The Three Hunters by Lise Leino
Captured during the Autumn migration in August 2023, this evocative image features the Kazakh eagle hunter Arman and his companions as they traverse the Sagsai River in Ulgii, Mongolia. The photographer sought to document the profound, ancestral connection between these hunters and the natural landscape. By focusing on the movement across the water, the image captures a fleeting, authentic moment of a traditional way of life. It is an award-worthy photograph because it masterfully balances the raw, rugged environment with the quiet dignity of the subjects, offering a compelling narrative of cultural heritage and human resilience.
Exposure 1/1250sec @ f/4 | ISO 320 | Focal Length 24mm
Lise Leino
Born in Finland and having spent most of their life in the UK, Lise Leino brings a global perspective to their craft, deeply influenced by the multicultural atmosphere of London. Their professional foundation was built on film and television sets, where they worked as a camera assistant before transitioning into still photography. A graduate of the New York Institute of Photography and a student of MoMA’s visual arts curriculum, Leino specializes in capturing the essence of the human experience through a refined and storytelling-driven lens.
Resonance Score Breakdown
Transparency Note: The resonance score (1.1/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.
Expert Photography Reviews · 4
The Weight of the Horizon
There is a particular stillness that arrives just before the first frost, when the air loses its humidity and becomes thin, sharp, and honest. In the north, we learn to read this clarity as a warning.
Read the reflection →The Weight of the Path
I am generally suspicious of the romanticized wanderer. We have a habit of projecting nobility onto anyone who moves through a landscape with a bit of grit, as if the mere act of traversing difficult terrain confers some ancient wisdom upon the traveler.
Read the reflection →Reviews & Comments
Share your thoughts about this award-winning photograph. Your reviews contribute to the community engagement score.
1/1250sec at f/4, 24mm. A fast shutter freezes the water’s spray, but f/4 at 24mm leaves the background soft. It’s a calculated trade-off. You’ve prioritized the hunters’ movement over the landscape’s scale. I’m usually annoyed by shallow depth in wide shots, but here, it isolates the subjects effectively. It’s technically sound. You’ve resisted the urge to over-sharpen the river, which I appreciate. The exposure is precise. You’ve made the right call. It works.
Of the thousands of migration shots I’ve reviewed, most drown in sentimentality. What separates this from the pack is the water’s texture; by shooting at 1/1250, Leino freezes the river into jagged glass, grounding the hunters in a harsh, unforgiving reality. It’s not just a portrait of tradition; it’s a document of survival. I felt a genuine chill looking at those horses bracing against the current. Thirty years from now, that visceral tension will still hold weight.
We watch Arman and his companions cross the Sagsai, and we feel the weight of their silence. They aren’t just moving through water; they’re carrying centuries of wind and eagle-song on their shoulders. I’ve spent my life listening for the stories behind the eyes, and here, the stillness is deafening. It’s a haunting, rhythmic passage that makes my own heart slow down. We look at them and we finally understand what it means to belong.
Getting to Ulgii isn’t a holiday, and standing in that freezing Sagsai current requires a particular kind of stubbornness. One suspects Leino didn’t just stumble upon these hunters; she likely spent days shivering in the dust waiting for the light to align with their movement. It’s a rare, honest frame. I’ve spent enough time in similar winds to know the ache in her fingers. She earned this one. It’s a quiet, cold, and entirely respectable effort.