Documentary: A Tibetan Pilgrim Prostrating in Golden Morning Light

A god's-eye view of thousands of torches winding into a river of fire along a black ridge, with darkness covering seventy percent of the frame and an old man shielding a flame and a child looking up in the foreground. Tucks micro stories into a macro scene. Image 11 of Zhao Yifan's set.

The setting sun turns the traveler into a pure black silhouette traced only by a golden rim light, the shadow stretching far across the sand and the sky shifting from burning orange to deep blue-violet. A complete example of a horizon backlit silhouette shot. Image 6 of Zhao Yifan's Documentary set.

Five-colored prayer flags spread like clouds in all directions from a tall pole as a tiny traveler faces dark blue lake water, the sky fading from pale blue to deep blue with stars. The closing shot with the most negative space in the set. Image 9 of Zhao Yifan's Documentary set.