The Cottonwood Lutheran church, between Havre, MT and the Canadian Line, is one of the more striking abandoned buildings in Montana. I photographed it under the Milky Way during the spring of 2020, and while I was happy with the results, I wanted to give it another shot with a new lens two years later. The 700-mile round trip from my home in Bozeman was worth it, as I was rewarded with an absolutely gorgeous June night, including an appearance by the aurora borealis and some of the most beautiful airglow that I've ever seen.
Every year, more of these frontier-era buildings collapse or are repurposed for trendy, weathered lumber. They speak to me about our past here in Montana and, particularly when I photograph them at night, the scope of our universe. It's not hard for me to imagine a Sunday service letting out with a mix of horses and Model T Fords waiting exactly where I set my tripod.
This is a 3:1 panorama offered in several, limited-edition sizes on archival paper and ready-to-hang aluminum. Each piece is signed and numbered and ships free to the lower 48.