I distinctly remember that almost everything went wrong for me on that fateful day in 2019, when I set out to get this shot. It almost didn't happen. My itinerary was just so packed, that I only had one day to visit Monument Valley.

First, my booked flight on that day was canceled due to bizarre weather in NYC. I felt my dream crushing before I could even take off. Fortunately, later that day, I was able to get into another flight as a chance passenger and arrived in Vegas at night. Without skipping a heartbeat, I rented a car and drove to Arizona but halfway through, my second strike happened - I realized my tripod was missing!

But even the tiniest prayer works. I didn’t strike out. My lifesavers were a tabletop tripod and a clamp that I had stashed in my backpack. On arriving at the location past midnight, my luck had completely turned for the better - I was greeted by the three mittens towering above the valley while the clear blue skies revealed the majestic milky way; it was a home run after all!

And this is how my “Crown of the Kings” came to be. It was a difficult birthing but one that eventually gave me one of my most favorite creations.