Description
Description: I represent you a photograph of the double arc of the Milky Way, captured in the Dolomites at the mountain pass Passo Giau .
Uuuuf, what an adventure that was! After days of careful planning and searching for the ideal compositions to photograph the double arc ( which can only be captured in the northern hemisphere during the month of April), I decided to head to the Dolomites for the first time in my life. It was truly a dream I had cherished for many years, and I finally made it happen.
After a 400 km drive, I arrived at this beautiful, snow-covered mountain pass bathed in sunlight — Passo Giau. “Waaaaw, how stunning this location is and how much snow”! was my first thought.
I had the entire afternoon to scout for compositions, so I thoroughly explored the whole pass and enjoyed the surrounding views. Because fresh snow had fallen a day or two earlier, I was sinking into it up to my waist while hiking — it was truly incredible.
In the evening, my friend joined me. Together we photographed the first part of the night and enjoyed the views of the nighttime landscape and the sky. I have to thank him for the snowshoes — without them, it would have been extremely difficult to reach the nearby summit with such heavy equipment, and i did it three times up and down!
After finishing the first part of the night, we headed back to the car for a snack and some warm tea, which was more than welcome at -10 degrees.
Since I had come for just one night and driven a total of 800 km, I didn’t want to waste any precious time. While waiting for the summer part of the Milky Way to rise, I decided to create a few more compositions.
Soon it was 3 a.m., and it was time for the third ascent to the top of the ridge to finally complete the 360-degree panorama.
I got the idea to climb both nearby peaks with a small light and create self-portraits under both arches of the Milky Way.
The journey home was very exhausting — I even had to stop and sleep for a while. I admit that for several days after returning home, I was so tired that I couldn’t even transfer photos from the memory cards.
Still, I could hardly wait to start the editing process, which was extremely long.
In the end, this became my favorite photograph of the double arc of the Milky Way — one I’m truly proud of.
Enjoy this beautiful view!
Gear:
Nikon Z6IIa
Sigma 20 1.4 Dg Dn + Megadap etz adapter
Sony 14 1.8 GM + Viltrox E-Z adapter
Sigma 28-45 1.8 + Techart pro adapter
Fornax Lightrack 2
MSM Nomad
Lee soft 5 filter
Astronomik H-alpha 12nm MaxFR
Focus on star mask: https://focusonstars.com/ref/
Category:Panorama / tracked / stacked / blended
Exif:
- Sky rgb: Fornax Lightrack 2, Sigma 20, 2x 7panels, stack of 4x60s per panel, iso800, f2 + Lee soft 5 filter for stars ( 30s, iso1600, f2 )
- HA: MSM Nomad + Sigma 28-45 @28mm, 7panels, stack of 10-15x 120s per panel, iso6400, f2.2
- Foreground: Sony 14mm, 7 panels, 60s, iso1250, f2.2 + low exposure frames for highlights ( 30s, 15s, 5s, 2s, 1s, 0.5s )
- Portraits and lightning : 4-6x 10s, iso3200, f2.2
Location and date: Italy, Passo Giau – Dolomites, 19.03.2026
