Each summer, we return to the Alabama Hills in California’s Eastern Sierra to photograph the Milky Way and the Perseid meteor shower. The area’s iconic granite boulders and dramatic rock formations provide the perfect foreground, so arriving early is essential to scout compositions and prepare for the night ahead.
As we waited for darkness to fall, nature surprised us with a spectacular performance of its own. The sky slowly filled with brilliant shades of orange, pink, and magenta, likely enhanced by smoke from nearby wildfires. Before the stars emerged, the landscape was transformed by an unforgettable display of light and color. It was a reminder that some of the most memorable moments happen while waiting for the one you came to photograph.
