Starry Night and the Erupting Volcano by Sergiy Kadulin

Captured in September 2013, this breathtaking image depicts the raw power of the Klyuchevskoy volcano in Kamchatka, Russia, as it erupts beneath a vast, star-filled sky. The photographer utilized a wide-angle lens and a long exposure to balance the intense glow of the molten lava against the delicate, crystalline details of the Milky Way. By juxtaposing the fiery, active volcano with the dormant Kamen peak, the composition creates a dramatic narrative of geological contrast. This photograph is award-worthy for its masterful technical execution in challenging low-light conditions and its ability to capture the sublime, untamed beauty of the natural world.

Starry Night and the Erupting Volcano by Sergiy Kadulin
Canon EOS 5D Mark III EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II | Exposure 20sec @ f/2.8 | ISO 3200 | Focal Length 17mm
Copyright Β© Sergiy Kadulin
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Sergiy Kadulin

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 1967, Sergiy Kadulin transitioned from a successful career in the information technology sector to pursue professional photography full-time in 2013. With a foundation built on early experiences with film cameras and formal training from the Kyiv School of Photography and the New York Institute of Photography, he has developed a versatile practice spanning architectural, industrial, and fine art landscape photography. Driven by a desire to share his love for nature and the world, Kadulin focuses his creative energy on capturing evocative imagery that reflects his commitment to continuous personal and artistic growth.

Profile View Full Profile
11.3/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
96/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
14,816 views | 6 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date January 19, 2014
72.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 14.0
Clarity 13.0
Composition 18.0
Style 13.0
Skill 14.0
Photograph Location
Klyuchevskoy Volcano, Kamchatka, Russia

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Night Photography
Sergiy Kadulin Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (11.0/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
1,848/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
14,816/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
1.0/5 points
96/500 Submission
Jury Score: 72.0/80
Resonance Score: 11.0/20
Total Award Score: 83.0/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 6

Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
Kamchatka isn't a place one visits for the convenience. Standing on that frozen scree while the earth decides to spit fire at the heavens requires a particular sort of madness. I’ve spent enough nights shivering in the dark to know Kadulin didn’t just stumble upon this. He waited for the mountain to cooperate, and frankly, it’s a relief to see someone actually pay the price for a frame. It’s a cold, brilliant, earned bit of work.
Sophie Delacroix Emotional Narrative, Viewer Response & Psychological Impact Expert Review
Before the eye identifies the lava, something in the chest tightens. It’s the sudden, cold realization of our own insignificance against that vast, indifferent Milky Way. I’ve stared at this eruption for weeks, and it still triggers a phantom heat in my palms. Returning to it, the silence of the snow feels heavier, a quiet pressure that follows me into sleep. It’s not just a volcano; it’s a reminder of how small we really are.
James Rokeby Camera Craft & Technical Execution Expert Review
17mm at f/2.8, 20 seconds, ISO 3200. It’s a standard low-light configuration, yet the execution holds. The 17mm focal length keeps the stars sharp without excessive trailing, while f/2.8 pulls enough light from the lava to avoid crushing the shadows. I’ve seen enough blown-out volcanoes to appreciate this restraint. The dynamic range here is actually impressive. It’s cold, calculated, and technically sound. I’m genuinely surprised the sensor handled the contrast this well. A correct decision.
Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The molten ochre of the Klyuchevskoy eruption bleeds into the night like a Turner sunset, yet it’s the celestial indigoβ€”that bruised, velvet blue of deep spaceβ€”that truly steals one’s breath. I’m utterly undone by how the lava’s searing, sulfurous orange quarrels with the cold, crystalline starlight, creating a chromatic tension that feels almost violent. It’s a sublime, shivering dialogue between the earth’s burning, primordial gut and the silent, infinite indifference of the cosmos.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Most night photography is just technical posturing, but this holds up. I’ve seen thousands of eruptions, yet the way Kadulin anchors the violent, molten orange against the cold, indifferent stars makes me feel small in the best way possible. It’s the contrast between the dormant peak and the fire that saves this from being a mere postcard. Thirty years from now, we’ll still be looking at this to remember what raw, untamed earth actually looks like.
Yusuf Al-Hamdan Landscape, Light as Presence & the Spiritual Dimension Expert Review
The earth breathes here, exhaling fire against the cold, indifferent silence of the stars. Sergiy stood in the biting Kamchatka air, waiting for the mountain to speak its molten truth. I find myself shivering just looking at it; it’s a terrifying, beautiful reminder of our own smallness. He didn’t just capture a volcano; he listened to the ancient rhythm of the crust shifting. It’s a rare, quiet communion between the burning ground and the infinite night.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Tom Bretherton

Fire Beneath the Infinite

I remember sitting on a porch in rural Iceland, listening to an old geologist talk about the earth as if it were a living, breathing animal. He told me that we spend our lives walking on a skin that is constantly shifting, stretching, and occasionally tearing open.

Read the reflection →
By Clara Menezes

The Breath of the Earth

We often mistake the earth for a static floor, a solid stage upon which our small dramas play out. We forget that beneath the soles of our feet, the ground is a living lung, inhaling the heat of the core and exhaling fire into the cold, indifferent dark.

Read the reflection →

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