Okroshka by Rasha Rashad

Captured during a journey to Russia for the World Cup, this photograph highlights the unique culinary traditions encountered by the photographer. The image focuses on Okroshka, a traditional cold soup composed of fresh salad vegetables and meat, elevated by a subtle hint of cider that imparts a distinct bittersweet profile. By framing this polarizing local specialty, the photographer transforms a simple meal into a vibrant cultural narrative. The award-worthy quality of the image lies in its ability to evoke the sensory experience of travel, balancing the crisp textures of the ingredients with a clean, inviting composition that celebrates global gastronomy.

Okroshka by Rasha Rashad
Copyright Β© Rasha Rashad
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Rasha Rashad

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Hailing from Alexandria, Egypt, Rasha Rashad is an avid explorer and wanderer with a deep appreciation for literature, cinema, and the sea. After transitioning from a corporate career to pursue photography full-time, she has dedicated her lens to the vibrant worlds of street and food photography. Her work is defined by a constant search for new cultures and human connections, reflecting her adventurous spirit and her commitment to documenting the diverse experiences she encounters while traveling the globe.

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11.7/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
232/500
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Award Reach | Reviews
10,593 views | 7 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date July 4, 2018
62.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 11.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 16.0
Style 12.0
Skill 11.0
Photograph Location
Sheikh Zayed City, Saint Petersburg, Russia

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Food Photography
Rasha Rashad Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (11.3/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
4.0/5 points
808/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
10,593/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
2.3/5 points
232/500 Submission
Jury Score: 62.0/80
Resonance Score: 11.3/20
Total Award Score: 73.3/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 7

Lena Brandstrom Macro Photography, Optics & the Science of the Seen Expert Review
The focal plane here is razor-thin, isolating the crisp cellular structure of the cucumber against the broth’s soft, creamy bokeh. I’m genuinely moved by how the lens resolves those tiny droplets of oil; they’re rendered with such clarity that I can almost taste the cider’s acidity. It’s a triumph of aperture control. The light doesn’t just hit the surface; it dances through the liquid, revealing a microscopic, vibrant world that our eyes usually miss.
Priya Sharma Negative Space, Minimalism & the Japanese Aesthetic Expert Review
The bowl sits. A quiet island of radish and cucumber in a sea of pale broth. It’s cold. I feel the chill on my own skin just looking at it. The frame doesn't crowd the spoon. It lets the ingredients breathe. Nothing here is accidental. The empty corner is not empty. It’s a pause. A breath. I’ve spent too long staring at this stillness. It’s enough. It’s perfect.
Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The pale, translucent greens of the cucumber slices against the milky, curd-like broth evoke the muted, dusty light of a Morandi still life, yet it’s the sharp, acidic yellow of the radish that truly sings. I’m utterly captivated by how the cool, clinical palette captures the Russian summer’s fleeting chill; it’s a sensory shiver, a delicate chromatic balance that doesn’t just document a meal, but tastes, quite vividly, of the very air itself.
Eleanor Voss Composition & Visual Structure Expert Review
The bowl’s geometry anchors the frame, yet the scattered radish slices disrupt the expected equilibrium. It’s a calculated chaos. The negative space surrounding the porcelain rim provides necessary relief, preventing the composition from collapsing under its own density. I’m genuinely irritated by the off-center spoon, which pulls the eye toward the edge too aggressively. It doesn't quite resolve. The spatial tension is palpable, but the frame’s architecture remains just shy of the required rigor.
Henrik Johansson Architecture, Built Space & the Conversation Between Structure and Light Expert Review
The bowl acts as a datum, grounding the composition amidst the chaotic geometry of the table. I’m struck by how the light rakes across the diced vegetables, turning simple ingredients into a tectonic landscape of solid and void. It’s a spatial experience, really. The frame omits the surrounding room, yet the crisp fenestration of the light suggests a cool, northern interior. It’s a quiet, structural honesty that makes me crave the soup’s bracing, cold clarity.
James Rokeby Camera Craft & Technical Execution Expert Review
f/2.8 at 50mm. A shallow plane of focus that isolates the radish slices while letting the broth’s texture dissolve into a soft, necessary blur. It’s a calculated choice. The shutter speed is fast enough to freeze the condensation on the glass. I’ve seen too many food shots ruined by excessive depth, but this works. It’s technically sound. Honestly, the crispness of those vegetables makes me genuinely hungry. A rare instance where the optics don't lie.
Rafael Ortega Shutter Technique, Motion & the Cinematic Single Frame Expert Review
The light hits that bowl like a sun-drenched morning in Saint Petersburg. It’s crisp, rhythmic, and perfectly paced. I’ve spent hours in editing suites, but I’d never cut away from this. The textures of the cucumber and radish hold the frame with such authority; it’s a still that breathes. Honestly, it makes me hungry for a place I’ve never been. It’s a clean, decisive shot. The editor keeps this one, every single time.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Dominic Aurelius

The Sustenance of Place

Seneca once reminded his friend Lucilius that the wise man does not seek to be fed by the exotic, but rather finds contentment in the simple sustenance that the earth provides in its own season.

Read the reflection →
By Isabelle Park

The Taste of Somewhere Else

I burned my tongue on a piece of toast this morning because I was too busy looking at a map of a city I have never visited. It was a silly, small accident, but it pulled me right out of my kitchen.

Read the reflection →

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