Reflections [Explored]

On a late August trip to the French Alps with BenjaminBarakat, Sadeq Hayati, and Jeremy Singer, we discovered a tranquil mountain lake that acted as a flawless mirror. Orion rose about an hour before dawn, but it wasn’t until after the end of the dark night that it aligned perfectly above the peak of Aiguille Verte.

 

To capture this alignment, I kept shooting well into the astronomical twilight. By then, the sky had turned a deep blue, and the growing daylight softened the contrasts. Yet, thanks to my narrowband filter, I was still able to record the vivid red hydrogen emission nebulae - visible even in the reflection.

 

The interplay of red and blue hues, accented by the faint yellow glow on the horizon, makes this one of my favorite images from that magical night.

 

EXIF

Canon EOS-R, astro-modified by EOS 4Astro

Sigma 28mm f/1.4 ART

IDAS NBZ filter with Canon EF-EOS R drop-in adapter

iOptron SkyTracker Pro

Sunwayfoto T2840CK tripod

 

Foreground:

Stack of 5x 60s @ ISO1600, f/2.8

 

Sky:

Stack of 7x 30s @ ISO1600, f/2.8, clear filter & 3x 90s @ ISO6400, f/2.8, IDAS NBZ

 

Reflection:

Stack of 5x 12s @ ISO6400, f/2, clear filter & 3x 90s @ 6400, f/2, IDAS NBZ

Done