The Milky Way over the tufa towers of South Tufa, Mono Lake, during the Perseid meteor shower, reflected in still water.

Perseid Night

South Tufa, Mono Lake, California

South Tufa during the Perseids. I put the camera behind one of the big tufa formations with the tripod legs standing in the lake — the reflection needed the lens at water level. It was too dark for one exposure to carry both halves: the tufa is a 480-second exposure, the sky a 20-second one to keep the stars sharp, blended afterwards. Long night, and the Milky Way lined up exactly where I hoped.

Nikon Z 7_2 · NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S · 14mm · f/2.8 · 480s · ISO 500

August 13, 2026

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