23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
Where Nature Reclaims – Ruins and Resilience

Beneath a sprawling linden tree, the weathered brick ruins of a forgotten building stand silent. The lush foliage above casts protective shadows, a visual metaphor for nature's quiet resilience and the ongoing cycle of regeneration that softens history's harder edges.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Krosno Odrzańskie, Poland
Camera: ILCE-7M3
Copyright: © Patrycia Schweiß