After a delicious early dinner at the villa I stayed in Pakisan, Singaraja, I got ready for a night under the stars. I carefully packed my gear—tripod, lens, batteries, memory cards, and my trusty Fujifilm X-T5 camera. With the batteries fully charged earlier in the day, I felt prepared for the adventure. Using a light pollution website, I found a remote spot on Bali’s northern coast, and followed winding roads through rice terraces and thick forest to reach it.

When I finally arrived at Pakisan village, the silence and the dark sky were almost magical. The stars were so bright and clear, free from the usual city lights. I set up my camera on a sturdy tripod, adjusted the aperture to f/2.8, the shutter speed between 20 – 30 seconds, and played with the ISO between 800 and 6400. The serene village and the expansive, starry sky felt like the perfect canvas for capturing the Milky Way.

As I snapped each photo, I watched in awe as the Milky Way’s shimmering bands and distant galaxies came to life in my shots. The peaceful atmosphere and the technical setup combined to create a truly unforgettable night. By the time dawn approached and I packed up, I was thrilled with the results. Back home, editing the photos, I couldn’t help but marvel at how a little patience and the right tools had allowed me to capture such incredible beauty.