11/06/2026
Deep within the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona, the Milky Way rises above a landscape of sacred red-and-white hoodoos known as Koyemsi, or Mudheads.
As we explored the area, our Hopi guide shared the history, geology, and cultural significance of this place. The formations are considered physical representations of ancestral spirits and are treated with great respect by the Hopi people, which is why access to this area is carefully protected.
One of the most fascinating details was learning how the white geometric patterns running through the red rock were formed. Although they look like chalk markings made by people, they were created naturally through a process called groundwater bleaching. Over millions of years, mineral-rich groundwater moved through the sandstone, removing iron and leaving behind the striking white lines visible today.
After photographing a few compositions, I found a spot surrounded by these ancient formations with the Milky Way arching overhead. Rather than immediately reaching for my camera, I spent a few minutes simply sitting there and taking it all in. The silence, scale, and energy of the landscape made it easy to forget about photography and just be present in the moment.
As I looked around, it became clear that a single frame could never capture what I was experiencing. The landscape wrapped around me in every direction beneath the night sky, and that feeling is what inspired this panorama. My goal was to capture not only the scene itself, but a small part of what it felt like to stand there beneath the stars.
Foreground: 150 sec, f/3.5, ISO 1250, 7 single frames across.
Sky: 90 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1250, 7 single tracked frames across.
Modified Nikon Z8 • NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S
Tracker: Move Shoot Move Nomad
The hydrogen-alpha signal comes entirely from my modified camera along with a custom nebula brush set I created. No hydrogen-alpha filter was used, which saves a significant amount of time
