My name is Roberto Bertero, I am an Italian photographer in love with night photography on the Alps.
I practice this specific kind of photography for years now (from when it was a cutting-edge activity) and I can say it's the most instinctive and natural way I know to connect one of my deepest passions ever - the science of the cosmos - with my ordinary life.
Because, during those priceless moments on the Alps, the act of taking a good photo is like accomplishing a "bridge", a "gateway", between the ancestral questions, that will never find an answer through our limited senses, with the tangible reality of this world.
The good news is that I can do this activity with three means I have at my disposal: health, passion, and technology.
This is just wonderful, especially if you think that many of the photographs I've taken, 15 years ago would have been impossible... but, thanks to the advancement of cameras, and their performance at high ISO, now the night sky documentation is within the reach of any dedicated photographer.
Photographing the Alps at night does not just mean "capturing the Milky Way and tons of stars", rather it mainly means knowing how to read and interpret the mysterious shadows generated by the delicate light of the moon, means knowing how to set up your camera for capturing with long exposures the rivers of clouds and mists floating below your vantage point, means to have the sensibility to read any distant faint light (yes, also light pollution can sometimes be a great ally), and it also means being creative (as in any other photographic genre) thinking of compositions that may also include elements characterizing your own night-time experience, such as a tent lit by inside, a small shelter, or even dwelling in capturing star trails, through very long exposures, and all this, possibly, can also be done with not necessarily high-end equipment.
But, to be fairly honest, the more we can take quality camera gear with us on the mountains (I know, it weighs, but it's worth it!) the more our creativity will not meet problems or restrictions, and the final product will be both technically and artistically good.
What matters most for me is capturing what I see at its best. The awe I feel while witnessing such gorgeous nightscapes leads me to think that the limit has not to be me (nor my skill, nor my equipment), as I must be purely the connection between the natural event and the final image. And I want to be up to it.
So: respect, dedication, investment, fatigue (both physical and mental), and the aim to never stop, always go further, always be growing.
Actually, this activity hasn't made me financially rich, quite the opposite... and it hasn't brought me free time, it has absorbed it all... nevertheless, for some inexplicable reason I continue to practice it, I just have to. It's not a choice, it's a necessity.
I hope the result of my hard work can speak to some of you, communicating the silent voice of the high mountain at night.
If this happens what I have done and what I will continue to do will make even more sense.
More info: Instagram
#21 The Fortress
Like a mighty fortress, with a huge banner hoisted on the towers, appeared mount Pelmo at night, in the moonlight.
These lovely clouds lasted only a few minutes, enough to seize the opportunity of a few beautiful shots.
Location: Val Zoldana, Dolomites, Italy.
6points
#22 Grand Combin At Night
This is the Grand Combin (4.314 m), one of the greatest mountains of the Aosta Valley (Italy), observed at night with a sort of lenticular cloud all around the summit area. It looks like it has a magical hat because during the long exposure of 106 seconds the clouds obviously moved a bit, thus offering this ethereal aura. Generally, during overcast nights what is lost in the stars is earned in the clouds.
5points
#23 Grandes Jorasses, Pointe Walker
Night shot portraying the Pointe Walker (4,208 m; 13,806 ft), the main summit of the Grandes Jorasses, illuminated by moonlight.
Mont Blanc massif, Italy.
5points
#24 Shades Of Pale Light
The unique beauty of the light provided by the moon is what offers three-dimensionality to the landscape, just like the sun, but in a much more delicate way… let’s call it a “whispered three-dimensionality”. Something always very elegant and dreamy.
In a world that loves to flaunt things, often of vulgar quality, it is always a privilege to be face to face with the immutable, subtle, aesthetic senses dictated by nature. And it is a pleasure to know that all this true beauty will survive us. Here you can see the Malatrà plateau (Val Ferret, Aosta Valley, Italy) flooded by snow, exactly when the moon is beginning to illuminate the surrounding ridges. My inevitable tent has allowed me to spend the night on site.
5points
#25 The Otherworldly Pyramid
Mont Blanc massif, Italy.
The pyramid of the Grandes Jorasses, to be precise the south-east face of the Pointe Walker (4,208 m; 13,806 ft), portrayed from a slightly different angle compared to a previous photo of mine. Here, for a change, the treatment is monochromatic. The light is always lunar and the mists were fluttering, perfectly accomplishing their job.
5points
#26 Vallée Etroite
The night view of the Vallée Étroite, France, and the mysterious mists of that lovely night.
Clearly visible the inhabited zone, the starting point of the trail to the summit of Mount Thabor (3.178 m), on which I stood. Under the moonbeams, there is also visible a tiny sparkle of the Lac de Thures (2.184 m), as well as the small light of the cable station on the top of Mount Fraiteve (2.702 m).
5points
#27 Beneath Misty Peaks
Wrapped in the mysterious atmosphere of the night, my tent gently glows like an opal near the base of the Brec de Chambeyron, Val Maira (Italy).
4points
#28 Interstellar
This night shot was taken, looking east, from the summit of Mount Rocciamelone (3.538 meters / 11,603 feet), Susa Valley, Italy.
In the distance, an opening in the carpet of clouds, just above the city of Turin, let filter all the light pollution of the big town. Also, thanks to proper long exposure, this source of light appear as a sort of portal leading to distant universes. Presence also of faint moonlight (phase 27%) almost set in the west.
Despite the considerable number of places I’ve visited so far in the Alps, the summit of Mount Rocciamelone has always been, is, and surely will be, one of my favorite places ever… not just because it is the symbol mountain of the valley where I live (the Valley of Susa), rather because due to its height and position it is definitely a place where you can almost reach out and touch the otherworldly, especially during the night.
And that’s what drives me each time to return to the mountains: to be face to face with the otherworldly. Definitely, I do not care about doing anything else while I am there.
4points
#29 The Mysticism Of The Night
This is the lovely bivouac Guiglia (2.437 m), Val Gesso, Natural Park of the Maritime Alps (Italy).
Despite having photographed this lovely refuge during other times of the day, such as sunrise or beneath the moonlight, I’ve chosen to show it immersed in the mysticism of a starry night.
From my point of view, there is nothing more mystical of being away from everything and everyone with the universe above my head, as a blanket. The most silent, immense and full of mystery blanket you can imagine.
Here the gaze is directed toward the north. When following the sea of clouds shrouding the Val Gesso you can see the light pollution coming from the area of Cuneo.
On the right, you can see the west face of Mount Argentera (3.297 meters 10.817 ft), the highest mountain in the Alpes-Maritimes.
There is a tiny light visible just below the Corno Stella – it is the refuge Bolzano (destination which attracts many climbers), and exactly in a straight vertical line above that refuge, on the extreme edge of the photo, is visible the Andromeda Galaxy. If you have a trained eye, you will recognize it.
4points
#30 Tre Cime At Moonlight
This is the world famous Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Drei Zinnen), Dolomites, as seen on October 4th, 2012, at 11:20 p.m.
The lateral lighting is coming entirely from the Moon (73%), rising on the east at 9:05 p.m.
Clouds were moving pretty fast, thus leaving some moonlight filter through the immense cloaks of fast-moving elements. Also, some more light pollution from Misurina is visible here. Altair is shining in the sky, a bit trailing because the exposure definitely exceeded 30 seconds.
4points
#31 Matterhorn Under Attack
Disclaimer: “No mountains were harmed during this photo session”.
Night shot, long exposure, portraying the righteously world-famous Swiss side of the Matterhorn that is being mirrored in the calm waters of lake Stellisee (2.537 m).
I had the chance to frame a temporary opening in large banks of clouds and also caught a few stars. The final result, given the long exposure, is short star trails that may be interpreted, with some fantasy, as an attack on Earth by aliens. Obviously, the clouds are stretched due to their movements during the exposure. I’ve found particularly charming the hat-shaped cloud right above the Matterhorn summit. You can never exactly predict how the clouds will look like at the end of a long exposure, and this is certainly one of the most fascinating aspects of this technique. On the other hand, when you see too many clouds this charm disappears… For instance, later I’ve tried also a star trail of 45 minutes exposure, but it turned into a giant nothing.
3points
#32 Moonlit Landscape
“Backstage shot” taken during a full moon night spent admiring and photographing the sharp-pointed south face of the Aiguille Dibona (3.131 m), Écrins National Park, France.
Here the moonlight had not yet reached the area of my tent, so I took the opportunity to capture some interesting play of light and shadow along the rugged landscape.
3points
#33 Sweet Dreams Matterhorn
This is, of course, the Matterhorn (4.478 m), Swiss side (mainly east face, just with a glimpse of the north)… photographed at night before the mountain went to sleep after a busy day playing with clouds!
The lake is the Riffelsee (2.757 m), an enchanting location where I have spent the night.
The tiny red light visible at the base of the Hörnli ridge is the Hörnlihütte (3.260 m), with another small side light that probably could indicate a camping/bivouac site or something like this. In any case, definitely, another place where I’ll have to spend the night.
3points
#34 The Light Is Dying
My tent and the Brec de Chambeyron (3,389 m), Maira Valley, Italy.
Here you can see one of the most evocative moments of the day: when the light is dying and fading away, leaving me and the surrounding landscape in the dark until the next morning. I can now have access to a kingdom full of charm and mystery.
3points
Roberto Bertero’s passion for night photography underlines the profound connection he feels with nature’s elusive beauty. Just as the moon rises and dances over the landscapes of Los Angeles captured by Dan Marker-Moore, Bertero captures the delicate whispers of moonlight across the Alps.
You can explore how these moments are portrayed through a distinct visual approach by delving into Dan Marker-Moore's mesmerizing timelapse visuals.
