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Staircase by Leanne Lindsay

Captured within the cavernous halls of the MCA, this photograph focuses on Do Ho Suh’s ethereal staircase installation. Crafted from translucent nylon, the structure appears to defy gravity, twisting upward like a wisp of smoke. The photographer utilized a stark black-and-white palette to amplify the installation's otherworldly quality, drawing the viewer’s eye toward a silhouetted figure in the distance. This image is award-worthy for its profound ability to transform a physical sculpture into a metaphorical bridge between memory and identity, capturing a fleeting, dreamlike moment with technical precision and deep emotional resonance.

Staircase by Leanne LindsayStaircase by Leanne Lindsay
Nikon D850 with Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR
Exposure 1/40sec @ f/4.5 | ISO 1600 | Focal Length 36mm
Copyright Β© Leanne Lindsay
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Leanne Lindsay

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in Adelaide in 1962, Leanne Lindsay relocated to Sydney during her youth. Although her initial foray into photography was interrupted by the loss of her equipment, she rediscovered her creative passion in her late fifties. Now based in Sydney, Australia, she specializes in family and newborn portraiture while maintaining a dedicated interest in capturing the nuanced beauty of architectural forms and expansive landscapes.

Profile View Full Profile
8.4/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
64/500
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Award Reach | Reviews
6,007 views | 8 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date December 26, 2022
67.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 13.0
Composition 18.0
Style 12.0
Skill 12.0

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Leanne Lindsay Photography
Minimalistic Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (8.0/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
2.4/5 points
480/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
6,007/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
0.6/5 points
64/500 Submission
Jury Score: 67.0/80
Resonance Score: 8.0/20
Total Award Score: 75.0/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 8

Amara Diallo Portrait, Human Story & Narrative Portraiture Expert Review
We look at this staircase and we don’t see nylon; we see a ghost of a memory climbing toward the light. Leanne Lindsay listened to the silence of that hall before she clicked the shutter. That tiny, silhouetted figure isn’t just a detail; it’s a soul caught in transition. I find myself holding my breath, waiting for them to reach the top. It’s a haunting, beautiful conversation between the architecture of our past and our fleeting presence.
Deepa Krishnan Underwater Photography, Marine Environments & Subsurface Optics Expert Review
Looking at these translucent nylon stairs, I’m struck by how they mimic the suspended, weightless drift of a jellyfish in the midnight zone. There’s no backscatter to contend with here, no red-light absorption stealing the warmth, just a clean, monochromatic stillness. It’s a relief to see such clarity without fighting the refractive index of water. I’ve spent my life chasing light in the deep, but this ethereal, smoke-like structure feels like a beautiful, impossible dive.
Santiago Reyes Street Photography, The City & the Unrepeatable Instant Expert Review
That silhouette is everything. If Leanne had waited another heartbeat, the figure would’ve merged into the nylon, losing that vital tension against the stairs. It’s a ghost story in monochrome. I love the way the light catches the weave; it feels like walking through a dream I’ve had before. One tenth of a second later and the geometry collapses. She nailed it. It’s rare to see such stillness in a city space. Pure, sharp timing.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Most entries in this category rely on the architecture’s inherent geometry, but Lindsay captures the ghost of the space instead. By stripping away color, she forces us to confront the nylon’s fragility against the void. It’s the solitary figure that anchors the frame; without them, it’s just a clever trick of light. I’ve stared at this for twenty minutes, and it still makes me feel small. That’s why it’ll endure long after the trends fade.
Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
Do Ho Suh’s nylon ghost doesn’t merely ascend; it haunts the void. By stripping the MCA of its architectural certainty, the darkness forces us to confront the fragility of our own passage. I’ve stared at that distant silhouette until my eyes ached, feeling the crushing weight of a memory that refuses to solidify. It’s a terrifying, beautiful erasure. When light abandons the frame, we’re finally forced to see what we’ve been trying to forget.
Rafael Ortega Shutter Technique, Motion & the Cinematic Single Frame Expert Review
The frame breathes. It’s a slow, deliberate pan that stops dead on a ghost. That nylon staircase doesn't just hang; it drifts, suspended in a silence so heavy I can almost hear the gallery hum. The silhouette is the perfect anchor, the cut that never came. It’s haunting, really. I’ve spent hours staring at this, waiting for the figure to climb. Lindsay caught the exact second the architecture turned into a memory. It’s pure cinema.
Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
It’s easy to snap a staircase, but capturing that solitary figure requires the sort of patience most don’t possess. I’ve spent enough hours in drafty galleries waiting for the public to clear out to know the cost of this silence. The nylon’s translucency is handled with a restraint I find genuinely refreshing. One suspects she didn’t just walk by; she waited until the architecture finally stopped shouting. It’s a quiet, earned victory. Well played.
Sophie Delacroix Emotional Narrative, Viewer Response & Psychological Impact Expert Review
Before the eye identifies the nylon structure, something in the chest tightens. It’s a phantom weight, the sensation of climbing stairs that don’t exist. When I look at that distant silhouette, I feel a sudden, sharp lonelinessβ€”the kind that hits when you realize you’re the only one left in the room. A year later, I’m still haunted by that translucent drift. It’s not just a staircase; it’s the architecture of a fading memory.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Marta Vidal

The Weight of Ascending

I keep a small, rusted skeleton key in a velvet-lined box on my desk, though I have long since forgotten which door it once opened. It is heavy for its size, cold and stubborn, a relic of a threshold that no longer exists.

Read the reflection →
By Kenji Watanabe

The Weight of Ascent

We climb to forget the ground. Each step is a small surrender. We leave the weight of the day on the floor below, hoping the next level will offer a thinner air, a quieter mind.

Read the reflection →

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