The Hidden Fire
Category
Event
Location
Palencia, Spain
Gear
Nikon Z6, Nikkor 300mm
Description
Having been only 19 during the last major European eclipse in 1999, travelling to Spain for the August 2026 total solar eclipse was the realization of a decades-long goal. However, astrophotography rarely goes entirely to plan. Right at the crucial transition into totality, I hit a severe camera malfunction.Forcing myself to keep cool, I managed to quickly recover the system. Thankfully, my preparation saved the day: I had pre-programmed an automated bracketing sequence. When I reviewed the frames, I was shocked to see what the sensor had caught in those fleeting moments.Rising cleanly off the solar limb was an exceptionally large, vivid solar prominence—a massive loop of plasma normally rendered completely invisible by the Sun's overwhelming brilliance. This image is a bracketed stack of those exposures, carefully blended to reveal the intricate, fiery details of the prominence before it vanished from view. It was a chaotic, high-stakes five seconds, but a reminder of why we chase the shadow.
Photographer
Darshna Ladva
Social Media
Instagram: nebuladva
Facebook: Darshna Ladva Photography
To limit fraudulent voting, you may only vote once per category per IP address.