Staircase by Jon Rendell

Captured within the historic bell towers of Bologna, Italy, this image highlights the weathered beauty of a traditional wooden staircase. The photographer utilized the natural, ambient light filtering through the campanile to emphasize the rich textures and age-worn surfaces of the structure. By focusing on the rhythmic geometry of the steps, the image transforms a functional architectural element into a compelling study of light and shadow. This photograph is award-worthy for its masterful composition and its ability to evoke the deep sense of history and culture that defines the city of Bologna, turning a simple climb into a profound visual narrative.

Staircase by Jon RendellStaircase, by Jon Rendell
Olympus OM-2 with Zuiko 50mm f/1.4
Exposure 1/30sec @ f/8 | ISO 200 | Focal Length 50mm
Copyright Β© Jon Rendell
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Jon Rendell

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1957, Jon Rendell grew up immersed in a family of photographers and filmmakers. After honing his craft in the 1970s under the mentorship of renowned photographer Athol Shmith, Rendell developed a signature focus on the interplay of transitory, abstract shapes and available light. Now based in San Francisco, he continues to explore the world through his lens, drawing upon a lifelong fascination with shadows and structural form to create evocative, award-winning architectural and fine art photography.

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15.1/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
435/500
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Award Reach | Reviews
21,474 views | 14 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date February 17, 2011
68.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 18.0
Style 13.0
Skill 13.0
Photograph Location
Bologna, Italy

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Architectural Photography
Jon Rendell Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (14.8/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
1,965/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
21,474/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.4/5 points
8/100 Review
Submissions
4.4/5 points
435/500 Submission
Jury Score: 68.0/80
Resonance Score: 14.8/20
Total Award Score: 82.8/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 6

Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
One suspects Rendell didn’t just stumble upon this. That lightβ€”soft, directional, and entirely unforgiving of a hasty shutterβ€”suggests he spent a fair few hours shivering in that bell tower. It’s a quiet, rhythmic piece of work. I’ve climbed enough of these Italian stairs to know the ache in the knees required to find this angle. It’s earned, plain and simple. He waited for the dust to settle, and frankly, I’m rather envious of the result.
Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
Bologna’s campanile isn’t just wood and stone; it’s a throat through which time exhales. Rendell’s staircase doesn't merely climb; it descends into a silence that feels heavy, almost suffocating. I’ve stood in such shafts, and it’s the darkness clinging to the grain that truly haunts me. It’s not the light that defines these steps, but the encroaching void. When shadows swallow the geometry, they reveal the only truth that matters: we are all just passing through.
Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The ochre of these Bologna stairs, a hue reminiscent of Morandi’s dust-laden still lifes, breathes with a weary, ancient warmth that I find utterly intoxicating. It’s not merely wood; it’s the amber glow of centuries trapped in shadow. As light spills across the grain, one feels the tactile weight of time itself, a golden, melancholic resonance that doesn't just sit upon the surface, but vibrates with the quiet, rhythmic pulse of history’s own fading heartbeat.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Most architectural shots of Bologna’s towers fall into the trap of grandiosity, but Rendell’s staircase succeeds because it’s intimate. The way the light clings to the splintered wood grain creates a tactile history that digital sensors rarely capture. I’ve stared at this for years, and it still makes me feel the vertigo of that climb. It’s not just geometry; it’s the weight of centuries pressing against the lens. That’s why it’ll still matter in thirty years.
Yusuf Al-Hamdan Landscape, Light as Presence & the Spiritual Dimension Expert Review
The wood here doesn't just hold weight; it holds time. I can feel the cool, damp air of the campanile against my skin. Jon waited for that soft, directional light to trace the grain of the steps, turning a climb into a prayer. It’s quiet, isn’t it? I’ve spent enough hours in old towers to know that silence. He didn’t rush the shadows. He let the stone and timber breathe before he finally pressed the shutter.
Eleanor Voss Composition & Visual Structure Expert Review
The staircase doesn't merely ascend; it anchors the frame with rhythmic, geometric precision. The light carves the wood, establishing a rigid spatial tension that demands attention. It’s a rare instance where the negative space doesn't collapse under the weight of the architecture. I’ve spent years looking for this kind of structural discipline, and frankly, it’s refreshing. The fulcrum of the frame holds perfectly, refusing to let the viewer’s eye wander from the calculated, rhythmic descent.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Margaret Holt

The Architecture of Ascent

In the quiet hours of a house, one often finds themselves tracing the worn edges of a banister, a ritual of touch that connects the present hand to the ghosts of those who climbed before.

Read the reflection →
By Priya Kapoor

The Echo of Footsteps

The smell of damp stone always brings me back to the cellar of my childhood home, where the air felt thick, like wool pressed against the skin.

Read the reflection →

Reviews & Comments

Share your thoughts about this award-winning photograph. Your reviews contribute to the community engagement score.

14 replies
  1. Linda says:

    Hehe!
    I see it from my office window. It alway strikes me how beautiful it is, with the sun, in a snow tempest, under the rain, with heavy grey clouds… a great subject that can’t fail!

    Reply

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