Lijah Hanley started his photographic endeavors when he won the National Geographic Student Photography competition at the age of 13. He won the opportunity to study under some of the most decorated National Geographic photographers in Peru and England. Ever since then, he has loved capturing the American West, and telling stories through his images. Lijah is joined on his adventures by his wife Gabby, and son Desmond who are by his side, on photoshoots all
over the United States.

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"My work is inspired by the backroads of the American West, where legend and reality collide in unexpected ways. On dusty backroads beneath dark desert skies, you never know what you’ll find—forgotten towns, a lone cowboy, or something even more improbable. Here, history slips easily into myth, and myth often feels like history, each story blending fact with folklore.

 

While my work was once rooted firmly in Western imagery, it has evolved to include icons of
America’s space-age dreams—set against the same desert landscapes that once defined the frontier. For me, the American West and the Space Race are chapters of the same story: places where optimism, ambition, and myth collide. The astronaut takes the place of a modern cowboy, exploring the unknown. Like the tall tales of the Wild West, my images ride the line between reality and story. However, it is very important to me that every image I create is 100% real. Each photograph is made using only practical effects and captured in a single exposure—no composites. What you see actually existed in front of the camera."

-Lijah Hanley