Alpine peaks reflecting on the Lac des Chéserys with a Golden Milky Way

2025, Lac des Chéserys, France

A couple of weeks before taking this photo, I purchased a SkyWatcher Star Adventurer 2i and started scouting locations for astrophotography. My first attempt didn't go as planned: I drove out to find a clear sky, only to realize that I had forgotten the power cable for the equatorial mount. Determined, I kept searching for the right locations and waited for perfect conditions to align. Arriving in Chamonix in the afternoon, we were sadly misinformed about lift closing times, which cost us extra time purchasing food. Despite buying tickets for both lift sections, only one was operating. As a result, my brother and I had to hike from the mid-station up to Lac Blanc and then descend to Lac des Chéserys (carrying all my astrophotography gear). Once on site, I discovered that camping now required authorization. Undeterred, I decided to go ahead with the session. Without food, a tent, or a sleeping bag, I spent the night in my usual shorts, waiting for the Milky Way to rise and capture its reflection on the lake. In the morning, we hiked back to the lift. Once home, I finally stacked the images to create this final shot. This photo was taken with my Nikon Z7 II, combining a 105mm f/5.6 foreground exposure with ten 30-second shots of the Milky Way.