Qingxi in High Contrast: A Winter Afternoon in Dongguan
The small town of Qingxi, nestled in Dongguan, Guangdong, China, became the subject of a photographic exploration one sunny winter afternoon. Armed with a Ricoh GR II set to High Contrast Black & White, I set out to capture the town's compelling interplay of light and shadow along its main river.
The journey began in the quiet solitude of a park. Moments of gentle serenity unfolded: a dog rested faithfully beside a person on a bench. Above, a tall, slender tree dramatically sliced through the clear sky, contrasting with a towering building. The quiet beauty of nature was abundant, from a cluster of black and white flowers clinging to a fence to a solitary blossoming branch reaching for the winter sun. Life moved gently—a girl zipped past on a scooter, and a woman paused to pick a flower.
Following the river, the path revealed small, intricate details: a single fallen leaf waiting to be noticed and the monochrome promise of spring in a blossoming tree. The sharp sunlight turned the grass into a textured tapestry of brilliant highlights and deep shadows.
The town's identity quickly emerged. A street sign marked "Qingxi Lake" confirmed the location, and then the focus shifted to architecture. Black and white buildings lined the river, their forms dramatically mirrored in the still water below, creating balanced, striking compositions. A bridge's structure cast a perfect, geometric arc of shade across the water, a compelling interplay of substance and reflection.
Moving away from the water's edge, I discovered pockets of tranquility. The harsh sun illuminated fallen leaves, and nearby, steps ascended toward a serene pond. The camera found beauty in simple, living details: the intricate texture of a fern leaf, a lone plant, a group of plants, and another plant with a building subtly faded into the background.
The walk concluded near a community space. The final scene was marked by a signpost patiently standing in the grass and, presiding over it all, a large, white statue of a giraffe—a whimsical final note to an afternoon spent documenting the silent, sunlit narrative of Qingxi.
Gears & Settings | Figures |
Camera | Ricoh GR II |
Lens | GR Lens 18.3mm F2.8 |
Creative Style | High Contrast Black & White |
Date | 1 December 2025 |
Location | Qingxi, Dongguan, Guangdong, China |
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A person sitting on a bench in a park with a dog#: 1 | SS: 1/500s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 35mm | A tall tree in front of a tall building in clear sky#: 2 | SS: 1/1250s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 35mm |
A black and white photo of flowers on a fence in a clear sky#: 3 | SS: 1/2000s | ISO: 400 | F: 5.6 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 35mm |
A black and white photo of a branch with flowers in the clear sky#: 4 | SS: 1/1250s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 35mm | A girl is riding a scoot and a woman is picking a flower#: 5 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 35mm |
A leaf is laying on the ground#: 6 | SS: 1/800s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | A black and white photo of a blossoming tree#: 7 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 35mm |
A black and white photo of grass in the sun#: 8 | SS: 1/1250s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm |
A street sign with chinese writing on it says Qingxi Lake#: 9 | SS: 1/1250s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | A black and white photo of buildings by the river#: 10 | SS: 1/2000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm |
A black and white photo of buildings and shadows in the river #: 11 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.7 | FL35: 35mm |
A black and white photo of a bridge and its shadow in the water#: 12 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -1.0 | FL35: 35mm | Black and white photograph of leaves under the sun#: 13 | SS: 1/2000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm |
A black and white photo of steps leading to a pond#: 14 | SS: 1/800s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm |
A black and white photo of a plant#: 15 | SS: 1/1600s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | A black and white photo of some plants#: 16 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm |
A black and white photo of a fern leaf#: 17 | SS: 1/750s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | A plant with a building in the background#: 18 | SS: 1/2000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm |
A post with a sign on it sitting in the grass#: 19 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | A large white statue of giraffe#: 20 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -1.0 | FL35: 35mm |
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