Take me to the Blue by Stefanie Laroussinie

Captured on the pristine shores of Epi Island, this photograph invites the viewer into a serene paradise defined by endless white sands and the mesmerizing clarity of the ocean. The photographer masterfully frames the vast, open sky against the deep, immersive blues of the water, creating a tranquil composition that emphasizes the untouched beauty of the landscape. This image is award-worthy for its ability to evoke a sense of profound peace and wanderlust, perfectly balancing the expansive scale of the horizon with the intimate, crystalline details of the shoreline.

Take me to the Blue by Stefanie LaroussinieTake me to the Blue by Stefanie Laroussinie
Copyright Β© Stefanie Laroussinie
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Stefanie Laroussinie

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in France, Stefanie Laroussinie, known to many as Jacky, has nurtured a deep passion for photography since her childhood in Paris. Seeking a life of freedom and discovery, she transitioned into a nomadic lifestyle four years ago, now traveling the globe by boat with her partner. This unique perspective as a world traveler informs her work, allowing her to document the planet's most breathtaking landscapes with an authentic and adventurous spirit.

Profile View Full Profile
10.7/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
170/500
SHARE
SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
5,867 views | 5 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date June 1, 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 (10.4/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
3.7/5 points
730/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
5,867/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
1.7/5 points
170/500 Submission
Jury Score: 65.0/80
Resonance Score: 10.4/20
Total Award Score: 75.4/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 5

Eleanor Voss Composition & Visual Structure Expert Review
The horizon line bisects the frame with clinical indifference. It’s a rigid, horizontal anchor that prevents the composition from dissolving into mere atmospheric drift. The spatial tension between the saturated azure of the shallows and the pale, bleached sand creates a necessary fulcrum. It doesn't rely on sentiment; it relies on geometry. I’ve grown weary of such landscapes, yet the sheer, brutal clarity of this division holds my attention. It’s a disciplined, structural success.
Santiago Reyes Street Photography, The City & the Unrepeatable Instant Expert Review
Epi Island is gorgeous, but where’s the pulse? I’m looking for the tension that Winogrand lived for, that split-second chaos that makes a frame breathe. This is a postcard, not a street moment. It’s too still. I crave the grit of Moriyama, the unpredictable human element. One tenth of a second later, a bird or a ripple could’ve saved it. It’s technically clean, sure, but it doesn’t make my heart race. It’s just waiting.
Nadia Osei Cultural Representation, Authenticity & the Ethics of the Gaze Expert Review
Epi Island’s pristine sands look lovely, but I’m left cold by this emptiness. Where are the people who call this shore home? By scrubbing away the human presence to sell a "serene paradise," we’re just consuming a colonial fantasy of the untouched. It’s a gorgeous frame, sure, but who does this erasure actually serve? I find myself wanting to tear through that blue horizon just to find a single, messy, real human life.
Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
It’s a pleasant enough view of Epi Island, though one wonders if the photographer simply stepped off the boat and clicked. The composition is tidy, but it lacks the grit of a long vigil. I’ve spent enough hours shivering on remote shores to know when a frame hasn't been suffered for. It’s pretty, certainly, but I’m left wanting the evidence of a return trip. It’s a snapshot of a holiday, not a conquest of light.
Sophie Delacroix Emotional Narrative, Viewer Response & Psychological Impact Expert Review
Before the eye identifies the horizon, something in the chest softens. It’s the blueβ€”a cold, rhythmic pulse that demands a slower breath. I’ve returned to this shore three times today, and each time, the silence of Epi Island settles into my own pulse. It doesn’t just show a beach; it pulls the heat from my skin. I feel a strange, quiet ache for a place I’ve never been. It’s an unsettling, beautiful surrender.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Yuki Sato

The Weight of the Horizon

There is a rhythm to the tide that mirrors the slow, steady rise and fall of a resting chest. We often look toward the horizon as a destination, a line to be reached or a boundary to be crossed.

Read the reflection →
By Amelia Cross

The Weight of the Tide

There is a specific blue that exists only in the memory of a house I no longer visit. It was the color of the chipped paint on the kitchen door, a shade that seemed to hold the light of a summer that never quite ended.

Read the reflection →

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