23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest The American Experience
The Alchemy of Extraction

Aerial views of Utah’s Great Salt Lake — where science, industry, and nature collide in surreal color. These vibrant patterns are engineered evaporation ponds for harvesting potash, magnesium, and salt, painted by minerals, salinity, and microbes.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2025
Date Uploaded: 10.2025
Photo Location: Utah, United States of America
Camera: NIKON D810
Copyright: © Jassen Todorov