23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Drone/Aerial
Paths beneath the castle

Trakai Castle, wrapped in fog and stillness, rises above a frozen lake. As winter fades, cracks trace the thawing ice - silent signs of nature’s slow reclaiming. A fleeting moment of tension, where even stone and ice must bow to the quiet force of change. I waited for the moment when the ice would begin to melt, hoping the cracks would form delicate patterns across the surface.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 03.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Trakai, Lithuania
Camera: FC8482
Copyright: © Agnieszka Wieczorek