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Bye bye Pudong by Daniel Schnyder

Captured on a final, poignant night in Shanghai, this image serves as a farewell to the towering skyline of the Pudong district. The photographer utilized the Fujifilm X100 to document the atmospheric interplay of light and shadow against the city's iconic architecture. By choosing a wide aperture and high ISO, the photographer successfully preserved the ambient glow of the urban environment, transforming a personal moment of departure into a universal reflection on travel and transition. The composition is award-worthy for its evocative mood, capturing the fleeting essence of a city that feels both immense and intimate.

Bye bye Pudong by Daniel Schnyder
Fujifilm X100 | Exposure 1/125sec @ f/2 | ISO 3200 | Focal Length 23mm
Copyright Β© Daniel Schnyder
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Daniel Schnyder

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Hailing from BΓ©vilard, Switzerland, Daniel Schnyder is a dedicated observer of human activity and the global landscape. Working professionally as a polymechanician, he views photography as a profound curiosity, a medium through which he captures the ephemeral nature of light and the human experience. His artistic journey has been shaped by extensive international travel, which he considers his greatest school of life, allowing him to move beyond the constraints of traditional press photography to reveal the beauty and shared moments of the world around him.

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14.2/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
403/500
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Award Reach | Reviews
15,684 views | 4 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date April 6, 2013
60.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 11.0
Clarity 11.0
Composition 14.0
Style 11.0
Skill 13.0
Photograph Location
Shanghai, China

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Daniel Schnyder Photography
Night Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (14.0/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
1,976/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
15,684/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
4.0/5 points
403/500 Submission
Jury Score: 60.0/80
Resonance Score: 14.0/20
Total Award Score: 74.0/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 4

Lena Brandstrom Macro Photography, Optics & the Science of the Seen Expert Review
At f/2, the X100’s 23mm lens struggles with the diffraction limit, yet Schnyder embraces the resulting spherical aberration. It’s a soft, dreamlike rendering of Shanghai’s light. The focal plane is razor-thin, turning the distant Pudong skyline into a beautiful, glowing smear of bokeh. I’ve spent hours staring at these blurred neon edges; they don’t just record a city, they capture the physical ache of leaving. It’s technically imperfect, but that’s exactly why it’s so hauntingly human.
Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
Shanghai at night is a noisy, neon-soaked beast, yet here it’s rendered with a quiet, handheld intimacy. Shooting at f/2 on an X100 isn't for the faint of heart; it’s a gamble against motion blur. One suspects Schnyder spent his final hours pacing the Bund, waiting for the city’s pulse to settle. It’s a lonely, honest frame. I’ve stood in that damp air myself, and frankly, he’s earned this goodbye. It’s a proper, disciplined effort.
Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
Pudong’s neon pulse doesn’t invite us in; it pushes back, a jagged wall of indifference. Schnyder’s grain captures the friction of a city that’s already forgotten him. I’ve stood in that exact damp Shanghai air, feeling the crushing weight of being nowhere. It’s not a farewell, but a surrender to the dark. When light bleeds into the shadows like this, it’s not beautyβ€”it’s the terrifying realization that we’re merely ghosts haunting the architecture we build.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Most night shots of Shanghai are just neon noise, but this one hits differently. By pushing the X100 to ISO 3200, Schnyder captured a grit that feels honest, not polished. It’s the blur in the foreground that gets me; it feels like a genuine goodbye, a shaky breath before leaving. Of the thousands of cityscapes I’ve reviewed, this one endures because it’s not about the skylineβ€”it’s about the ache of being small beneath it.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Margaret Holt

The Architecture of Leaving

There is a specific weight to the finality of a place. We often think of departure as a sudden actβ€”a closing door, a turning key, the hum of an engine pulling away from the curb. But in truth, leaving begins long before the physical act.

Read the reflection →
By Yuki Sato

The Weight of Leaving

To leave a place is to leave a version of yourself behind. We often think of departure as a movement through space, a simple crossing of a threshold, but it is more like a slow shedding of skin.

Read the reflection →

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