Before We Explain the World

Photography by Lu Heng

1Leaving the Known

Where the Land Turns

Story 6 of 51 · 7 photographs

A city coastline gives way to headlands, cliffs and sandbars. Notice where land reaches into water, then where water cuts into land. Across these photographs, the edge keeps changing shape.

  1. An angled aerial view of beach, dense buildings and water, with peaks beyond.
    31

    The city reaches the shore

  2. A broad beach curves towards distant mountains, with buildings to the left and blue water to the right.
    32

    Along the long beach

  1. Green slopes curve along a pale beach towards distant water.
    33

    Where the hills meet the sea

  1. An aerial view of a narrow rocky peninsula, with water on both sides and snow on distant shores.
    34

    Water on both sides

  2. A long cliff edge divides land from deep blue water in an aerial view.
    35

    The outline of the cliffs

  1. A distant cape above the sea; White surf traces a long coast and sandbars seen from high above.
    36

    A distant cape above the sea

  2. A coastline in changing colours; A narrow sandbar separates a blue lagoon from open turquoise sea.
    37

    A coastline in changing colours

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