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Play in Colors by Zahraa Al Hassani

In 'Play in Colors,' Zahraa Al Hassani captures the vibrant essence of a school craft projectβ€”hand-painted eggs created by her niece. Drawn to the abstract possibilities of the colorful objects, the photographer utilized a long exposure of 60 seconds to explore light and texture. By isolating these domestic subjects, she transforms a simple household craft into a sophisticated study of form and hue. The image is award-worthy for its ability to elevate everyday items through intentional technical execution, demonstrating a keen eye for abstract composition and a masterful control over lighting conditions.

Play in Colors by Zahraa Al Hassani
Nikon D3100 with Sigma 70-300 DG Macro
Exposure 60sec @ f/4.5 | ISO 400 | Focal Length 150mm
Copyright Β© Zahraa Al Hassani
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Zahraa Al Hassani

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Based in Baghdad, Iraq, Zahraa Al Hassani is a dedicated photographer and professional graphic designer with over six years of experience at Zain Telecommunications. A graduate of the University of Technology in Baghdad, she integrates her extensive background in design and marketing communication into her photographic practice, which she uses to create compelling visuals for her professional projects. Her artistic journey began with Sony equipment before transitioning to Nikon, and she continues to refine her craft by seeking knowledge from the world of purist photography.

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13.3/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
299/500
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Award Reach | Reviews
16,400 views | 6 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date June 2, 2013
64.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 16.0
Style 12.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
Baghdad, Iraq

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Color Photography
Zahraa Al Hassani Photography
Zara Otaifah Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (13.0/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
2,145/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
16,400/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
3.0/5 points
299/500 Submission
Jury Score: 64.0/80
Resonance Score: 13.0/20
Total Award Score: 77.0/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 6

Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The chromatic vibration here recalls Morandi’s hushed still lifes, yet it’s electrified by a sixty-second exposure that bleeds the pigments into a soft, tidal blur. I’m genuinely moved by how these hand-painted eggs lose their domestic banality, dissolving into a hazy, cerulean-and-ochre atmosphere that feels like light filtered through stained glass. It’s a gorgeous, painterly surrender to abstraction, where the hues don’t merely sit upon the surface; they breathe, they pulse, they’ve simply become light itself.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Most entries this year relied on tired documentary tropes, but this piece succeeds by stripping away the context of Baghdad entirely. By dragging a sixty-second exposure across these painted eggs, Al Hassani creates a blur that feels like a fever dream. It’s a brave choice to abandon sharp focus for pure abstraction. I’ll admit, the soft, bleeding edges genuinely unsettled me. It’s rare to find such quiet, domestic intimacy transformed into something so hauntingly permanent.
Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
Sixty seconds of exposure turns these painted eggs into ghosts of a domestic ritual. It’s a haunting stillness. Al Hassani doesn’t just capture color; she forces it to bleed into the encroaching void. I’ve stared at these fragile, blurred spheres until the darkness felt heavy, almost suffocating. It’s a brave refusal to let the light tell the whole story. When the shadows finally swallow the edges, you realize the craft project has become a meditation on absence.
Yusuf Al-Hamdan Landscape, Light as Presence & the Spiritual Dimension Expert Review
Sixty seconds of stillness. Zahraa didn't just capture eggs; she invited the light to linger until the colors bled into a soft, meditative hum. I’ve spent my life waiting for the sun to touch a mountain, but here, the patience is domestic, quiet, and deeply intimate. It’s a rare grace to find such vastness in a small, painted shell. Honestly, it makes me want to put my camera down and simply breathe with the light.
Sophie Delacroix Emotional Narrative, Viewer Response & Psychological Impact Expert Review
Before the eye identifies the eggs, a strange, static hum settles in the chest. The sixty-second exposure bleeds the colors into a soft, bruised blur that feels like a half-remembered dream. It’s disorienting. I find my pulse slowing, trying to match the stillness of that long, patient light. When I return to it, I don't see craft projects; I see the quiet, fragile persistence of color against a backdrop of Baghdad’s heavy, enduring shadows.
Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
Sixty seconds for a still life of painted eggs? It’s an ambitious gamble. Most would have settled for a quick shutter, but Al Hassani clearly sat with the light until it surrendered. I’ve spent enough hours shivering in the dark to appreciate that kind of stubbornness. It’s a quiet, deliberate piece of work. One suspects she didn’t just find these colors; she waited for them to breathe. It’s a rare, earned stillness. I quite like it.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Priya Kapoor

The Hum of Painted Shells

The smell of vinegar and dye always brings me back to the kitchen table of my childhood, where the air felt thick with the sharp, acidic sting of color. My fingers would be stained for daysβ€”a permanent, patchy indigo or a stubborn, bruised magenta that refused to scrub away.

Read the reflection →
By Yuki Sato

The Quiet Bloom of Play

There is a sacredness in the way a child approaches the world. It is not a search for meaning, but a simple surrender to the act of being.

Read the reflection →

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