New Year's Day, 2026: The Quiet Aftermath in Qingxi
January 1st, 2026, in Qingxi, Dongguan, unfolded as a silent counterpoint to the previous night's festivities. A faint, residual scent of fireworks hung in the air, and the colorful remnants on the streets became the focus of my first photo walk of the new year, documenting the morning after.
Evidence of Revelry and Restoration
My immediate attention was drawn to the scattered signs of the midnight excitement. I photographed two empty beer bottles abandoned in a bush near tall yellow grass, silent witnesses to the celebration. The most compelling subjects were the spent fireworks themselves. A close-up captured a used firework with burnt paper, telling the story of a bright, fleeting moment. Further down the street, more detritus lay—one firework on a cement surface with another in the background, and a vibrant scattering across a brick sidewalk.
The party's conclusion meant the restoration of order was underway. I captured images of a man in a yellow vest diligently sweeping the colorful remnants with a broom. He was later seen cleaning the street between two used fireworks perched on cement posts.
Persistent Small Worlds
Shifting from the human aftermath, I focused on the persistent small world. Life continued, as evidenced by a Dasychira caterpillar on a leaf. The damp morning had left its glistening mark, too, captured in close-ups of yellow leaves beaded with water droplets, and a snail slowly navigating its moist world on a leaf.
The River's Edge
Down by the river, the remnants of the celebration acquired a new context: a tiny rocket firework with a red stick lay by the water's edge. Yet, life persisted here as well. A man was fishing in the stream near a tent pitched on the opposite bank. The camera also caught smaller, delicate details: a leaf with water droplets and a few rocks in the stream. Even at the water's edge, the memory of the celebration lingered—a piece of used firework paper on a rock, and a lighter nearby, suggesting the means of ignition. The quiet beginning of the day was observed by a man in a red hoodie, sitting on a rock in the river. My photos chronicled this transition: from the explosive joy of midnight to the quiet, reflective morning that followed.
Gears & Settings | Figures |
Camera | Sony A6700 |
Lens | Sony E 30mm F3.5 Macro |
Creative Style | FL |
Date | 1 January 2026 |
Location | Qingxi, Dongguan, Guangdong, China |
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#: 1 | SS: 1/100s | ISO: 100 | F: 5.6 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: Two empty beer bottles sitting in the bush | #: 2 | SS: 1/250s | ISO: 100 | F: 5.6 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A close up of a bunch of tall yellow grass |
#: 3 | SS: 1/100s | ISO: 100 | F: 8.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A close up of a used fireworks with a burnt paper on top |
#: 4 | SS: 1/160s | ISO: 100 | F: 8.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A used fireworks sitting on a cement surface with another one in the back | #: 5 | SS: 1/125s | ISO: 100 | F: 8.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A brick sidewalk with a bunch of colorful used fireworks |
#: 6 | SS: 1/200s | ISO: 100 | F: 8.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A man is cleaning the used fireworks on the ground with a broom |
#: 7 | SS: 1/200s | ISO: 100 | F: 8.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A man in a yellow vest is cleaning on the street between two used fireworks on the cement posts |
#: 8 | SS: 1/125s | ISO: 800 | F: 11.0 | +/-: -1.0 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A close up of a Dasychira caterpillar on the leaf |
#: 9 | SS: 1/125s | ISO: 400 | F: 11.0 | +/-: -0.7 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A close up of a yellow leaf with lots of water droplets on it | #: 10 | SS: 1/125s | ISO: 500 | F: 11.0 | +/-: -0.7 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A yellow leaf with water droplets on it |
#: 11 | SS: 1/125s | ISO: 500 | F: 11.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A snail is sitting on a leaf | #: 12 | SS: 1/125s | ISO: 125 | F: 11.0 | +/-: -1.0 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A tiny rocket fireworks with a red stick is sitting on the ground by the river |
#: 13 | SS: 1/250s | ISO: 100 | F: 11.0 | +/-: -1.0 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A man is fishing in a stream of water with a tent on the other side | #: 14 | SS: 1/125s | ISO: 125 | F: 11.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A close up of a leaf with water droplets |
#: 15 | SS: 1/125s | ISO: 100 | F: 11.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: Few rocks in the water | #: 16 | SS: 1/250s | ISO: 100 | F: 11.0 | +/-: -1.0 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A piece of used fireworks paper on a rock |
#: 17 | SS: 1/200s | ISO: 100 | F: 11.0 | +/-: -0.7 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A lighter on a rock | #: 18 | SS: 1/200s | ISO: 100 | F: 11.0 | +/-: -0.7 | FL35: 45mm | Caption: A man in red hoodie is sitting on a rock in the the river |
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