“Turquoise waters, in absolute silence, reflecting a sky so pure and clear that it was hard to believe it was real,” Garcia recalls<\/a>. Let’s take a look at the story behind the still and Garcia’s choice of gear. See the full 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year collection on\u00a0Capture the Atlas’ website.<\/a><\/p>\n The extraordinary Milky Way photo<\/p>\n The image was captured in Catamarca, deep within the Argentine Puna \u2013 a high-altitude plateau between 3,500 and 4,000 meters above sea level.<\/p>\n Reaching the location required traveling across rough dirt tracks far from any light pollution. Its isolation and altitude create near-perfect conditions for astrophotography.<\/p>\n Photographing the Milky Way in the southern hemisphere, Garcia explains, “What made this place particularly compelling was its rarity. I had never seen photographs of this salt flat before, and its untouched character and minimalist landscape immediately stood out.”<\/p>\n Garcia adds, “In this moment, the galactic center sits to the left side of the arch, while the Gum Nebula appears on the right, creating a natural visual balance across the sky.”<\/p>\n The gear behind the shot Garcia used the Sony A7 III \u2013 astro-modified to capture the night sky in extraordinary detail | Credit: Sony<\/p>\n Shot info A lightweight, easy-to-use kit has accompanied Garcia every night.<\/p>\n He explains, “To capture this breathtaking sky, I used the Nomad tracker from Move Shoot Move<\/a> throughout, along with its wedge, laser and phone mount, which allowed me to align it precisely beneath the southern sky.”<\/p>\n You might like…<\/p>\n Capturing stunning images of the night sky and space starts with having the right gear. Check out our guides to the best cameras for astrophotography<\/a> and the best lenses for astrophotography<\/a>.<\/p>\n Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from May to December.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Sony\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c72d92aa93d91803b4c896582df582dd.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Gear: Sony A7 III<\/a> Astro-modified, Samyang 8mm f\/2.8m fisheye (for foreground), Viltrox 16mm f\/1.8<\/a> *(for sky)
Accesories: MSM Nomad star-tracker, Sunwayfoto T3240CK tripod
Exposure: Sky: 8 x (10 x 30sec), f\/1.8, ISO 1250, 16mm, foreground: 4 x 60sec, f\/2.8, ISO 1250, 8mm<\/p>\n