"The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you." — Neil deGrasse Tyson I've always been my own harshest critic. When a shot doesn't go according to plan, my instinct is usually to drop it entirely and move on. This photo came dangerously close to that fate. Virtually everything that could go wrong did: I missed the framing for the panorama, used wrong lenses, set up in the wrong spot, caught the Milky Way at an awkward angle, blew out the illumination on the arch, messed with tracker settings, and so on, and so on... Rather than walking away, I decided to see it through. It was hell of hell to post process. But as it turns out, perfectionism isn't always required to capture something good. Sometimes the universe aligns in its own chaotic way, leaving you with a result that quietly proves you wrong. Photo by Alexander Seleznyov May 20, 2026 - Spitzkoppe, Namibia