Sunset Photographers by Sergiy Kadulin

During a three-week journey across the American West, the photographer captured this evocative scene while departing the Grand Canyon at sunset. Observing a group of fellow photographers silhouetted against the vast, rugged cliffside, the photographer stepped aside to frame the shot, intentionally balancing the human element against the immense scale of the landscape. This image is award-worthy for its masterful use of perspective, which successfully conveys both the profound depth of the canyon and the quiet, shared reverence of those witnessing its grandeur. The warm, fading light perfectly highlights the textures of the rock, grounding the epic scale of nature in a singular, human moment.

Sunset Photographers by Sergiy Kadulin
Canon 5D Mark II with EF 70-200f/2.8L | Exposure 1/250sec @ f/10 | ISO 200 | Focal Length 70mm
Copyright Β© Sergiy Kadulin
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Sergiy Kadulin

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 1967, Sergiy Kadulin balances a distinguished career in the information technology sector with a profound, lifelong devotion to photography. After mastering film techniques with early cameras like the Zenit-12SD, he transitioned to digital workflows and further refined his craft through the Kyiv School of Photography and the New York Institute of Photography. Specializing in travel and landscape photography, Kadulin views his work as a creative medium to share his love for nature and humanity, consistently seeking internal growth to infuse his images with warmth and emotional depth.

Profile View Full Profile
12.4/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
196/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
14,389 views | 7 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date December 5, 2012
66.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 13.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 17.0
Style 12.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
Grand Canyon, The United States

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Sergiy Kadulin Photography
Travel Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (12.4/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
2,198/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
14,389/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.4/5 points
7/100 Review
Submissions
2.0/5 points
196/500 Submission
Jury Score: 66.0/80
Resonance Score: 12.4/20
Total Award Score: 78.4/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 7

Lena Brandstrom Macro Photography, Optics & the Science of the Seen Expert Review
At f/10, the 70-200mm lens avoids the diffraction limit, rendering the canyon’s sedimentary strata with clinical, biting sharpness. The focal plane holds the rock’s micro-textures while the silhouettes soften into the atmospheric haze. It’s a rare moment where optics and geology collide. I’m genuinely moved by how the light’s refraction across those jagged edges creates such profound depth. You don’t just see the scale; you feel the physics of the light grounding those tiny human figures.
Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The canyon’s ochre depths, reminiscent of a Turner sunset, bleed into the bruised violet of the shadows, creating a chromatic tension that’s truly intoxicating. It’s the way the light clings to the rock like molten copper that catches my breath, forcing one to acknowledge how these silhouettes, rendered in the ink-black of a Morandi still life, anchor the vast, geologic indifference of the landscape within a fragile, human, and deeply resonant chromatic harmony.
Yusuf Al-Hamdan Landscape, Light as Presence & the Spiritual Dimension Expert Review
The canyon floor is already surrendering to shadow, yet these figures remain, anchored by the final, honeyed glow of a dying sun. I’ve felt that same acheβ€”the reluctance to leave when the light finally begins to whisper. They aren't just taking pictures; they’re listening to the stone. It’s a quiet, shared prayer. Looking at them, I feel a sudden, sharp longing to be back on that rim, waiting for the world to go silent.
Priya Sharma Negative Space, Minimalism & the Japanese Aesthetic Expert Review
The canyon wall swallows them. Small, dark shapes against the stone. They’ve become part of the geology. I’m struck by the stillness. It’s not just a sunset; it’s a surrender. The frame holds the weight of the rock and the lightness of the people. Nothing here is accidental. The empty corner is not empty. It’s a breath. I find myself holding mine, waiting for the light to finally leave the cliff. It’s enough.
Eleanor Voss Composition & Visual Structure Expert Review
The frame’s geometry relies on the silhouettes to anchor the canyon’s immense, chaotic strata. It’s a precarious balance. The human figures provide a necessary fulcrum, preventing the composition from dissolving into mere geological texture. I’m genuinely irritated by the slight tilt of the horizon line, which disrupts the otherwise rigid spatial tension. Still, the negative space above the ridge holds the weight of the light. It’s structural discipline, finally, that saves the frame from sentimentality.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Most Grand Canyon shots are just postcards, but this one captures the voyeurism of our craft. By framing the photographers instead of the abyss, Kadulin highlights our collective obsession with capturing the uncapturable. I’ve seen thousands of sunset silhouettes, yet the way these figures lean into the void makes me feel a strange, quiet envy. It’s not about the rocks; it’s about the people trying to own them. Thirty years from now, that’s what will matter.
Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
It’s a curious thing to photograph the photographers. One wonders if Kadulin spent the afternoon shivering on that ledge or simply stumbled upon the scene while heading for the car. The composition is tidy, certainly, but it lacks the grit of a long vigil. I’ve spent enough hours waiting for light to know when a shot is earned. This feels like a pleasant observation, not a hard-won victory. It’s pretty, but it didn't cost enough.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Priya Kapoor

The Salt of the Earth

The smell of dry, sun-baked stone always brings me back to the feeling of grit between my toes. It is a coarse, honest scentβ€”the smell of earth that has been scorched by the day and is only now beginning to exhale.

Read the reflection →
By Isabelle Park

Small Souls, Big Spaces

I was standing on the subway platform this morning, surrounded by a hundred people, yet everyone was looking down at their phones. We were all so close, shoulder to shoulder, but completely sealed off in our own little worlds.

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