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Sur Profundo by Maureen Mayne-Nicholls

Captured from the deck of a boat navigating the remote waters of southern Chile, Sur Profundo evokes the raw, prehistoric beauty of the Carretera Austral. The photographer, deeply connected to this wild landscape after years of residency, sought to translate the profound tranquility of the region into a visual narrative. By balancing the vast, untamed horizon with the intimate experience of returning to these cherished lands, the image captures a sense of timelessness. Its award-worthy quality lies in the evocative composition and the photographer's ability to render the rugged, hidden essence of the Chilean wilderness with both technical precision and emotional depth.

Sur Profundo by Maureen Mayne-Nicholls
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM
Exposure 1/125sec @ f/4.0 | ISO 1600 | Focal Length 105mm
Copyright Β© Maureen Mayne-Nicholls
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Maureen Mayne-Nicholls

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Based in ViΓ±a del Mar, Chile, Maureen Mayne-Nicholls is a dedicated artist whose work traverses the diverse landscapes of Latin America, from the high plateaus to the southern reaches of her home country. Her photography is defined by a persistent exploration of human intimacy, viewing the connection between individuals and their inner selves as a central, representative theme. Through a multidisciplinary artistic approach, she consistently seeks to document the profound, quiet relationships that define the human experience, establishing a signature style rooted in emotional resonance and authentic observation.

Profile View Full Profile
12.3/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
231/500
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Award Reach | Reviews
7,366 views | 5 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date September 30, 2019
67.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 13.0
Composition 17.0
Style 12.0
Skill 13.0
Photograph Location
Region De Aysen, Chile

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Black & White Photography
Maureen Mayne-Nicholls Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (12.0/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
4.7/5 points
938/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
7,366/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
2.3/5 points
231/500 Submission
Jury Score: 67.0/80
Resonance Score: 12.0/20
Total Award Score: 79.0/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 5

Catherine Byrne Photographic History, Canon & the Long View Expert Review
Aysen’s glacial silence echoes the stark, high-contrast isolation found in early 20th-century expeditionary plates. Mayne-Nicholls avoids the romanticized sublime, opting instead for a gritty, tactile rendering that recalls the atmospheric density of Bill Brandt’s northern landscapes. It’s a rare, haunting stillness. I’ve spent decades staring at horizons, yet this particular gray-scale transitionβ€”that subtle, biting crispness at 105mmβ€”actually made me catch my breath. It’s not just a view; it’s a profound, lonely conversation with the earth itself.
Julian Rowe Experimental Photography, Motion & Alternative Visual Languages Expert Review
The jury’s obsession with clarity here feels misplaced. Why chase resolution in the AysΓ©n wilderness? I’m far more intrigued by what Mayne-Nicholls chose not to resolve. The motion blur from the boat isn’t a technical failure; it’s a rhythmic pulse. It’s closer to Sugimoto’s long-exposure theatres than standard landscape work. I’d trade that clinical sharpness for more of this intentional instability. It’s the only way to truly capture the raw, shifting soul of the southern fjords.
Amara Diallo Portrait, Human Story & Narrative Portraiture Expert Review
We look at the AysΓ©n waters and we don’t just see a landscape; we see a conversation between the traveler and the tide. Maureen Mayne-Nicholls didn’t just point her lens at the horizon; she listened to the silence of the fjords first. It’s a portrait of a place that’s forgotten how to be loud. I feel a sudden, sharp ache for that stillness. It’s a photograph that asks to be returned to, again and again.
Rafael Ortega Shutter Technique, Motion & the Cinematic Single Frame Expert Review
The horizon line cuts through the AysΓ©n mist like a slow, deliberate pan. It’s a quiet shot, the kind where the editor holds the frame just long enough for the silence to become heavy. I’ve spent hours staring at these grey, prehistoric waters, and it makes my chest ache with a sudden, sharp longing. The 105mm compression flattens the depth, turning the landscape into a film strip that refused to move. It’s perfect.
Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
Stripped of chromatic distraction, one finds the AysΓ©n wilderness rendered in the silver-grey of a Morandi still life, where the absence of pigment forces the eye to confront the tactile weight of light itself. It’s a haunting, monochromatic ache; I’ve felt my own breath hitch at the way the mist clings to those jagged peaks like charcoal dust on vellum. It doesn't need colour to bleed; the silence of these tonal gradients is enough to break one’s heart.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Daniel Ferreira

The Geography of Silence

We often mistake emptiness for absence. In the logic of the city, we are taught that space must be occupied to be significantβ€”that a place only gains value through the density of its inhabitants or the utility of its infrastructure.

Read the reflection →
By Priya Kapoor

The Salt of Silence

The air in the mountains has a specific weight, a cold, metallic tang that settles at the back of the throat like crushed ice.

Read the reflection →

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