Whenever I visit Southern Anhui Province, I always come back with beautiful photos. During the hot days last month, I visited again. This time, I went to a village in a valley renowned for the crystal-clear stream that runs alongside it. We call it Shui Mo Ting Xi, which means that the clarity of the stream and its surroundings resemble a Chinese ink-wash painting.

That sunny afternoon, I walked along the stream, looking for interesting scenes to capture. However, since the stream lies in a deep valley with dense forest, the environment is very dark even on such a bright day. Little light could penetrate through, making everything appear flat and underwhelming.

I was a bit frustrated and thought about giving up and going elsewhere to find beautiful scenes. Then, I saw it—a tree bathed in light coming from the gap between the mountain ridges. It stood out from the dark surroundings, and its reflections on the water surface illuminated the mountain rocks around it. The entire scene made me wonder if fairies lived in that tree. This was exactly what I had been seeking!

To enhance the divine atmosphere, I converted the colour photo into monochrome, darkened the mountains and stream, lightened the reflections, and increased the contrast between the tree and its surroundings.