Cloves of Garlic by Rasha Rashad

In this evocative study of raw ingredients, the photographer explores the potential of negative space within food photography. By focusing on the humble clove of garlic and dried basil, the composition utilizes a shallow depth of field to create a soft, ethereal aesthetic. The deliberate choice to harmonize the tones of the garlic with the background highlights the layered, sculptural beauty of the subject. This image is award-worthy for its minimalist approach and its ability to elevate a simple kitchen staple into a sophisticated, monochromatic artistic statement that emphasizes texture and form over complexity.

Cloves of Garlic by Rasha Rashad
Copyright Β© Rasha Rashad
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Rasha Rashad

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Hailing from Alexandria, Egypt, Rasha Rashad is a passionate explorer and visual storyteller who transitioned from a corporate career to pursue photography full-time. Her work is deeply influenced by her love for literature, cinema, and the diverse cultures she encounters during her travels. Specializing in both street and food photography, Rashad captures the world through a lens of curiosity, seeking to find beauty in the raw, everyday components of life and the vibrant human experiences found on the road.

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11.6/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
120/500
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Award Reach | Reviews
11,507 views | 7 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date March 15, 2018
64.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 11.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 17.0
Style 12.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
Sheikh Zayed City, Cairo, Egypt

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Food Photography
Rasha Rashad Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (11.2/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
1,080/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
11,507/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
1.2/5 points
120/500 Submission
Jury Score: 64.0/80
Resonance Score: 11.2/20
Total Award Score: 75.2/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 7

Eleanor Voss Composition & Visual Structure Expert Review
The garlic cloves occupy the frame with a precarious, floating weight. It’s a study in monochromatic restraint, yet the shallow depth of field threatens to dissolve the structure entirely. The negative space doesn't anchor the subject; it merely retreats. I’m frustrated by the lack of a sharp fulcrum to ground these forms. It’s technically precise, but the composition lacks the necessary tension to keep the eye from drifting off the edge of the frame.
Mei-Ling Chen Pattern, Geometry, Abstract Form & Visual Mathematics Expert Review
The composition relies on a subtle diagonal tension, with the garlic cloves anchored in the lower-left quadrant. It’s a precise study in mass distribution, where the soft focus creates a gradient of light that balances the sharp, sculptural edges of the cloves. I’m genuinely captivated by how the negative space doesn’t just sit there; it acts as a geometric buffer. It’s a perfectly solved spatial equation, turning a kitchen staple into a study of pure, monochromatic form.
Sophie Delacroix Emotional Narrative, Viewer Response & Psychological Impact Expert Review
Before the eye identifies the garlic, a sudden stillness settles in the chest. It’s a quiet, rhythmic activation of the senses. The monochromatic tones pull at my own memories of a kitchen long abandoned, triggering a phantom scent of dried basil. I’ve returned to this piece three times today; each look softens my pulse. It doesn’t just document a staple; it forces a pause in the frantic pace of the day. It’s hauntingly, beautifully hollow.
Marcus Trent Human Truth, Documentary & The Decisive Moment Expert Review
You’ve turned a kitchen staple into something quiet and sacred. I’ve spent years chasing chaos, but looking at these cloves, I feel a sudden, strange stillness. It’s not just about the texture or the light; it’s the patience you had to find the soul in something so ordinary. You didn’t force the composition. You waited for the garlic to just be itself. And that’s the hardest thing to capture. There’s something honest happening here.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Most food photography is ephemeral, destined for a quick scroll and immediate forgetting. Rasha’s garlic cloves are different. By stripping away the color and clutter, she forces us to confront the sculptural architecture of the mundane. I’ve seen thousands of minimalist studies, but this one lingers because it’s quiet enough to breathe. It’s a rare, honest study of texture that I’d happily hang on my own wall thirty years from now. It’s simply timeless.
Amara Diallo Portrait, Human Story & Narrative Portraiture Expert Review
We look at these cloves of garlic and we don’t just see ingredients; we see the quiet patience of a kitchen in Cairo. Rasha Rashad has listened to the texture of the skin, the way it curls like aged parchment. It’s a portrait of stillness. I feel a sudden, sharp longing for the warmth of a home I’ve never visited. It’s a photograph that asks to be returned to, again and again.
Kofi Asante Intimate Portraiture, Reportage & Lives Told Truthfully Expert Review
There’s a quiet dignity in these cloves, resting like they’ve been waiting for a hand to pick them up. It’s a clean, honest study of form, but I find myself missing the pulse of a kitchen. Where’s the cook? I’ve spent my life looking for the person behind the ingredients. It’s beautiful, sure, but it feels a bit lonely. I want to see the hands that peeled them, stained and working. That’s the real story.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Isabelle Park

The Quiet of the Kitchen

I spent twenty minutes this morning just peeling garlic for a soup I wasn't even sure I wanted to make. My hands smelled sharp and earthy, a scent that seems to cling to the skin no matter how many times you wash it away. It’s funny how we overlook these small, raw things.

Read the reflection →
By Marta Vidal

The Weight of the Kitchen

I keep a small, wooden mortar and pestle that belonged to my grandmother, its surface worn smooth and darkened by decades of crushed herbs and garlic. When I run my thumb along the rim, I can almost smell the sharp, earthy ghost of Sunday dinners long since eaten.

Read the reflection →

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