Rainy Friday Evening by Ola Cedell

Seeking a creative challenge on a rainy Friday, the photographer turned his lens toward the window to capture the interplay of rain droplets and city lights. By utilizing a shallow depth of field, he transformed the distant street traffic and building floodlights into a vibrant, abstract tapestry of yellow and red bokeh. This image is award-worthy for its masterful manipulation of light and focus, turning a mundane, gloomy evening into a sophisticated study of color and atmosphere. The composition elevates simple environmental elements into a compelling, painterly aesthetic that captures the quiet beauty of an urban night.

Rainy Friday Evening by Ola Cedell
Nikon D800 with 105mm | Exposure 2sec @ f/3 | ISO 100 | Focal Length 105mm
Copyright Β© Ola Cedell
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Ola Cedell

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in southern Sweden in 1969, Ola Cedell has lived in Australia and Germany before returning to his home country in 2003. Balancing a professional career in engineering with a passion for photography since 1996, he specializes in landscape and food imagery, often contributing to the catering company Gazpacho. His creative vision is deeply influenced by his diverse international experiences and the scenic beauty of southern Sweden and the French Alps.

Profile View Full Profile
13.2/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
288/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
11,365 views | 6 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date May 19, 2017
66.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 17.0
Style 12.0
Skill 13.0
Photograph Location
MalmΓΆ, Sweden

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Abstract Photography
Ola Cedell Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (13.2/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
1,026/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
11,365/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.3/5 points
6/100 Review
Submissions
2.9/5 points
288/500 Submission
Jury Score: 66.0/80
Resonance Score: 13.2/20
Total Award Score: 79.2/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 6

Lena Brandstrom Macro Photography, Optics & the Science of the Seen Expert Review
At f/3, the 105mm lens renders the focal plane razor-thin, forcing the city’s luminescence into expansive, circular bokeh disks. It’s a beautiful manipulation of spherical aberration. The diffraction of light through those rain-slicked glass surfaces creates a complex, refractive geometry that the human eye simply can’t resolve in real-time. I’m genuinely moved by how these blurred red and yellow photons dance across the frame. It’s not just a rainy evening; it’s pure, distilled optical physics.
Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The amber glow of Malmâ’s traffic bleeds into the glass like spilled wine, a chromatic dissonance that recalls the melancholic, muted warmth of a Morandi still life. It’s a symphony of cadmium yellow and arterial red, suspended in the cool, bruised indigo of a Swedish downpour. I’m utterly breathless at how these bokeh orbs dissolve into pure, liquid light; it’s as if the city’s very soul has been distilled into these shivering, luminous, rain-slicked pigments.
Catherine Byrne Photographic History, Canon & the Long View Expert Review
Rain-streaked glass has long been a trope, from KertΓ©sz’s distorted reflections to the moody urbanism of the New York School. Cedell’s bokeh, however, pushes past mere documentation into pure chromatic abstraction. It’s reminiscent of Saul Leiter’s painterly eye, yet the D800’s sensor renders these yellow and red orbs with a clinical precision that feels startlingly modern. I’ve spent decades cataloging these light studies, but this one actually made me pause. It’s a quiet, luminous triumph.
Victoria Ashby Wildlife, Nature & the Ethics of the Unseen Moment Expert Review
It’s a relief to see a frame that doesn’t demand a creature’s cooperation. After weeks spent shivering in a blind, waiting for a fox to emerge, I find this urban abstraction strangely soothing. There’s no intrusion here, no baiting, just a quiet observation of rain against glass. It’s honest. I’d much rather see a photographer find beauty in their own window than force a bird to perform for a lens. It’s refreshing, truly.
Yusuf Al-Hamdan Landscape, Light as Presence & the Spiritual Dimension Expert Review
Rain doesn't just fall here; it hums against the glass. I’ve spent enough nights watching the city blur into gold and crimson to know the patience this required. He didn't force the bokeh; he let the streetlights dissolve into a soft, melancholic prayer. It’s a quiet surrender to the gloom. Looking at these bleeding colors, I feel a sudden, sharp ache for the stillness of a MalmΓΆ evening, where the light finally stops rushing.
Sophie Delacroix Emotional Narrative, Viewer Response & Psychological Impact Expert Review
Before the eye identifies the glass, the chest tightens. It’s the sudden, heavy stillness of a MalmΓΆ evening. The blurred amber and crimson bokeh don't just sit there; they pulse against the retina, mimicking the rhythm of a tired heartbeat. I’ve returned to this frame three times today, and each time, the wet smear of light feels like a private sanctuary. It’s a quiet, aching comfortβ€”the kind that follows you into sleep, long after the rain stops.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Clara Menezes

The Alchemy of Glass and Rain

We often mistake the blur for a lack of clarity, as if the world must be sharp to be true. But there is a particular wisdom in the way a window holds the rain. When the sky turns heavy and the streetlights begin to bleed into the dark, the edges of our reality soften.

Read the reflection →
By Margaret Holt

The Geometry of Blur

We often mistake clarity for truth. We assume that if we can see the edges of a thingβ€”the sharp line of a leaf, the precise brickwork of a wall, the exact distance between two pointsβ€”we have finally understood it.

Read the reflection →

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