23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Lake Whetstone in infrared

This photograph holds a very special place in my heart. It was taken with my first-ever camera during an evening walk with my parents at Lake Whetstone near our home in Montgomery Village, Maryland. I felt deeply connected to the calm beauty around me, and I believe this image truly reflects what I was feeling inside at that given moment, a serene harmony between emotion and nature. A perfect frame within a frame, found in the quiet poetry of the landscape.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 05.2025
Date Uploaded: 10.2025
Photo Location: Montgomery Village, Maryland, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS R6m2
Copyright: © Ahmed Newaz