Awards, Grants, and Contests

MILKY WANG

Award: Top 100

School: beijing lu he international academy
Teacher: miao fu
Category: Natural
Photo #21559

Fire Phoenix

"While camping outdoors with my family,  I was captivated by the fierce flames of the campfire. As a Physics beginner,  I researched the subject and learned that,  from a physical perspective,  fire is a dynamic process where chemical energy is converted into light and heat. Combustible materials undergo a violent oxidation reaction with oxidizers,  causing chemical bonds between reactant molecules to break and reform,  releasing a tremendous amount of energy. This energy heats the surrounding materials,  and some of it radiates as electromagnetic waves,  forming visible light,  which is the glow of the fire. At high temperatures,  some gas molecules in the fire are ionized,  forming a mixture of free electrons,  positive ions,  and neutral particles known as a plasma. This is the fourth state of matter at high temperatures.

The captivating aspect of fire lies in its ever-changing form and color; it acts like a dynamic dancer,  altering its shape in response to air currents and fuel properties. I captured over a hundred photographs,  every single one of them is unique. One particular moment reminded me of the legend of the Phoenix,  where the bird burns itself in flames and then regenerates from the ashes. Just as fire releases energy during combustion and nurtures new life during extinguishment,  it brings to the forefront the beauty of destruction and rebirth,  embodying the eternal theme of life's ascent through adversity."