Mystic Hills by Ryan Perris

Driven by a profound sense of wanderlust, the photographer ventured into the mystic hills of Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. The landscape, defined by vast, lush tea gardens, was frequently transformed by shifting mists that appeared and vanished with ethereal speed. By utilizing a 165mm focal length, the photographer isolated the interplay between the verdant slopes and the fleeting, magical atmosphere. This image is award-worthy for its ability to capture the transient, mysterious spirit of the highlands, turning a simple natural vista into a compelling narrative of light, shadow, and the unpredictable beauty of the mountain climate.

Mystic Hills by Ryan Perris
Samsung SM-A710F | Exposure 1/320sec @ f/5.3 | ISO 200 | Focal Length 165mm
Copyright Β© Ryan Perris
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Ryan Perris

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Ryan Perris is an amateur photographer who balances his creative pursuits with a professional career in art and advertising. Driven by an insatiable wanderlust, he travels the globe to document the natural world, finding inspiration in the smallest, most intricate details. His work reflects a deep appreciation for the beauty of his surroundings, aiming to distill the magic of fleeting moments into evocative imagery that resonates with audiences worldwide.

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12.6/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
140/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
10,101 views | 27 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date October 2, 2019
62.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 11.0
Clarity 11.0
Composition 17.0
Style 12.0
Skill 11.0
Photograph Location
Nuwera Eliya, Sri Lanka

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Nature Photography
Ryan Perris Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (12.6/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
4.8/5 points
966/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
10,101/2,500 Page View
Reviews
1.4/5 points
27/100 Review
Submissions
1.4/5 points
140/500 Submission
Jury Score: 62.0/80
Resonance Score: 12.6/20
Total Award Score: 74.6/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 8

Priya Sharma Negative Space, Minimalism & the Japanese Aesthetic Expert Review
Mist clings to the tea slopes. It’s a soft, grey shroud. I’ve spent minutes staring at the white void where the hill ends. It doesn’t feel like a loss of detail. It’s a breath. The 165mm lens pulls the silence close. I feel a sudden, sharp ache for that quiet. Nothing here is accidental. The empty corner is not empty. It’s the weight of the mountain, held in suspension. A rare, still grace.
Victoria Ashby Wildlife, Nature & the Ethics of the Unseen Moment Expert Review
Nuwara Eliya’s mist is notoriously fickle; I’ve spent enough mornings shivering in those tea gardens to know how quickly the light shifts. Perris captures that ethereal, damp silence perfectly. It’s a relief to see a landscape that doesn’t rely on forced wildlife encounters or baiting. He’s simply let the mountain breathe. I find myself wanting to pull my jacket tighter just looking at it. It’s an honest, quiet record of a place that doesn’t need our interference.
Nadia Osei Cultural Representation, Authenticity & the Ethics of the Gaze Expert Review
Nuwara Eliya’s tea gardens aren’t just scenery; they’re colonial scars carved into the earth. By compressing these slopes with a 165mm lens, Perris turns a site of historical labor into a soft, ethereal abstraction. Why does the mist feel like a convenient veil for the reality of the plantation? It’s pretty, sure, but I find the aestheticization of this landscape deeply unsettling. Whose history are we erasing when we prioritize the mood over the soil?
Marcus Trent Human Truth, Documentary & The Decisive Moment Expert Review
You waited for that mist to swallow the slopes, didn't you? There’s a quiet patience in how you compressed those tea gardens with that 165mm lens. It’s not just a landscape; it’s the feeling of being small in a place that doesn't care if you're there. I’ve stood in mountains like that, shivering while waiting for the light to break. You caught the breath of the hills. It’s honest, and that’s enough for me.
Lena Brandstrom Macro Photography, Optics & the Science of the Seen Expert Review
At 165mm, the compression of the Nuwara Eliya slopes is fascinating. The lens struggles slightly with micro-contrast, yet the diffraction of light through that shifting mist creates a soft, ethereal bokeh as a function of the f/5.3 aperture. It’s not perfectly sharp, but the way the light scatters across the tea leaves feels almost tactile. I’ve spent hours staring at these gradients; honestly, the atmospheric depth here makes my own heart ache for those hills.
Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
Mist clings to these Nuwara Eliya slopes like a shroud, refusing to reveal the earth beneath. It’s a haunting resistance. While most seek clarity, Perris allows the fog to swallow the tea gardens, forcing us to confront the void. I’ve stared at these grey, suffocating pockets of shadow for an hour, and I’m unsettled by how much they hide. It doesn’t invite us in; it demands we acknowledge the silence that light simply cannot reach.
Kofi Asante Intimate Portraiture, Reportage & Lives Told Truthfully Expert Review
Nuwara Eliya’s mist is beautiful, but it’s a lonely sort of beauty. I’ve spent my life looking for the pulse of a place in the eyes of the people who live there, and here, there’s nobody to meet. It’s technically sound, sure, but it’s a landscape without a heartbeat. I find myself aching for a single human hand or a tired face to anchor these hills. Without a soul, it’s just scenery, not a story.
Santiago Reyes Street Photography, The City & the Unrepeatable Instant Expert Review
Nuwara Eliya isn't a street, but the mist moves like a crowd. Perris caught it right. That 165mm compression flattens the tea slopes, turning vapor into a solid wall. It’s a gamble. One tenth of a second later and the light shifts, the mystery evaporates, and the frame collapses into nothing. I’ve spent years chasing ghosts in the city, but this? It’s quiet, sharp, and honestly, it makes me want to pack my bags tonight.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Owen Callister

The Breath of the Highlands

In the high-altitude cloud forests, epiphytesβ€”plants that grow upon other plantsβ€”rely entirely on the mist for their hydration, pulling moisture directly from the passing air rather than the soil.

Read the reflection →
By Isabelle Park

Where the World Softens

I woke up early this morning to a house filled with a thick, gray fog. It pressed against the windowpanes, turning the familiar oak tree in the yard into a ghostly silhouette. I didn't reach for my phone or start my usual list of chores.

Read the reflection →

Reviews & Comments

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27 replies
  15. Manjeno says:

    Amazing. Been following Ryan’s photographs from some time now. His improvements shows in every picture.. :)

    Reply

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