16/08/2026
Numb.
Even seeing my first total solar eclipse in 2024 couldn’t prepare me for my second.
I thought that having photographing totality once before, my brain would actually function this time. Nope. 😂 The confusion, amazement, awe and pure joy during that 1.5 minutes completely overwhelmed me. My brain turned to mush.
I even forgot to take the solar filter off one of my cameras—so, no close-ups of the eclipse. 🤦♂️
But for this eclipse, the shot I really wanted was different. With the sun and moon so low in the sky, I wanted to capture totality as part of the landscape, together with one of the medieval castles that feels so distinctly Spanish. 🇪🇸
And a little bit about this cool castle. The Castle of Riba de Santiuste dates to the medieval frontier period, when this part of Guadalajara stood between Muslim al-Andalus and the expanding Christian kingdoms. After the Christian conquest in the 11th–12th centuries, it became an important defensive stronghold protecting the territory around Sigüenza and was later controlled by the powerful bishops of Sigüenza.
Built along a narrow rocky ridge, its walls and towers follow the natural contours of the hill. As the frontier moved south, the castle gradually lost its military importance, eventually leaving behind the striking fortress that dominates the valley today.
