23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Drone/Aerial
Frozen Pond in a Winter Forest

From high above the Jianshui River Wetland in northeastern China, a narrow frozen pond cuts through a thicket of larches and birches. Late-afternoon light turns the bare branches copper, revealing the quiet geometry of winter hidden inside the forest.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Yanji, China
Camera: FC4170
Copyright: © Chengxi Huang