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Kids in Cuzco by Yasuteru Kasano

Captured from the window of a moving train in Cuzco, Peru, this photograph offers a poignant glimpse into the lives of local children. Despite the challenging economic conditions of the region, the photographer was struck by the infectious energy and joy radiating from the youth. By framing this fleeting moment, the image serves as a universal testament to the spirit of childhood, which remains vibrant and consistent across all cultures. The work is award-worthy for its ability to transform a brief, candid encounter into a lasting narrative of human resilience and shared happiness.

Kids in Cuzco by Yasuteru Kasano
Leica M7 with Summicron 35mm
35mm
Copyright Β© Yasuteru Kasano
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Yasuteru Kasano

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Based in Wakayama, Japan, Yasuteru Kasano approaches photography as a means of connecting fragmented moments into a cohesive journey through memory. He views the camera as a tool to document the reality of a scene while simultaneously weaving personal reflection into the frame. His work seeks to capture the essence of a specific time and place, inviting viewers to experience the world through his contemplative and observant lens.

Profile View Full Profile
14.7/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
435/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
19,644 views | 6 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date February 21, 2011
64.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 15.0
Style 13.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
Cuzco, Peru

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Street Photography
Yasuteru Kasano Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (14.4/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
1,770/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
19,644/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
4.4/5 points
435/500 Submission
Jury Score: 64.0/80
Resonance Score: 14.4/20
Total Award Score: 78.4/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 6

Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
Speed blurs the Andean landscape, yet these children remain anchored in a stark, unforgiving chiaroscuro. It’s not the joy that arrests me, but the way the shadows swallow their edges, forcing them into a fragile, fleeting existence. I’ve stared at these faces until my eyes ache; they don’t invite us in, they resist our gaze. Like a frame from a Tarkovsky film, the darkness here isn't empty. It’s where the truth of their isolation finally breathes.
Yusuf Al-Hamdan Landscape, Light as Presence & the Spiritual Dimension Expert Review
The train rattled, yet Kasano waited for the light to catch their faces. It’s a fleeting, golden vibration against the Andean dust. I’ve spent hours watching shadows crawl across stone, but here, the light doesn't just illuminate; it breathes through those children. It’s a quiet, sudden grace. My heart aches a little, seeing such pure joy framed by the blur of a passing life. He didn't just capture them; he listened to their laughter.
Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
Captured from a moving train, one suspects the shutter was tripped more by luck than by design. It’s a pleasant enough snapshot, but it lacks the grit of a scene truly earned. I’ve spent weeks shivering in the Andes waiting for the light to settle; this feels like a tourist’s afterthought. It’s charming, certainly, but I’m left wondering if the photographer ever bothered to step off the carriage and actually meet the children.
Eleanor Voss Composition & Visual Structure Expert Review
The frame’s geometry is compromised by the train’s velocity. Motion blur destabilizes the foreground, yet the children’s placement creates a necessary fulcrum. It’s a precarious balance. The negative space doesn't quite hold the weight of the subjects, causing the composition to drift toward the edges. I’ve grown weary of such sentimental framing, but the alignment of the window frame against the Andean landscape provides a rigid, structural anchor that saves the work from total collapse.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Most street photography from moving trains is blurry, forgettable trash. What separates this from the field is the precise alignment of the children’s gaze against the blurred Andean backdrop. It’s a fleeting, kinetic tension that almost didn't make the cut due to the motion blur. Honestly, it makes me ache for my own childhood. In thirty years, we won't care about the Leica settings; we’ll just remember that specific, defiant joy staring back at us.
Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The ochre dust of the Andean plateau bleeds into the children’s garments, creating a chromatic resonance reminiscent of a Morandi still life, where the muted, sun-baked earth tones don’t merely sit upon the frame but vibrate with a dusty, golden heat. It’s a palette that aches with the raw, unfiltered intensity of high-altitude light; I’ve found myself breathless, truly, by how the ochre softens the poverty into a shimmering, transient, and utterly golden joy.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Sven Lindqvist

The Speed of Passing

We spend our lives behind glass. We watch the world move, a blur of color and shape, while we remain stationary, encased in the machinery of our own transit. There is a specific ache in seeing something beautiful that you cannot touch.

Read the reflection →
By Priya Kapoor

The Dust of Laughter

The taste of dry earth always brings me back to the schoolyard, that metallic tang of grit settling on the tongue after a long afternoon of running. It is the smell of sun-baked stone and the rough, woolly friction of a sweater against a scraped knee.

Read the reflection →

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