What, you missed out on getting your hands on some special glasses for the recent solar eclipse too? Never mind – the next one isn’t due until 2081, at least over Germany! So there’s plenty of time to get ready in peace and quiet. That’s exactly what David Cachón had already done for the solar eclipse on 12 August. The two-time trial world champion and bike adventurer had been planning this rare celestial event for months in advance and had set himself a very special challenge: to stage a spectacular bike stunt right in front of the darkened sun.
Together with photographers Fernando Marmolejo and Daniel Villadsen, Cachón set about conjuring up a truly ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ shot from a few seconds of darkness. The perfect location was eventually found near Calatayud, in the Spanish province of Zaragoza. But the work was far from over. After all, it’s not enough simply to hop on your bike, potter about a bit and press the shutter button.
The sun’s trajectory, the photographers’ positions, the bike’s position, the lighting conditions and, of course, the exact sequence of the bike manoeuvre all had to be precisely calculated and coordinated. After all, the window of opportunity for the perfect shot was incredibly narrow. As soon as the sun was in the right position, there were only a few precious seconds left to bring everything together. A second attempt was not on the cards.
Josh Welz
Editor-in-Chief
