Huh? I came all the way to the Northeast, and you let me play with hot water and blow bubbles?

Harbin has been all over the news this year, and the entire Heilongjiang Province and even the Northeast region have become a popular check-in destination for internet celebrities.

Harbin Sophia Cathedral | Tuchong

Harbin Ice and Snow World | Tuchong

In addition to eating authentic Northeastern cuisine, friends from the south can also see many wonderful natural scenery in the Northeast, such as rime, ice waterfalls, lake stars ...all of them are breathtakingly beautiful.

Rime | Tuchong

Icefall | Tuchong

There are also various activities waiting for you to experience, such as splashing water to make ice, ice skating, skiing , etc.

Water turns into ice | Tuchong

Now that you have experienced and seen it, you also want to record these beautiful moments, but sometimes what you see is not the same as what you take. Today, I will teach you a "Northern Snow Country Photo Guide" step by step! Let you take back the beautiful scenery and Northeast specialties!

Water turns into ice

Occurrence rate: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shooting difficulty: ⭐

I believe that all friends who come here to travel are familiar with the saying “ pouring water turns into ice ”.

TuChong

It is a special phenomenon formed under the extremely cold conditions in Northeast China. The principle is that boiling hot water evaporates into water vapor when it is poured out, and the water vapor condenses into ice crystals or condenses into water droplets in the extremely cold air.

You can have fun at the farmhouse | Tuchong

How to shoot specifically?

The first step is to use boiling water , which can provide enough water vapor.

Secondly, you need to prepare a cup, a scoop or a small container, and choose a suitable angle to ensure that the camera can capture the entire water splashing process and highlight the scene of the water turning into ice; you can try different light sources and angles to achieve the best effect.

TuChong

I suggest shooting in the clear mornings , because the temperature is low in the morning, which makes condensation more likely and causes water to turn into ice; in addition, the sun's altitude angle is low, so we can use backlighting to create more beautiful effects.

Mobile phone shooting

1. Choose a lower angle and shoot against the light , so that the picture effect is the most beautiful;

2. Place the vessel on your chest first;

3. When you start shooting, hold the cup with both hands, with the mouth of the cup facing outwards, and splash water in a certain arc. Be careful to avoid splashing water on yourself (Note: you can hold the thermos cup with one hand, and draw an arc with your arm to splash water outwards. This way it is less likely to splash water on yourself).

This way you won't spill it on yourself | Tuchong

Camera shooting

1. Prepare a tripod;

2. Place the camera on the stabilizer to keep the image stable;

3. Set the speed to 200, aperture to 5.6, sensitivity to 200, and any shutter speed will do;

4. Adjust the aperture as small as possible.

In addition, shooting videos and slow motion is also a good choice.

Solar halos, sun pillars, sun dogs and other solar phenomena

Occurrence rate: ⭐⭐⭐

Shooting difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐

In extremely cold environments, there will be more ice crystals in the air. These ice crystals float in the air in different shapes and postures. When the sunlight is refracted or reflected , it will form a fantastic sunlight image in the sky.

Solar halos and solar glows | Photography by Zhou Bo

The conditions for ice crystals to form are quite demanding - low temperature, a certain humidity, and a certain amount of wind. Fortunately, these conditions are very common in the Northeast.

Sun Hua, Sun Pillar | Photography Zhou Bo

If we want to take good pictures, we need to pay attention to whether the weather conditions are good, whether the parameters of the shooting equipment are adjusted properly, and finally, protect our eyes during the shooting process!

Mobile phone shooting

1. Lower the angle of the phone to make the picture more concise;

2. When there is no one else to help, you can use a timer to shoot, and the horizon must be kept level ;

3. After visually observing the position of the sun, run to a suitable place, pose, and remain motionless for tens of seconds in silence to get a complete picture of the halo.

Sundog, supratangential arc, circumzenithal arc | Photography by Zhou Bo

A few points to note

1. Be sure to pay attention: Don’t look directly at the sun! Don’t look directly at the sun! Don’t look directly at the sun! (Important things should be said three times);

2. Also use the lens cap to block the sun and pretend a "solar eclipse";

3. You can also stand in the shadow of the person being photographed. In short, don’t look directly at the sun.

Ice Bubble

Occurrence rate: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shooting difficulty: ⭐⭐

The ice bubbles are crystal clear. Like the ice crystals mentioned above, they are more easily formed under the extremely cold conditions in Northeast China, mainly in Harbin.

Ice Bubbles | Photography by Zhou Bo

Bubbles are just ordinary soap bubbles . When water cools below freezing, water molecules begin to condense into ice crystals, and hydrogen bonds are formed between water molecules, forming a continuous network of ice crystals. These ice crystal networks are filled with air, causing the water to form a special foam-like structure during the freezing process . When this foam-like structure floats in liquid water, the so-called ice bubble phenomenon is formed.

Super beautiful | Tuchong

Mobile phone shooting

1. For bubble water, just use detergent and add a little sugar or syrup;

2. A straw is a must, of course;

3. Place the phone in a backlit or side-backlit position;

4. Turn the phone over and make the phone lens as close to the horizontal plane as possible;

5. Lock the position where you blow bubbles and focus, and lower the exposure to capture the details and texture of the ice bubbles;

TuChong

Camera shooting

1. Prepare a tripod to keep the picture stable;

2. Focus must be firm and adjust the sensitivity to the lowest;

3. The faster the shutter speed, the better;

4. Adjust the aperture as small as possible.

TuChong

This way of shooting is not prone to blurred images and is helpful in showing the texture of the ice. If conditions permit, you must try it.

Lake Star

Occurrence rate: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shooting difficulty: ⭐⭐

On the surface of the icy lake, we can often see dark patterns that look like tree branches or stars. They are the " lake stars ".

JESSICA LEIGH HESTER | ATLAS OBSCURA

In the Northeast, lake stars are everywhere.

Because of the unique geographical environment and climate of the Northeast, a thin layer of ice 1 to 5 cm thick forms on the surface of the water. There are pores in the ice, which vertically penetrate the ice sheet. Water flows around the pores to form radial branches , which are our "lake stars".

BENNY MAZUR | CC BY 2.0

Mobile phone shooting

1. Find a suitable angle;

2. Prepare a tripod or stabilizer in advance to keep the phone stable;

3. Place the phone on the stabilizer and set it to professional mode;

4. Adjust the sensitivity between 100 and 200;

5. Adjust the aperture value to the maximum;

6. Set the white balance to automatic.

Lake Star | Photography by Zhou Bo

Camera shooting

1. Fix the camera and make sure the height and angle are correct;

2. The parameter settings are similar to those of mobile phone photography;

3. The sensitivity is generally between 100 and 200;

4. Adjust the aperture to the maximum;

5. If the lake is large or far away, I recommend using a telephoto lens to compress the size;

6. You can simply use the post-processing function to perform some processing on the filter to increase the expressiveness and visual effects of the photos.

Cold night lamp post

Occurrence rate: ⭐⭐⭐

Shooting difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐

When you come to the Northeast, you must come and see the lamp posts on cold nights . It will make you feel the warmth and beauty of this city, and will also make you have more awe and appreciation for nature.

Lampposts on a cold night - Photo by Zhou Bo

The light posts on cold nights are not lights shining directly into the sky, but an ice halo phenomenon that can be compared to the aurora, formed by ice crystals in the atmosphere reflecting light.

This spectacle often occurs on winter nights in cold regions, so it is called the cold night lamp post.

Lampposts on a cold night - Photo by Zhou Bo

On cold nights, street lamp posts are like rows of tiny suns, lighting up the entire street. How can we capture this fleeting beauty?

Camera shooting

1. Choose a higher location, such as a mountain top, a tall building, etc.;

2. Capture the entire lamp post from a bird's-eye view or a level view;

3. Use a telephoto lens to compress the background and highlight the subject of the lamppost;

4. Set the sensitivity between 200-400;

5. Set the shutter speed to a relatively slow speed;

6. The aperture should be set at around f/2.8;

7. If we want to make the photos more beautiful, we need to do some processing later, such as increasing the contrast of the picture, adjusting the white balance , etc.

Rime

Occurrence rate: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shooting difficulty: ⭐

Rime is also a rare beauty in the north. It looks like crystals hanging on the branches, or as if thousands of pear trees are in bloom, like a dream.

Winter rime | Tuchong

The formation of hoarfrost requires three important conditions: first, the weather must be good, with a little fog and enough water vapor in the air ; second, the temperature must drop quickly , preferably with a sudden attack of cold air; and then, there must be some branches or haystacks for the ice crystals to settle.

Jade tree white flower | Tuchong

Harbin Snow Town | Tuchong

In addition to the banks of the Songhua River , Changbai Mountain in Jilin, Huangshan Mountain in Anhui, Mount Emei in Sichuan, and Yichun in Heilongjiang are also famous places for viewing rime.

Rime in Shenyang Dongling Park | Tuchong

If you want to take beautiful photos of rime, I recommend shooting in the morning before or after sunrise . The light is soft at this time, which can better show the beauty of the rime.

Mobile phone shooting

1. Open the camera's professional mode and switch to telephoto;

2. Set the sensitivity to 50 to maintain the image quality;

3. Adjust the shutter speed to 1/250;

4. Adjust the focus distance, switch to manual focus, and adjust until the subject is clear;

5. Adjust the color temperature .

Similar pictures, different color matching ideas | Tuchong

Camera shooting

1. Choose a medium to wide-angle lens;

2. Choose the right angle - if you want to better show the layering of rime, it is best to shoot from the angle of backlight, side backlight, and metering ;

3. Select the zone metering mode for metering;

4. If you want the snow to look extra white, you need to increase the exposure compensation by 1-2EV.

5. Aim the camera at the object or part in mid-tone for close-range metering. Try to lower the sensitivity to no more than 400, and then we can start shooting.

Icefall

Occurrence rate: ⭐⭐⭐

Shooting difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐

The icefall is a wonder.

TuChong

Although the river water usually flows, it turns into a big waterfall in winter. The water column of the ice waterfall rushes down from the high cliff, like a piece of white silk hanging in the air, or like a horse galloping down with a lofty pace.

TuChong

In China, most icefalls are formed by the freezing of flowing waterfalls, and the conditions for their formation are very simple - as long as the water is cold enough and the winter is long enough .

TuChong

In order to take such beautiful pictures of ice waterfalls, we need to pay attention to many factors, such as weather, temperature, equipment, light, angle, composition, and coping with low temperatures , so as to ensure that we take satisfactory pictures.

Moreover, in addition to the Northeast, the Hukou Point of the Yellow River and Miyun Point in Beijing are also very famous places to view icefalls.

Mobile phone shooting

1. Take photos after the sun rises, when the light is soft and the color saturation is high;

2. Use an ultra-wide-angle lens to shoot upward to create a sense of height and upwardness. Switch to 0.5x zoom and shoot slightly upward. The icefall will appear as a triangle.

3. Use telephoto to capture local details and enhance texture;

4. Use the foreground to create a blurred sense of depth.

TuChong

Camera shooting

1. Select an aperture of 11;

2. The shutter speed should be between 1/4s and 2s;

3. Select a sensitivity of 100;

4. Use symmetrical or diagonal composition to increase the dynamics of the picture.

aurora

Occurrence rate: ⭐

Shooting difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The dreamy and gorgeous aurora not only appears within the Arctic Circle, but can also be seen in Mohe, Heilongjiang, the northernmost part of China.

For example, on December 1 last year, obvious auroras were recorded from Mohe and Daqing in Heilongjiang to the vicinity of Beijing, as well as some places in Xinjiang.

Aurora in Beijing | Photographer Pu Shi 1930

The aurora is an atmospheric luminous phenomenon formed when high-energy particle flows ejected during some extremely strong solar activity events disturb the Earth's magnetic field and enter the atmosphere.

The intensity of the aurora can often be predicted by the geomagnetic storm level (G index) and Kp value (K index). Usually, G2 or Kp6 or above means that the aurora is very strong in high latitudes, and it is possible to see a little bit in the northernmost part of China (Mohe, Heilongjiang).

Northern Lights in the Lofoten Islands | Imageworm

Camera shooting

1. Prepare a large aperture lens, preferably F1.4, F2.8, etc.;

2. A stable tripod and flashlight;

3. Adjust the sensitivity to the maximum, test the effect and then slowly adjust it back to the appropriate value;

4. Night photography: If you are not familiar with it, you can adjust the sensitivity to 800 and use the shutter priority mode; if you are familiar with it, you can choose the full manual mode with an exposure time of 15-20s;

5. When the aurora is dark: try exposing for 30 seconds or even longer; you can also choose time-lapse photography; after focusing, choose a location with a sense of layering.

Aurora | Photo by Liu Chengshan

Although the probability of aurora appearing is extremely low, as the long-awaited solar activity peak year approaches, it is possible that a large aurora event will be observed in my country in 2024. Therefore, learn the shooting techniques first, so that you can record the beauty of that moment.

Author: Zhou Bo, Ji Yun

Editor: Jiang Beau

Title image source: Tuchong Creative