23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Drone/Aerial
Watercolor Skies Below

Photographed from a helicopter over Lake Natron at 1/10 second, this image blends motion and clarity in a single frame. The lake surface, softened by panning, turns into a wash of pastel tones—resembling a watercolor sky—while a small flock of flamingos remains sharply defined in the center.

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