Preparing for the New Year by Anastasia Markus

Captured during a quiet New Year’s Eve gathering in Ukraine, this photograph documents a tender, intimate moment between a mother and daughter as they adorn their home with festive garlands. By relying exclusively on the soft, ambient glow of the holiday lights, the photographer creates a warm and evocative atmosphere that emphasizes the magic of the season. The image is award-worthy for its authentic emotional resonance and the skillful use of low-light conditions to transform a simple domestic scene into a timeless portrait of familial connection and holiday joy.

Preparing for the New Year by Anastasia Markus
Copyright Β© Anastasia Markus
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Anastasia Markus

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in Donetsk, Ukraine, Anastasia Markus transitioned from a background in business to a dedicated career in photography, specializing in children’s, family, and wedding portraiture. After a decade-long hiatus from the craft, she has returned to the medium with a renewed passion for artistic growth and competitive excellence. Now based in Beer Sheva, Israel, she views the challenges of photography competitions as a vital catalyst for creative evolution and the discovery of new perspectives.

Profile View Full Profile
9.3/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
96/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
5,093 views | 3 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date August 24, 2022
66.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 18.0
Style 12.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
Kiyv, Ukraine

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Anastasia Markus Photography
Portrait Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (9.1/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
3.1/5 points
620/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
5,093/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
1.0/5 points
96/500 Submission
Jury Score: 66.0/80
Resonance Score: 9.1/20
Total Award Score: 75.1/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 3

Catherine Byrne Photographic History, Canon & the Long View Expert Review
The chiaroscuro here evokes Julia Margaret Cameron’s soft-focus spiritualism, yet it’s anchored in the domestic urgency of a war-torn Kyiv. While the low-light rendering recalls Brassai’s nocturnal Paris, Markus finds a fragile, modern intimacy I haven't encountered in years. It’s a quiet ache, watching them decorate amidst such uncertainty. I’m genuinely moved by how the bokeh mimics the grain of early autochrome plates. It’s a haunting, necessary dialogue between historical technique and our fractured present.
Eleanor Voss Composition & Visual Structure Expert Review
The geometry of the garland creates a necessary fulcrum, anchoring the subjects against the encroaching shadows. It’s a disciplined use of negative space that prevents the domestic scene from dissolving into sentimentality. The vertical alignment of the figures provides the structural integrity the frame requires. I’m genuinely struck by how the light doesn't bleed, but instead defines the edges of the composition. It’s a rare instance where the architecture of the moment holds perfectly.
Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The amber glow, reminiscent of a candlelit Vermeer interior, clings to the skin like honeyed light, casting shadows in the bruised violet of a winter twilight. It’s a chromatic embrace that softens the harshness of a war-torn Kyiv, turning domesticity into a sanctuary. I’m genuinely moved by how the gold of the garlands bleeds into the darkness; it’s a fragile, luminous defiance against the encroaching cold that makes one’s heart ache with quiet, desperate hope.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Cormac Shields

The Weight of Small Rituals

I am generally suspicious of domestic scenes. They are too often staged to evoke a warmth that feels manufactured, a shorthand for happiness that ignores the friction of actual living.

Read the reflection →
By Priya Kapoor

The Weight of Woven Light

The smell of pine needles always brings the winter back to my skin, a sharp, resinous prickle that feels like cold air rushing into a warm room. I remember the rough, dry texture of tinsel against my fingertips, the way it caught on the skin like a secret promise of celebration.

Read the reflection →

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