In the days following the announcement of the Capture the Dark 2026 winners, the conversation has shifted from commendation to controversy. It turns out that this year, the competition organizer – DarkSky International, a global NGO advocating for reduced light pollution – recognized images that broke its rules.
The controversy started on August 14, just a day after the winners’ announcement, when disgruntled entrant Raaber Way took to Facebook to condemn the results. And it wasn't long before photography news outlets came across the astrophotographer's post, amplifying the news.
