Times Squareway by Darrell Sandefur

Captured during a frigid January night in New York City, this image showcases Times Square under a sparse, wintry atmosphere. The photographer utilized a new wide-angle lens to frame the iconic view from the red steps, looking south toward the New Year’s ball. By leveraging the vibrant, natural illumination of the city’s signage, the photographer bypassed the need for artificial flash or post-processing. This shot is award-worthy for its crisp, authentic composition and the photographer’s ability to transform a familiar, bustling tourist destination into a serene, atmospheric cityscape through precise technical execution and a keen eye for architectural detail.

Times Squareway by Darrell Sandefur
Nikon D5000 with Tamron SP 10-24mm
Exposure 1/125sec @ f/3.5 | ISO 720 | Focal Length 10mm
Copyright © Darrell Sandefur
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Darrell Sandefur

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Based in West Chester, Ohio, Darrell Sandefur is an amateur photographer dedicated to capturing the intricate details of architecture, cityscapes, and the natural world. He frequently documents his travels during business trips, consistently seeking to refine his technical skills and master the art of in-camera composition. By prioritizing high-quality execution over digital manipulation, Sandefur has developed a disciplined approach to photography that emphasizes the importance of learning from every shoot.

Profile View Full Profile
13.9/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
350/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
14,226 views | 8 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date April 15, 2012
64.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 15.0
Style 13.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
New York City, The United States

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Darrell Sandefur Photography
Travel Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (13.6/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
1,736/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
14,226/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.1/5 points
1/100 Review
Submissions
3.5/5 points
350/500 Submission
Jury Score: 64.0/80
Resonance Score: 13.6/20
Total Award Score: 77.6/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 7

Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
Times Square in January is a miserable, biting affair. Most would retreat to a warm bar, but Sandefur clearly stayed until his fingers went numb. It’s a rare pleasure to see this chaotic corner stripped of its usual frantic pulse. He didn't just point a lens; he waited for the city to exhale. I’ve spent enough nights shivering in the dark to recognize the cost of that stillness. It’s a decent bit of work.
Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
Times Square isn’t usually a place for silence, yet here, the neon glare feels like a dying star. Sandefur captures the cold, but it’s the encroaching blackness between the signage that haunts me. It’s a rare, hollowed-out New York. I’ve walked those steps, but I’ve never felt the city’s indifference quite like this. The shadows don’t just hide the tourists; they swallow the noise. It’s a bleak, necessary reminder that even light eventually surrenders to the dark.
Lena Brandstrom Macro Photography, Optics & the Science of the Seen Expert Review
At 10mm, the Tamron’s barrel distortion is surprisingly controlled, keeping the vertical lines of the signage remarkably honest. The f/3.5 aperture renders the distant neon as soft, circular discs, yet the focal plane remains sharp enough to resolve the frigid texture of the air. I’m genuinely moved by how the diffraction of light across those wet surfaces creates such a crystalline, icy clarity. It’s a rare moment where the sensor’s limitations don’t compromise the city’s electric pulse.
Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The electric, neon-drenched air vibrates with the bruised violet of a winter midnight, a palette that recalls the lonely, artificial stillness of a Hopper streetscape. It’s a shivering, chromatic dissonance where the harsh, synthetic yellows of the signage bleed into the cold, shallow-water blue of the pavement, and honestly, I’m quite breathless at how the light clings to the damp concrete, turning a frantic, tourist-clogged intersection into a quiet, painterly meditation on urban isolation.
Yusuf Al-Hamdan Landscape, Light as Presence & the Spiritual Dimension Expert Review
The biting January air must have numbed his fingers, yet he waited for the city’s electric pulse to settle. It’s rare to find such stillness in the heart of the chaos. I’ve stood in similar cold, watching the light bleed into the pavement, and I feel that familiar ache in my own chest looking at this. He didn’t force the scene; he simply let the neon glow speak until the square finally exhaled.
Priya Sharma Negative Space, Minimalism & the Japanese Aesthetic Expert Review
The red steps recede. They pull the eye toward a cold, electric horizon. It’s quiet here. I’ve walked these streets, yet I’ve never felt this stillness. The glare of the signs doesn’t shout. It recedes into the dark, wintry air. Nothing here is accidental. The empty corner is not empty. It’s a pause. A breath held in the middle of the city. I find myself wanting to stay in that silence. It’s rare.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Times Square is usually a chaotic blur, but here, the 10mm focal length pulls the geometry into a cold, clinical order. Most photographers drown in the neon noise; Sandefur lets the frigid January air dictate the frame. It’s the stillness that hits me—I actually felt a shiver looking at it. That’s why it endures. It’s not just a travel shot; it’s a rare, quiet moment in a place that’s forgotten how to be silent.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Clara Menezes

The Architecture of Silence

We often mistake the city for a creature of noise, a beast that only knows how to roar. But there are hours when the concrete exhales, when the frantic pulse of the day slows to a rhythmic, subterranean hum.

Read the reflection →
By Priya Kapoor

The Hum of Frozen Air

The air in mid-winter has a sharp, metallic tang, like pressing a copper coin against the roof of your mouth. It is a dry, biting cold that settles deep into the marrow, turning the breath into a ghost that lingers for a heartbeat before vanishing.

Read the reflection →

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