Photographing the Ruins of Southern California’s Forgotten Desert Communities

In the past century, dreams have flourished in the deserts of California, fueled by gold, war, optimism and wealth, only to later be abandoned. Homes, mines, utopian societies, railroads, airports, airplanes, cars, gas stations and more were eventually forsaken.

Already a place of mystery, the desert seems even more so at night as shadows wander, winds whisper, and stars slowly swim across the sky. If you are a fan of creative photography, American history, abandoned sites, or have an insatiable curiosity for travel, Ken Lee’s new book Abandoned Southern California: The Slowing of Time invites you on a surrealistic night journey.

According to Los Angeles Magazine, “His long-exposure images have appeared in National Geographic and Omni magazine. The work is mostly solitary, but when Lee meets ‘explorers, weirdos, partiers, squatters, drunkards, security guards, or police’ he just shows them his fantastical works and they usually let him get back to creating his art.”

See his amazing work here.