My Pixy Home by Tisha Clinkenbeard

Captured within the serene, verdant landscape of the Wakheena Falls area near Portland, this image evokes the ethereal quality of a hidden woodland sanctuary. The photographer masterfully balances the soft, rhythmic flow of the water against the cooling canopy of the forest, creating an atmosphere so tranquil it feels like a dwelling place for mythical pixies. By emphasizing the interplay between the gentle breeze and the lush natural surroundings, the image invites viewers into a moment of quiet immersion. Its award-worthy status is earned through this delicate synthesis of natural beauty and imaginative storytelling, transforming a simple day hike into a captivating visual narrative.

My Pixy Home by Tisha Clinkenbeard
Copyright Β© Tisha Clinkenbeard
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Tisha Clinkenbeard

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Based in Powderly, Texas, Tisha Clinkenbeard is a dedicated photographer whose work reflects a lifelong passion for documenting the world's hidden wonders. Her artistic journey, which began long before the advent of digital technology, has led to exhibitions at prestigious venues such as the Black Box Gallery in Portland and The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs. Through her blog, Found Round & About, she shares her unique perspective on the earth's beauty, consistently capturing the essence of her travels with a keen eye for nature and detail.

Profile View Full Profile
12.4/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
198/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
11,956 views | 7 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date March 17, 2017
62.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 11.0
Composition 17.0
Style 11.0
Skill 11.0
Photograph Location
Wakheena Falls Area, Oregon, The United States

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Nature Photography
Tisha Clinkenbeard Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (12.0/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
1,071/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
11,956/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
2.0/5 points
198/500 Submission
Jury Score: 62.0/80
Resonance Score: 12.0/20
Total Award Score: 74.0/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 7

Julian Rowe Experimental Photography, Motion & Alternative Visual Languages Expert Review
Wakheena Falls usually demands the clinical sharpness of a postcard, but Tisha’s choice to dissolve the foliage into a painterly smear feels like a genuine exhale. It’s closer to the blurred, ethereal ghosts of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s theatres than to standard nature photography. I’m genuinely moved by what she chose not to resolve here. By abandoning the obsession with detail, she’s captured the forest’s pulse rather than its anatomy. It’s a brave, necessary rejection of the mundane.
Henrik Johansson Architecture, Built Space & the Conversation Between Structure and Light Expert Review
Nature’s architecture is rarely static, yet here, the water’s movement creates a fluid datum against the rigid, moss-covered stone. It’s a compelling threshold between solid and void. I’m struck by how the light rakes across the rock face, defining mass through texture rather than mere silhouette. While it’s a romanticized view, I can’t help but feel a genuine, quiet longing to step into that damp, verdant enclosure. It’s a rare, honest capture of spatial atmosphere.
Yusuf Al-Hamdan Landscape, Light as Presence & the Spiritual Dimension Expert Review
The forest here doesn't just hold light; it breathes it. Tisha waited for that flat, diffused glow that only lives under a deep canopy. I’ve spent enough mornings in the damp Oregon woods to know the chill she felt while the water whispered against those mossy stones. It’s a quiet, holy stillness. Looking at it, I find my own pulse slowing down. She didn't just take a picture; she listened until the woods finally let her in.
Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
Wakheena Falls is a damp, crowded slog, yet here the chaos is silenced. One suspects Tisha didn’t just stumble upon this mossy stillness; she likely endured the mid-morning drizzle until the tourists retreated. It’s a quiet, deliberate frame. I’ve spent enough hours shivering in Oregon’s undergrowth to recognize the patience required to let the water settle into such a rhythmic hum. It’s a rare, earned serenity. She clearly knows the value of waiting for the forest to breathe.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Of the thousands of forest studies I’ve reviewed, most drown in their own greenery. What separates this from the clutter is the precise tension between the blurred, rhythmic water and the static, moss-drenched rock. It’s a quiet, fragile balance. I’ll admit, it makes me want to step right into that damp, cool silence. In thirty years, this won’t just be a record of a hike; it’ll be a rare, preserved breath of Oregon’s vanishing stillness.
Lena Brandstrom Macro Photography, Optics & the Science of the Seen Expert Review
The focal plane here is razor-thin, barely kissing the mossy textures of the Wakheena undergrowth. I’m genuinely moved by how the lens resolves those micro-droplets; the diffraction of light across the damp foliage is, in the strictest physical sense, extraordinary. It’s a rare moment where the sensor captures what my own retina would simply blur into green noise. You’ve pushed the glass to its limit, and frankly, it’s a beautiful, precise triumph of optical clarity.
Amara Diallo Portrait, Human Story & Narrative Portraiture Expert Review
We walk into the Wakheena woods, and we don't just see a waterfall; we hear the forest breathing. Tisha Clinkenbeard didn't just look at this landscape; she sat with it until the moss and water began to whisper their secrets. It’s a portrait of a place that feels alive, a home for spirits I’ve only ever dreamt of. I feel a sudden, quiet ache to step inside the frame and stay there forever. It’s truly haunting.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Clara Menezes

The Architecture of Moss

We often mistake the forest for a collection of trees, forgetting that the true work happens in the quiet, damp corners where the light learns to soften.

Read the reflection →
By Sven Lindqvist

Where the Moss Breathes

The forest floor does not hurry. It waits for the rain, for the rot, for the slow turning of seasons that go unnoticed by those who walk with heavy boots. We look for grand gestures in nature, but the truth is held in the damp hollows where light struggles to reach.

Read the reflection →

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