This is one of my favorite pictures I've ever taken. Hundreds of miles from a city, in the far western Oklahoma Panhandle where the Dust Bowl ravaged farmers in the 1930s, Black Mesa is one of the most remote places I've ever been. And it's also one of the most peaceful and beautiful. I was there for dark skies, and it didn't disappoint. You could see the Milky Way the way it should be: clearly, brightly, with noticeable color arcing across the sky.
This photo was taken walking back from my car in the parking lot of the campground, and the tree was lit by an RV who was ignoring the dark sky rules for the area. It annoyed me until I realized it was providing the perfect lighting for this shot.