Yi Peng Lantern Festival — Chiang Mai Sky Release
949.00 د.إ
The Yi Peng sky lantern release in Chiang Mai, Thailand — thousands of paper lanterns rising simultaneously from the festival grounds, their flames creating a constellation of ascending orange light above the city’s temple rooflines.
Description
The Yi Peng festival of northern Thailand — timed to the full moon of the second month of the northern Thai lunar calendar — produces one of the world’s most visually spectacular single-event photographs: the simultaneous release of thousands of khom loi sky lanterns from a single festival ground, the rising lanterns forming an ascending river of warm light above the Chiang Mai cityscape. This image was made from the roof of a building adjacent to the Maejo University festival ground — the largest organised Yi Peng release — approximately 10 minutes after the official release signal when the ascending lanterns had reached a height of 100–200 metres and the skyward concentration was at its maximum density. Shot on a 24mm prime at f/4 with a 2-second exposure at ISO 3200, the individual lantern flames are slightly trailed, adding to the impression of ascending motion in the frame.
