Behind the Shot

High above Los Angeles in the hills overlooking the city’s bustling basin, Griffith Observatory has inspired millions of visitors with its mission of “visitor as observer.” This free-to-the public observatory, built in 1935 and extensively remodeled in 2002, was considered state-of-the-art when opened. Its 12-inch Zeiss refracting telescope has been looked through by more than 8 million people—more than any other telescope in the world. More than 18 million people have attended showings in its planetarium. Open to everyone, Griffith Observatory has democratized science and astronomy, with more than 1.5 million visitors a year and more than 81 million visitors since it opened.

Kyle visited the Observatory in early 2017 to get this shot. “Following many years of hiking the trails in Griffith Park and countless visits to the observatory for sunset shoots, I went on a mission by myself one night to see if I could find a unique perspective for a photo.

“I made my way up a path that leads to a higher view as the sun set over the Pacific and the city lights began to sparkle. As a layer of February fog filled the sky, I carefully lined up my tripod with the perfect symmetry of the building that I’ve always admired. Trying my best to get the statue in front of the observatory to line up with the vertical street I discovered in the distance, I snapped away, while making tiny adjustments each attempt. La-La Land was glowing, and the stars aligned for me that evening.”