‘Snow makes the cityscape so flawless’: Coco Liu’s best phone picture | Photo

Wwhen a winter storm ends in Chicago, the temperature rises just enough for Coco Liu to take a brisk walk. Armed with his thickest coat, the photographer was walking across the Michigan Avenue Bridge when he stopped to capture ice floating on the river below, and an anonymous man passing by.

“I was attracted by the simplicity and composition, the contrast of left and right,” he says. “Because of the coldness of the wind, before and during the storm the weather is too bitter. But I love the four seasons, especially the snow, so I always tried to get out.”

Liu, who was born in China and lived in Beijing until he was 25, had no family in Chicago, so he walked the streets in his spare time. “I photographed almost every corner of the city,” he says. “It’s also very flat, which makes it so visually appealing. And the density of the two cities is incomparable – Beijing is saturated, Chicago is just busy.”

However, after a few months in his new home, Liu realized that he was working to a deadline after every storm. “Snow makes the cityscape so flawless, so beautiful, but they’re so good at restarting the city. That means there are only a few hours before the salt machines melt it all away. That’s good for pedestrians, but not so good for photographers!”