We planned to explore the fall scenery of the Patagonia Mountains, but a sudden blizzard left us stuck in the hotel. The three-day snowstorm marked the transition from fall to winter. Nevertheless, we had no regrets—the winter had even more surprises in store.

An oil painter works meticulously on a mural on the wall of a building at Mazigang on Huanhai Road in Weihai, Shandong, April 5, 2024.

Throughout my career as a photographer, I've always been fascinated by a technique called long exposure.
This photographic technique allows you to "paint with light" over a prolonged period while taking the photo. To apply this technique, you need dark environments. Over time, I've taken many photographs using this style with professional cameras. I never imagined that the OPPO Find X6 would have an enhanced long-exposure option, and even more surprising, it allows you to leave the exposure time open. (No other phone I've tested has this feature.
The photograph was taken in Mexico City at the Zócalo at around 12:30 a.m. In the background, you can see the National Palace. That night, my daughter Aiko Coronado accompanied me and helped me throughout the process.
Even though they sometimes close that area, luck was on our side, and we were in the right place at the right time to capture the shot I had in mind. I needed a small phone tripod to set up and frame the shot. I then selected the phone's long-exposure mode, set the timer, adjusted the shutter speed for an extended time, and left it open. My tool for painting with light was a lamp called Stella Pro.
My daughter helped coordinate and directed me, shouting where and which areas to paint with the light on the ground.
After many attempts and about two hours of trial and error, I finally achieved the result I wanted. What surprised me the most was how long the phone's battery lasted and how the long-exposure mode didn't overexpose the image.
This allowed me to paint the entire dark area with the lamp in less than three minutes, resulting in the image you see.