Foggy Tree by Rob van der Waal

Captured during a hike to the summit of Pico Ruivo in Madeira, this photograph highlights the haunting beauty of the island's high-altitude landscape. The photographer encountered dense, swirling fog that transformed the charred remains of trees into a stark, atmospheric study of nature’s resilience. By focusing on the interplay between the skeletal forms and the muted, ethereal light, the image captures a somber yet captivating moment. This work is award-worthy for its masterful use of negative space and texture, effectively conveying the raw, sinister elegance of a post-fire environment through a minimalist and evocative lens.

Foggy Tree by Rob van der Waal
Nikon D800 | Exposure 1/1000sec @ f/8 | ISO 100 | Focal Length 62mm
Copyright Β© Rob van der Waal
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Rob van der Waal

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in 1957 in Rotterdam, Rob van der Waal was introduced to the craft by his father, a dedicated photographer who maintained a home darkroom. An autodidact who refined his skills through practice and observation, van der Waal is known for a pure and honest approach to his subjects. He finds his greatest inspiration in the natural world, particularly maritime environments and the harbor life near his home in Hellevoetsluis. His work is defined by a persistent desire to capture the shifting qualities of light and the stories hidden within fleeting moments.

Profile View Full Profile
12.5/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
264/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
11,119 views | 5 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date February 1, 2018
68.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 13.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 18.0
Style 12.0
Skill 13.0
Photograph Location
Madeira, Portuguese Island

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Black & White Photography
Rob van der Waal Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (12.3/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
4.6/5 points
912/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
11,119/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.1/5 points
1/100 Review
Submissions
2.6/5 points
264/500 Submission
Jury Score: 68.0/80
Resonance Score: 12.3/20
Total Award Score: 80.3/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 4

Amara Diallo Portrait, Human Story & Narrative Portraiture Expert Review
We look at these charred, skeletal limbs reaching through the Madeira fog and we don’t see a landscape; we see a survivor. Rob van der Waal listened to the silence of the mountain before he clicked the shutter. It’s a portrait of endurance, stripped of vanity. I feel a quiet ache in my chest looking at those twisted, blackened fingers. It’s a photograph that asks to be returned to, because it’s really about us.
Victoria Ashby Wildlife, Nature & the Ethics of the Unseen Moment Expert Review
There’s a haunting stillness here that I genuinely admire. In the high-altitude silence of Pico Ruivo, it’s easy to trample the fragile recovery of a post-fire landscape for a better angle. Van der Waal didn’t. He let the fog dictate the composition, respecting the skeletal remains rather than forcing a narrative. It’s a rare, restrained study of resilience. I’ve spent enough time in these woods to know that patience like this is earned, not taken.
Julian Rowe Experimental Photography, Motion & Alternative Visual Languages Expert Review
It’s refreshing to see a D800 used for something other than clinical sharpness. Van der Waal lets the fog dissolve the charred bark into a ghostly, charcoal wash. It’s closer to Sugimoto’s long-exposure theatres than conventional landscape practice. I’m genuinely moved by the way the branches bleed into the white void. Why resolve the background when the mystery is far more compelling? He’s chosen to embrace the blur, and it’s a brilliant, haunting subversion.
Kofi Asante Intimate Portraiture, Reportage & Lives Told Truthfully Expert Review
There’s a haunting loneliness in these charred branches, but I find myself searching for a pulse that isn’t there. It’s a beautiful study of texture, sure, but it’s cold. I’ve spent my life looking for the flicker of humanity in a frame, and here, the fog just swallows everything whole. It’s technically sharp, but it doesn’t breathe. I miss the weight of a person’s gaze. It’s a landscape that’s forgotten how to tell a story.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Astrid Halvorsen

The Weight of White

There is a specific density to the fog that rolls off the North Sea in late October, a heavy, damp white that erases the horizon and turns the world into a room with no corners. It is a quiet, suffocating kind of clarity.

Read the reflection →
By Daniel Ferreira

The Architecture of Resilience

We often mistake the city for its buildings, forgetting that the true urban fabric is woven from the scars of what came before. Just as a neighborhood carries the memory of a fire or a demolition, landscapes hold the history of their own survival.

Read the reflection →

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