France, Aug. 24 -- Nowak has been an astrophotographer for eight years. She began by photographing property before gradually swapping apartments for mountains and stars.

RFI joined Nowak in Chamonix, between Mont Blanc and the Aiguille du Midi, as she prepared to spend another night under the stars.

"Bring good shoes and warm clothes," Nowak had told RFI several days earlier.

Getting the pictures she wants means travelling far and, above all, climbing high. The destination for this trip was Brevent, an imposing rocky summit 2,500 metres above sea level.

Reaching it required two cable-car rides followed by a good hour's walk along a winding, rocky and sometimes slippery route. Patches of snow were still lingering in June, while a marmo...