Diamond Ring at Third Contact over Prades

The eclipse image I dreamed of for years.

For years, I had been dreaming of creating an image like this: the Diamond Ring of a total solar eclipse appearing directly above the Santa Maria Church in Prades.

On 12 August 2026, that dream finally became reality.

This photograph captures third contact (C3), when totality is ending and the first brilliant sunlight breaks through, creating the iconic Diamond Ring.

On the left side of the still-eclipsed Sun, a prominent solar prominence is clearly visible, rising from the Sun’s edge. At the same time, the landscape below is already beginning to be illuminated again by the intense light of the Diamond Ring — creating a remarkable transition between the darkness of totality and the return of daylight.

But capturing this composition required much more than simply being in the right place at the right time.

To create the final image, I flew my drone at two very specific moments: once during the totality of the eclipse on 12 August 2026, and again at exactly the same time, 24 hours earlier. This allowed me to precisely record the position and perspective of the Santa Maria Church and create the final composition.

The eclipsed Sun itself was captured with my Sony A7SIII and Sony 240mm lens, using an exposure of f/6.3, 1/6 s. This image was then combined with the aerial perspective captured by the drone to produce the final photograph.

The result is the image I had been imagining for years: the fleeting Diamond Ring hanging above one of the most recognisable landmarks of my hometown, Prades, Catalonia.

After months of planning, calculations and preparation for the 2026 total solar eclipse, seeing this scene actually happen in front of me was an unforgettable moment.

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