Cracking the Surface

Photograph by Alexey Trofimov , National Geographic Your Shot

Ice on Lake Baikal is a very interesting phenomenon, writes Your Shot member Alexey Trofimov. Ice ridges, cracks, tears, hugging. All this creates unique and fantastic stories. Trofimov spends a few months a year photographing landscapes at the lake the world s deepest and oldest in southeastern Siberia. On this trip, he hoped to make an unusual picture of the ice, showing elements not normally visible. When one morning brought a strong frost and wind, which created unusual patterns in the cracks, Trofimov had only to wait for sunrise to make this picture.

This photo was submitted to the 2015 Traveler Photo Contest. Find your best travel photos and join the competition.

This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our storytelling community. Check out the new book Getting Your Shot for more photos, plus tips and creative insights from Nat Geo experts.