Alpine Tarns and Concrete Flowers at Night

Silvery winter light bathes a series of alpine tarns connected by small cascades flowing across a flat floodplain near Quito. The water reflects the deep black of the perfectly clear night sky above. In the foreground, a sheet of gray concrete interrupts the natural terrain. Bright red and yellow flowers erupt violently from deep cracks in the metal and stone surface, their petals sharp against the cold, wet ground. The water moves smoothly over rocks, creating white foam where it drops into the lower pools. Shadows stretch long and dark across the floodplain, showing the stillness of the winter night. A cluster of petals rests on a wet stone edge, glowing faintly in the moonlight.