Working with a focal length of 85mm was exciting and promising while the first test shoots revealed some extraordinary details of the galaxy’s dust lanes and nebulae. But if you work with such a sensitive and unprotected setup you never know how far you will get. With such a narrow lens you need many images to get a balanced good-looking Panorama - so there are many chances to mess up the whole project and go home empty-handed.

The objective for this image was to capture the curved leading lines of the road through Cottonwood Pass, bringing the viewer's eye up towards the mountains and the Milky Way overhead. The smoke from nearby forest fires covered the sky in a thick haze during the day, making it seem like the shot wouldn’t be possible. Luckily, the smoke settled into the valleys below the mountains as night fell, revealing a cloudless, starry sky. With the weather conditions looking perfect, we parked alongside the road and set up the tripod and star tracker. Every few minutes a car or two would come by and glide down into the growing darkness on the mountain pass.

For many years I dreamt to reach this location and sleep near the glacier with my tent. However only this summer I had the opportunity to visit. I got lucky and had perfect conditions for a night photography session; clear skies and a new moon. When I first saw the preview image on my LCD monitor the only thing that I was on my mind was “Yes man, I’ve dreamt of this shot for years!”.