11.1.19

This California Neuroscientist Shoots ‘Mind-Blowing’ Photos


These landscape photos are the unique work of a PhD candidate nicknamed ‘The Light Ninja.’

It’s said that art mimics life. For 32-year-old neuroscience PhD-candidate Daniel Sanculi, art takes life on a magic carpet ride.

The Colorado native picked up photography a few years ago as a hobby while he was in school. In 2011, Sanculi moved to northern California and picked up a serious outdoors addiction.

“I got into backpacking and hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains,” he told us. “I quickly realized that these amazing locations would give me an opportunity to capture images of places not many people get to see.”

The Light Ninja

As a neuroscientist, Sanculi creates images not many can see, at least not in reality.

His Instagram handle, @TheLightNinja, pretty well describes his art. Sanculi takes crisp photos and then infuses his imagination with light and color trickery.

“My favorite part is the editing process,” he said. “In my opinion, this is where true art can take place.”

Sanculi inverts colors and augments scenes of forests, rivers, waterfalls, and starscapes.

Like his art? Sanculi will soon sell prints from his website. Until then, check out his Instagram page for tons of more trippy outdoors images.