Vast Depth

I had never photographed this landscape before, and I quickly became captivated by the jagged coastline. I spent a week scouting the mountainous terrain, searching for the perfect composition to showcase this landscape under the night sky.
 
I hiked to the tops of peaks and ventured into secluded coves, spending nights never truly satisfied, always seeking more depth to harmonize the land with the sky.
 
While navigating the edges to a vantage point I had previously explored, I decided to rock climb the face of the cliff, disregarding the potential danger. This bold decision led to the unique perspective that made the vision for this image possible.
 
This 220° panoramic image showcases the Milky Way arching over the dramatic cliffs of Hat Head National Park. In addition to the breathtaking landscape, I was rewarded with a colorful display of orange, green, and red airglow, which radiated hundreds of kilometers into the thermosphere from excited oxygen, sodium, and hydrogen atoms. The combination of land, sky, and airglow created a truly mesmerizing scene.