Moon Goddess Artemis, Harbin, China
The moon goddess statue photographed against the soon to set sun at Snow World in Harbin, China.
Titled Moon Goddess Artemis I photographed this statue in the grounds of the immense Snow World in the city of Harbin in far northeast China. A former Russian city Harbin is a beautiful and very large city situated quite close to both the Russian (e.g., Siberian) and North Korean borders.
I visited in the middle of winter when the weather is extremely cold. Fortunately, I experienced pretty good conditions. It was cold, but with no wind and not too much snow falling it was fun photographing both Snow World and its sister venue Ice World.
This photo was made a little before sunset, as the last visitors were making their way towards the exit. The warm light of the setting sun began to peak through the clouds which provided a lovely color contrast with the bluish hues reflected into the statues from the sky above.
Who was Artemis?
In Greek Mythology Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin of Apollo. With absolute sovereignty over nature Artemis is known as the Virgin Huntress and is referred to as one of the three Virgin Goddesses in Greek mythology.
A Word of Warning
The taxi drivers in Harbin are diabolical. Make sure you organize your own driver/guide through a quality hotel. The time and hassle you’ll save will make the extra cost well worth while.
Photographing Snow
Australia is not known for its snow which, needless to say, falls during a relatively short season in fairly localized areas of the country. Most of my experience photographing snow has come from overseas adventures which has proven handy as I quite often provide specific information to folks undertaking similar adventures from this part of the world.
A specialized photography class is a small expense compared to what an overseas trip costs. Yet the advantage of coming home with great photos makes the time and cost associated with such a class an absolute no-brainer.
I would recommend including a trip to Harbin for folks visiting China during winter. And a day exploring Snow World followed by an evening at Ice World should make for a really magical day.
