Double Lunar Eclipse Above the Salt Ponds

From the photographer: “The salt pans of Trapani, like other salt pans in Sicily, are a beautiful anthropic testimony of man’s activity. The extraction of salt from seawater is an ancient craft which fortunately has not yet completely disappeared. Rather, this profession is enhanced by the activity of small entrepreneurs who have been able to make sea salt a refined and quality product. Of course, the ancient windmills, used for pumping water in the tanks, have been replaced by modern hydraulic machines but they remain a testimony of a not-so-distant past. The atmosphere is unique thanks to the play of reflections enhanced by the multiple pools separated by brackish water channels. The smell is intense but the sensations experienced under this sky are unique. And they are unique thanks to the eclipse of the Moon that occurred during the blue hour and lasted until the sunrise. Initially, the Moon entered a partial eclipse and the light was very intense to the point of illuminating the landscape. Then, as the eclipse continued beyond, the colors changed and the shadows deepened for brief moments until the dawn light illuminated the salt flats. In a few moments the Moon reflected on the brackish water making the area covered by the earth’s shadow clearly visible.”

Technical details: Canon 6d, sigma 50 mm, f/4 6 sec iso 200

Second photo: Canon 6d mod, sigma 105mm, f/2, iso 100, from 2.5 sec to 1/2000