Yacht at Epi Island by Stefanie Laroussinie

Captured off the coast of Epi Island, this photograph documents the vibrant intersection of local tradition and maritime exploration. As the islanders gathered for their annual traditional canoe race, a fleet of cruising yachts arrived to share in the festivities, creating a unique atmosphere of cultural exchange. The photographer masterfully frames the yacht against the backdrop of this tropical paradise, highlighting the harmony between the visitors and the native community. The image is award-worthy for its ability to encapsulate a fleeting, joyful moment of human connection and the serene beauty of the South Pacific, rendered with a keen eye for narrative composition.

Yacht at Epi Island by Stefanie LaroussinieYacht at Epi Island by Stefanie Laroussinie
Copyright Β© Stefanie Laroussinie
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Stefanie Laroussinie

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in France, Stefanie Laroussinieβ€”known to many as Jackyβ€”has nurtured a deep passion for photography since her childhood. After spending much of her life in Paris, she embraced a nomadic lifestyle four years ago, choosing to travel the world by boat to pursue her creative freedom. Now living as a dedicated traveler, she documents the diverse landscapes and cultures she encounters, finding inspiration in the simple, authentic moments of life on the water.

Profile View Full Profile
8.9/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
100/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
5,177 views | 3 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date July 19, 2021
65.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 17.0
Style 12.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
Epi Island

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Stefanie Laroussinie Photography
Travel 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
2.7/5 points
530/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
5,177/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
1.0/5 points
100/500 Submission
Jury Score: 65.0/80
Resonance Score: 8.7/20
Total Award Score: 73.7/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 3

Nadia Osei Cultural Representation, Authenticity & the Ethics of the Gaze Expert Review
The yacht looms, a white monolith dwarfing the outrigger canoes. It’s a jarring scale, isn’t it? The curator calls this harmony, but I see an intrusion. Why does the frame prioritize the leisure vessel over the local craft? It makes me physically uncomfortable to watch this power imbalance masquerading as a cultural exchange. Whose joy are we actually documenting here? The composition feels less like a shared moment and more like a colonial postcard in modern dress.
Catherine Byrne Photographic History, Canon & the Long View Expert Review
It’s a pleasant enough scene, yet it feels trapped in the colonial-era ethnographic gaze of early National Geographic. The yacht’s placement echoes the detached, observational distance of Frank Hurley’s Antarctic expeditions, but without his visceral tension. I’m genuinely tired of seeing indigenous culture framed merely as a backdrop for Western leisure. Where is the friction? I’d hoped for a more subversive dialogue, but it’s just another postcard. It’s technically sound, but historically, it’s already been said.
Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
It’s a pleasant enough postcard, though one wonders if the shutter was clicked from the comfort of a deck chair. The composition is tidy, yet it lacks the grit of a photographer who’s spent days waiting for the tide to turn or the wind to settle. I’ve spent enough time in the tropics to know that real connection requires getting wet. It’s a pretty scene, but I’m not convinced it was earned.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Margaret Holt

The Drift of Belonging

In the nineteenth century, explorers often spoke of the horizon as a boundary to be breached, a line that separated the known from the infinite. They were obsessed with the arrival, with the planting of flags and the mapping of coastlines.

Read the reflection →
By Sven Lindqvist

The Distance Between Shores

The horizon is a line we draw to keep the world manageable. We stand on the shore and look out, convinced that what lies beyond is a mirror of our own intentions. But the water does not care for our maps.

Read the reflection →

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