23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Drone/Aerial
Vortex of Wings

Photographed from a doorless helicopter over Lake Magadi in Kenya, this image was created using a 1/15-second exposure combined with intentional zooming during the shot. The motion of the helicopter, the movement of the flamingos, and the change in focal length blended together to produce a vortex-like pattern radiating outward from the center of the flock.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Lake Magadi, Kenya
Camera: NIKON Z 9
Copyright: © Yoshiki Nakamura