Spring by Azam Rasouli

Captured during a spring afternoon in a Tehran city park, this image highlights the beauty of the overlooked. Using a macro lens attached to a mobile phone, the photographer focused on a delicate white flower emerging through the grass. The creative decision to employ macro techniques allowed for a shallow depth of field, resulting in a soft, ethereal bokeh that isolates the plant from its surroundings. This photograph is award-worthy for its ability to transform a simple, fleeting moment in nature into a compelling study of texture, light, and botanical elegance.

Spring by Azam Rasouli
Copyright Β© Azam Rasouli
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Azam Rasouli

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in Tehran, Iran, in 1976, Azam Rasouli balances a professional background in social work with a dedicated passion for the visual arts. Since beginning her photographic journey in 2019, she has developed a versatile portfolio that spans still life, nature, and portraiture. Currently working with a Nikon D7200, she continues to refine her technical approach to capture the subtle nuances of the world around her, drawing inspiration from the intersection of her daily life and the natural environment.

Profile View Full Profile
9.1/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
40/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
5,277 views | 7 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date February 5, 2021
66.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 18.0
Style 12.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
Tehran, Iran

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Azam Rasouli Photography
Close-Up Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (8.7/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
3.3/5 points
655/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
5,277/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
0.4/5 points
40/500 Submission
Jury Score: 66.0/80
Resonance Score: 8.7/20
Total Award Score: 74.7/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 7

Santiago Reyes Street Photography, The City & the Unrepeatable Instant Expert Review
Macro on a phone? That’s gutsy. Most people miss the tiny pulse of the city, but you caught the flower’s breath. It’s delicate, sure, but is it the decisive moment? Cartier-Bresson would’ve waited for a bee or a gust of wind to break the stillness. I love the soft bokeh, but I’m craving more tension. One tenth of a second later and the light shifts. You’ve got the eye, now find the chaos.
James Rokeby Camera Craft & Technical Execution Expert Review
Mobile macro attachment at f/2.4. It’s a narrow margin for error. The focal plane barely catches the stamen, leaving the petals to dissolve into digital noise. I’ve spent years staring at sensor artifacts, and frankly, the chromatic aberration here is grating. It’s a messy compromise between optics and convenience. Still, the isolation works. I’m annoyed by the technical limitations, but I can’t deny the focus is sharp exactly where it needs to be. It’s competent work.
Yusuf Al-Hamdan Landscape, Light as Presence & the Spiritual Dimension Expert Review
There’s a profound stillness in how this white petal catches the afternoon sun. It’s not just a flower; it’s a quiet conversation between the earth and the light. I’ve spent hours waiting for such clarity, and I feel a sudden, sharp ache of recognition looking at this. She didn’t rush. She knelt in the grass, listening to the light until the world blurred into that soft, ethereal green. It’s a beautiful, humble act of attention.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Most macro shots of flowers are forgettable, but this one sticks. It’s the way the white petals bleed into that emerald blur; it feels like a secret I’ve stumbled upon in a city park. I’ve seen thousands of botanical close-ups, yet this one captures a fragile, fleeting resilience that makes me want to protect it. It’s not just a technical exercise; it’s a quiet, enduring reminder that beauty survives even in the most crowded urban spaces.
Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
It’s a fragile rebellion, this white bloom clawing through the suffocating green. Most see only botanical grace, but I feel a cold ache in the way the bokeh swallows the world behind it. It’s not just soft; it’s an erasure. By pushing the background into a formless void, Rasouli forces us to confront the isolation of existence. It doesn’t invite us in. It demands we acknowledge the darkness that defines every living thing.
Kofi Asante Intimate Portraiture, Reportage & Lives Told Truthfully Expert Review
Technically, it’s a sharp macro study, but I find myself searching for a pulse. Where’s the life? I’ve spent my career looking for the human exchange, that moment when a subject lets you in. Here, there’s no one to meet. It’s just a flower in a park. It’s pretty, sure, but it doesn’t look back at me. I’m left cold. I need a face, a story, or at least a reason to care.
Sophie Delacroix Emotional Narrative, Viewer Response & Psychological Impact Expert Review
Before the eye identifies the petal, a sudden stillness settles in the chest. It’s the quiet of a held breath, waiting for the blur of the Tehran park to resolve. That soft, ethereal bokeh doesn't just isolate the flower; it forces my own pulse to slow. I’ve returned to this white bloom three times today, and each time, I feel a strange, sharp ache for a spring I haven't lived. It’s hauntingly fragile.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Beatriz Andrade

The Quiet Rebellion of Green

There is a patch of earth near the old tram stop on Valiasr Street where the concrete has finally surrendered. It did not happen all at once; it was a slow, stubborn negotiation between the weight of the city and the persistence of something small.

Read the reflection →
By Owen Callister

The Persistence of Green

When a seed germinates, it does not negotiate with the soil or wait for an invitation from the sun; it simply exerts a quiet, relentless pressure until the earth yields.

Read the reflection →

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