Deathly Sun in Death Valley by Kristel Sturrus

Captured amidst the stark, otherworldly beauty of Namibia’s Sossusvlei, this photograph immortalizes the iconic, skeletal trees of Deadvlei against the rising desert dunes. The photographer skillfully utilized an 18mm wide-angle lens to emphasize the vast, arid landscape, balancing the harsh sunlight with a precise 1/800s shutter speed to maintain clarity across the textured terrain. This image is award-worthy for its evocative composition, which transforms a desolate, sun-scorched environment into a hauntingly beautiful narrative of time and isolation, perfectly capturing the silent, ancient majesty of the Namib Desert.

Deathly Sun in Death Valley by Kristel SturrusDeathly Sun in Death Valley by Kristel Sturrus
Canon EOS 2000D | Exposure 1/800sec @ f/5.6 | ISO 100 | Focal Length 18mm
Copyright Β© Kristel Sturrus
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Kristel Sturrus

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Kristel Sturrus is a dedicated photographer currently based in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. Her photographic journey began during her time in Malawi, where she first discovered her passion for documenting the world, eventually refining her craft after relocating to the Caribbean. Driven by a desire to transition from a dedicated hobbyist to a professional career, Sturrus focuses on capturing the raw beauty of her travels and the unique environments she encounters across the globe.

Profile View Full Profile
7.8/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
40/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
4,330 views | 3 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date October 25, 2022
68.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 13.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 18.0
Style 13.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
Sossusvlei, Namibia

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Conceptual Photography
Kristel Sturrus Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (7.6/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
2.2/5 points
444/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
4,330/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
0.4/5 points
40/500 Submission
Jury Score: 68.0/80
Resonance Score: 7.6/20
Total Award Score: 75.6/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 3

Amara Diallo Portrait, Human Story & Narrative Portraiture Expert Review
These skeletal trees in Sossusvlei aren't just wood; they’re ancestors frozen in a long, sun-drenched conversation with the dunes. We look at their twisted limbs and we hear the silence of a thousand years. Kristel Sturrus didn't just point a lens; she listened to the desert’s dry, ancient breath. I find myself shivering despite the heat. It’s a haunting portrait of endurance, reminding us that even in death, the story remains, waiting for someone to listen.
Victoria Ashby Wildlife, Nature & the Ethics of the Unseen Moment Expert Review
Sossusvlei’s skeletal trees don’t need us to animate them, yet I find myself unsettled by the lack of life here. It’s a technically sharp capture, but it feels hollow. Where is the desert’s pulse? I’ve spent weeks in such heat waiting for a single beetle to cross the sand. This feels extracted, a tourist’s trophy rather than a connection. It’s pretty, sure, but it doesn't breathe. I’m left feeling cold in the sun.
Catherine Byrne Photographic History, Canon & the Long View Expert Review
Sossusvlei’s skeletal acacias have been documented to death since the medium’s infancy, yet Sturrus finds a sharp, rhythmic tension here that recalls the stark geometry of Bill Brandt’s nudes. It’s a familiar desert trope, but the 18mm distortion pushes the dunes into a claustrophobic, almost painterly abstraction I haven’t seen quite this way before. It’s haunting. I’m genuinely struck by how she’s turned such a tired subject into a fresh, visceral confrontation with geological time.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Daniel Ferreira

The Architecture of Silence

We often mistake emptiness for an absence of history. We look at a landscape stripped of the noise of human industry and assume it is a blank slate, a void waiting for a purpose.

Read the reflection →
By Sven Lindqvist

The Bone of the Earth

There is a point where the heat becomes a kind of silence. It is not the silence of a room or a forest, but a weight that presses against the skin, demanding that you stop.

Read the reflection →

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