Earthshine Moon Above Mussomeli Castle

A photo composite of two exposures. From the photographer: “The sickle moon, with its shadow area illuminated by the reflected light of the Earth, is the protagonist of this shot. The landscape is dominated by the Manfredonico castle which is located in an elevated position on a cliff, a few kilometers from Mussomeli. Although the first architectural traces date back to the years of the Swabian dynasty of the Kingdom of Sicily, the castle was built between 1364 and 1367 by Manfredi III Chiaramonte, count of Modica. The current forms of the fortress are mainly due to the intervention carried out at the beginning of the 15th century by the Castellar, lords of Mussomeli.
The many photographs, which can be found online, do not do justice to the splendor and majesty of this castle that dominates the valley below the town. The air is fresh as befits an autumn day. A light wind blows that moves some sporadic clouds in the sky. Everything seems to be going well but, as temperatures drop and the evening approaches, a cloud cover, which will soon turn into fog, has approached the castle. As the last glows of the day give way to night, the Moon has hidden behind the clouds. I lost the hope of photographing her but, suddenly, for the time of no more than a few seconds, a gash opened between the veils letting the sight of our beautiful celestial companion leak out, giving me a dramatic but at the same time fascinating view whose emotion I hope you can share too.”

Technical details: Canon 6d mod, Sigma 105mm, f/2.8, HDR, iso 100 for the landscape; 2.5 sec, iso 400 for the moon