We planned to explore the fall scenery of the Patagonia Mountains, but a sudden blizzard left us stuck in the hotel. The three-day snowstorm marked the transition from fall to winter. Nevertheless, we had no regrets—the winter had even more surprises in store.

An oil painter works meticulously on a mural on the wall of a building at Mazigang on Huanhai Road in Weihai, Shandong, April 5, 2024.

Throughout my career as a photographer, I’ve always been fascinated by a technique called long exposure.
This photographic technique allows you to “paint with light” over a prolonged period while taking the photo. To apply this technique, you need dark environments. Over time, I’ve taken many photographs using this style with professional cameras. I never imagined that the OPPO Find X6 would have an enhanced long-exposure option, and even more surprising, it allows you to leave the exposure time open. (No other phone I’ve tested has this feature.
The photograph was taken in Mexico City at the Zócalo at around 12:30 a.m. In the background, you can see the National Palace. That night, my daughter Aiko Coronado accompanied me and helped me throughout the process.
Even though they sometimes close that area, luck was on our side, and we were in the right place at the right time to capture the shot I had in mind. I needed a small phone tripod to set up and frame the shot. I then selected the phone’s long-exposure mode, set the timer, adjusted the shutter speed for an extended time, and left it open. My tool for painting with light was a lamp called Stella Pro.
My daughter helped coordinate and directed me, shouting where and which areas to paint with the light on the ground.
After many attempts and about two hours of trial and error, I finally achieved the result I wanted. What surprised me the most was how long the phone’s battery lasted and how the long-exposure mode didn’t overexpose the image.
This allowed me to paint the entire dark area with the lamp in less than three minutes, resulting in the image you see.

Children play and have fun on the beach amid the scorching summer heat. A boy swims with an orange inflatable ring, the waves splashing against him now and then. I quickly pull out my phone and shoot with backlight to capture this joyful moment.

While visiting the central dry zone of Myanmar, I discovered a captivating scene of cows and cowboy. I framed this photo through the branches of a large tree, using two huge branches in the foreground to add depth. The image features a local cowboy leading his cows to lush pastures, with a little dog following closely behind. This snapshot captures a moment of rural life, highlighting the cowboy's connection with his cattle and their daily routine. The natural beauty of Myanmar’s countryside adds a serene and picturesque quality to the scene, offering a glimpse into the harmonious and tranquil aspects of rural living. I captured this scene with the OPPO mobile phone camera.

As a child, my father sought to teach me at school, but I found solace and freedom in evading school to ride horses. My own horse, now six years old, has become a cherished companion. I love him unconditionally, marveling at his ability to respond to my every command. He can dance and do as I ask him. Today, I find myself in a role reversal, wanting to guide my own son through the school years, only to see him, much like I once did, escape to the open fields where he too finds joy and liberation on horseback. These are the words of Hamdi, the subject of my photo along with his horse named Legend.

I always love to shoot various concepts. This time, I thought of doing a masked theme with a cloth. Using a slight yellow light to illuminate the face, I sat at a lower angle to emphasize the drama and capture the maximum amount of sky. We covered our main character's face with a tight cloth and waited for the blue hour. We threw the cloth so that it looked like it was flying. The blue hour maximized the overall look.

This picture conjures up the return of Ultraman to their planet in the animated television series, sparking my wonder and imagination. The inflatable ring looks like an alien spaceship about to swallow the boy doing a headstand, while the other boy stands like a dashing Ultraman. The rainbow in the sky adds beauty and magic to the scene.

There are many people and stories that we may only encounter once during a journey. Fortunately, with the help of photography, we can record and revisit memorable moments, like these confident girls in pleated skirts.