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 |