I never thought I’d become someone who sets alarms for 3 AM, but here we are. This shot of Delicate Arch with the Milky Way behind it required getting up before dawn, hiking through Arches National Park in complete darkness, and then waiting for hours for the perfect alignment. But when you see the galaxy stretched across the sky like this, framing one of nature’s most iconic formations, every bit of lost sleep becomes worth it.
Night photography has completely changed how I see the world around me. During the day, we’re surrounded by artificial light that washes out the sky and makes us forget what’s actually above us. But get far enough from city lights, wait for the right conditions, and suddenly you’re standing under the same sky that has inspired humans for thousands of years.