Milky Way in the Heart of the Bauxite Quarry

A photo composite of multiple exposures. From the photographer: “In the heart of Salento, not far from the town of Otranto, there is a place of incredible naturalistic beauty. It is a small lake that was formed inside an ancient Bauxite quarry. Bauxite is a mineral with a characteristic red color that contains high percentages of aluminum as well as silicon and iron oxides. Primary aluminum is obtained from this mineral, so called to distinguish it from that obtained from the recovery and recycling activity. The quarry was active between the 40s and the 70s but is still used only by a few small craftsmen who collect the red earth to use it as a dye. The interesting aspect of the place is that, after the extraction activity, nature has regained possession of this land, creating a beautiful natural ecosystem with the lake in the center with beautiful waters. The mirror, during the day, appears of a blue-green color highlighted by the walls of the quarry. These are of a beautiful ocher red color and, in small size, recall the colors of the American canyons. The image that I propose is a night shot of the Milky Way that rises above the lake. To enhance the colors of the quarry, I decided to increase the exposure times to allow the place to emerge in all its beauty rich in shades and saturations. Meanwhile, the night gives the place an aura of mystery. Whoever observes the lake under the stars has the sensation of being lost in time and space and, for a small moment, the mind travels to distant places. In every land it is possible to find a micro universe that unites it to other similar beauties of the world. Basically we are one people under one sky.”

Technical details: Canon 6d, sigma 14mm, Sky: f/2, iso 2500, 20 sec, stack of 35 shots, Landscape: f/2.8, iso 400, 305 sec,