The Backstory: The Yanqi Lake Series
What starts as a simple moment can shift one’s path entirely, and that’s precisely what Yanqi Lake was for me. This remote, icy destination just north of Beijing served as a quiet, thought-provoking backdrop that changed the way I thought as a photographer.
A Quiet Lake and Its Story of Ice
It was January 2013 and I was about an hour north of Bejing, in a recreational area called Yanqi Lake. It was a cold, overcast, windswept day and I was there to inspect a construction project being designed by my employer back in New York. Our one building was just a small part of a much larger project intended to host an upcoming international conference. I’ve lost track of whether that conference ever happened, I am inclined to think not. No matter. It wasn’t construction that drew my interest.
Across the lake, it was quiet. No construction activity that I could see. A couple of fishermen hunched over small holes in the ice as they dropped their lines. I was left to cross the lake on foot, heading toward a large island where our construction site was located. A mix of caution and curiosity filled me as I made my way. The ice, solidly frozen at about a foot or two thick, displayed dark green hues interrupted by white fissures running in chaotic, beautiful directions.
Across the lake, it was quiet. No construction activity that I could see. A couple of fishermen hunched over small holes in the ice as they dropped their lines. I was left to cross the lake on foot, heading toward a large island where our construction site was located. A mix of caution and curiosity filled me as I made my way. The ice, solidly frozen at about a foot or two thick, displayed dark green hues interrupted by white fissures running in chaotic, beautiful directions.
I paused midway and looked down. Beneath my feet, I saw more than just ice. Color, patterns, and textures emerged, almost like veins beneath the surface of a living thing. Ghostly footsteps from perhaps days or weeks ago could be seen, remnants of someone who walked previously across the ice in the snow, the footsteps compacting and weathering over time so that all that remained were like the tracks of a ghost.
I looked straight down at my feet, focused, took a photograph.
From Street Photography to the Details of Nature
Up until that moment, I leaned heavily into street and travel photography. I gravitated toward candid moments and the human stories woven into everyday life. But Yanqi Lake was different. Back in my studio, as I worked through that day’s images, I was struck by the profound beauty of what I’d captured. The ice, with its deep tones, intricate fissures, and textured beauty, mirrored something abstract.
That day on Yanqi Lake planted a seed, one that took time to grow. In 2015, I made a pivotal decision to scale back on work-related travel, creating space for nature and wildlife photography to take center stage. Although my connection to street photography remains, Yanqi Lake marked a transition towards a focus on nature.
A Series Born from Ice and Reflection
Out of that day’s discoveries came what I now callThe Yanqi Lake Series. This collection includes three limited-edition prints, all of which have deeply personal meaning to me.
1. Yanqi Lake 2013
The original image that started it all and cemented my fascination with the patterns beneath our feet. This photo captures the raw beauty of ice with its intricate cracks and endless depth.
2. Yanqi Lake Footsteps 2013
This image immortalizes the ghostly tracks left by those who once crossed the ice long before me. The remnants of steps suggest stories gone untold, whispering of movement and presence preserved within time’s icy grip.
3. Yanqi Lake Ice Lines 2013
Dark green waters locked beneath fissured ice lines create a natural work of art as evocative as it is elegant. Each line feels deliberate, like ink strokes on a canvas designed by nature itself.
Every print, available for purchase through my site, carries a piece of my experience. They are reminders of how a single quiet moment can lead to an entirely new way of seeing.
Reflections on Creativity and Nature
Life surprises us in unexpected ways. For me, Yanqi Lake’s frozen surface became more than just cracked ice. It brought me closer to nature and reminded me of the understated beauty in the details we might otherwise miss during the distractions of daily life.
This experience taught me that creativity isn’t confined to a genre or strict definition. Instead, it evolves with you. It grows as you do, finding new expression and form as you interact more deeply with the world around you.
View the Yanqi Lake Series
If the frozen beauty of Yanqi Lake resonates with you, I invite you to explore these photographs firsthand. There’s a truth captured within these images, a harmony between the fleeting and the timeless that only quiet observation can reveal.
Click below to view and purchase prints from The Yanqi Lake Series. Whether for your home, workplace, or as a gift, these pieces remind us of the subtle elegance and profound stories of the natural world.
Finding Inspiration in the Stillness
What started as a work trip on a cold, winter’s day shifted my creative direction forever. Yanqi Lake was a turning point, one that reminded me to slow down, observe deeply, and allow inspiration to emerge where I least expected it. The cracks, lines, and stories on the surface of that frozen lake weren’t just patterns of nature; they were catalysts for exploration and growth.
Thank you for sharing in my experience. I hope these photographs inspire you as much as they’ve inspired me.