A wide, grassy plain beneath a perfectly blue sky.

This was the winning image, submitted by Yanan Li, graduate student in geography, of the International House’s “My Home” photo exhibit.

The contest provides international students with a chance to capture and display a photo that embodies their home.

When the awards were presented, Li’s face showed a look of complete shock. Yanan grew up in northwestern China and has been living in Tennessee for the past six years, calling Knoxville her “second hometown.” However, she still wanted to show the community her roots.

“It had so much affection to Mongolian culture, you don’t have to try hard,” Li said. “It’s just their life.”

Li’s photo will hang in the International House for the remainder of the semester.

Those who submitted photos to the contest were invited to attend the exhibit and give information behind their photographs for viewers who had questions. Ten photos of varying regions of the world lined each side of the community room. A large monitor played a slideshow of all photos, so viewers could view the images in a larger frame. Attendees were encouraged to walk around, ask questions and enjoy the photography.

Sanjeev Dahal, a finalist who is originally from Nepal and holds a doctorate in genomics, submitted a photo showcasing a father walking his young child down a large ornate staircase.