White Pocket is one of my favorite places in the U.S. Southwest. It requires a long drive on unpaved roads in a high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle. When you arrive, it is as if you landed on another planet. A "pocket" refers to a relatively small area of land markedly different from its surroundings. Sandy plains with sparse bushes and small trees dominate the area, but inside the roughly 1 square mile of White Pocket, are marvelous rock formations begging to be photographed. They range from white brain-like (shown here) to vibrant, wind-shaped yellow, orange, and red combinations. An extra benefit of its remote location is the lack of light pollution. The stars you see with the naked eye are jaw-dropping.

I hired an experienced guide to navigate the challenging route. We arrived at noon with a plan to camp overnight, maximizing photo opportunities for the day, sunset, night, and sunrise. Understanding the Milky Way would rise from the Southeast, we scouted several interesting foregrounds for astrophotography as we hiked and photographed the pocket during the day. A short-lived (but surprisingly dense) Arizona snowstorm arrived around 5 pm, forcing us to set-up camp. The snow canceled our sunset shoot, and lingering clouds threatened our night session as well. Fortunately, at 2:30 am, all was clear. It was cold and damp, but we were determined to take advantage of the opportunity.

Dawning headlamps, we hiked through snowcovered sand and brush to this "brain" formation. Luckily, most of the snow had melted on the hard surfaces revealing the intricate lines and patterns. It also created some new pools and added a couple of inches of depth to existing ones. As the Milky Way began to show itself, I set up my gear and started shooting.

Once I had captured exposures for the sky and the foreground, I decided to insert myself into the image. I slowly climbed to the top of the rock formation while utilizing an interval timer on my camera. While the formation doesn't look intimidating, the climb in the dark definitely was! I felt clumsy, dressed in heavy boots and clothing. Without much to hold onto, the ascent was slow but steady. Upon reaching the top, I remotely captured some exposures of the shadowy figure (me) gazing at the stars.