23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Burnout

Taken at Shibuya Sky, Tokyo. After a long day of travel, I stood amidst the energetic crowd, feeling completely exhausted. At the exact moment I pressed the shutter, a stranger's DSLR flash fired nearby. The resulting overexposure washed out the city lights into a blinding white void. It was a happy accident that perfectly visualized my state of mind: a fleeting moment of sensory burnout in the restless city.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2024
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Tokyo, Japan
Camera: Galaxy S24 Ultra
Copyright: © Ziwei Li