The bundle of the Dolomites covered by a white mantle of snow on a splendid December night full of stars and colors.
That afternoon the climb towards the Cinque Torri and the Scoiattoli refuge was particularly pleasant, under a warm sun through a larch forest. The snow had already covered the entire Dolomite landscape for a few weeks and the ascent on snowshoes was as pleasant as it was tiring. Arriving at the plain in front of the majestic Cinque Torri, five perfectly stacked rock pillars in a slender and vertical formation, I began to gain confidence with that virgin landscape still untrampled by anyone. The snow formed fantastic geometries and sinuous shapes that were extremely photogenic.
To my delight, the sky remained clear until sunset and beyond. Once the tent was pitched and camp set up for the night, I began to wander around looking for the best compositions with which to photograph the winter Milky Way. After wandering through that frozen landscape for a long time, I finally found the composition that I liked best.
These three splendid boulders that sloped down to the left perfectly framed the view of the Scoiattoli refuge and the surrounding mountains below a majestic milky way. The sky full of stars was tinged with the most intense colors that often characterize the natural phenomenon of Air Glow.
Nights like this are really rare and being lucky enough to be able to observe and photograph them is a truly priceless experience. I hope with this shot I was able to convey to you at least part of the emotion I experienced.
Landscape and nightscape photographer based in Melzo, a little city near Milano, northern Italy.