…

“I have been exploring the Southwestern United States as well as parts of the East Coast for over nine years, brandishing a camera, tripod, and colored flashlight. I especially love creating night photos of abandoned historical places, unique features, and beautiful landscapes. These are experiences that I absolutely cherish.”

I mentioned Ken is an accomplished photographer, and I meant it. His images have appeared in outlets like NatGeo.com, National Geographic Books, Omni Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Westways Magazine, and numerous other publications. He’s also won numerous awards.

Join Light Painting, Long Exposure, Night Sky, and Abandoned Site photographer and author Ken Lee to discuss the cover image from his new book, on this episode of Behind the Shot.

Connect with Ken

Website: kenleephotography.com
BlueSky: @kenleephotography
Instagram: @kenleephotography
Facebook: @kenleephotography
Flickr: @kenleephotography
Twitter: @blueberrybuddha

Ken’s Books

Abandoned Roadside Attractions: Under a Southwest Moon (Abandoned Union): amazon.com
Route 66 Abandoned: Under a Western Moon (America Through Time): amazon.com
Abandoned Planes, Trains and Automobiles: California Revealed (America Through Time): amazon.com
Abandoned Southern California: The Slowing of Time (America Through Time): amazon.com

Ken’s Photographer Pick

Lance Keimig: Flickr.com
Troy Paiva: lostamerica.com | @troypaiva
Charles Peterson: charlespeterson.net | @charles.peterson.photographer
Herman Leonard: hermanleonard.com | @hermanleonardphotography
Sebastiao Salgado: @sebastiaosalgadooficial