I took this photo at the remarkable Snow and Ice Festival in Harbin, China during one of my photography tours there. What you are looking at is a small portion of the ice city constructed annually when the temperature becomes cold enough in November. Ten thousand people work to construct this and the monster snow sculptures nearby. These structures are solid ice, and imbedded in the blocks of ice during construction are florescent tubes that create the dazzling color. It was minus 36 degrees Fahrenheit (-37.7 Celsius) at night, and during midday the temperature warmed up to a balmy minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit (-19 Celsius). In the Spring, of course, it all melts. I was amazed that my camera worked in the frigid temperatures. To keep my hands viable and to protect them from frostbite, I had six chemical heat packets in each of my parka pockets. Every couple of minutes, I would hold them tightly to infuse my fingers with warmth. I took this shot with a 24-105mm lens, and my settings were 0.8 seconds, f/22, and 200 ISO. I obviously used a tripod.
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