Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Serendipity

I was taking a walk along the beach when I saw the most amazing sunset. The sky was ablaze with color, but the clouds were painted in shades of pastel pink and blue. I quickly pulled out my camera and started taking photos, but I accidentally set the exposure too high. The result was a photo that was overexposed, but it was also incredibly beautiful. The colors were so beautiful, but they also had a soft, dreamy quality. It was like I had captured a moment in time that was out of this world. I learned a valuable lesson that day about the importance of checking your camera settings before you take a photo. But I'm also glad that I made that mistake, because it resulted in one of my favorite photos ever.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 03.2023
Date Uploaded: 09.2023
Photo Location: Indian Shores, Florida, United States of America
Camera: SM-G998U
Copyright: © Christy Mandeville