Its Resting Time by Sarin Soman
Captured during a weekend excursion to the serene mangroves of Khor Kalba, UAE, this photograph highlights the tranquil beauty of one of the region's most iconic natural landscapes. The photographer utilized a long exposure of 13 seconds to soften the water and emphasize the stillness of the environment, creating a meditative atmosphere. By focusing on the interplay between the dense mangrove trees and the avian life they shelter, the image captures a moment of quiet reflection. Its award-worthy quality lies in the masterful balance of technical precision and the evocative, peaceful mood of the eastern UAE coastline.
Sarin Soman
Originally from India, Sarin Soman is a software engineer currently based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He began his photographic journey in 2005, evolving from a casual hobbyist into a dedicated practitioner who meticulously studies composition and technical execution. Driven by a deep passion for the craft, he continuously refines his artistic vision with the ultimate goal of transitioning into a full-time professional photographer.
Resonance Score Breakdown
Transparency Note: The resonance score (11.9/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.
Expert Photography Reviews · 3
The Architecture of Stillness
In the archives of the natural world, silence is rarely an absence. It is, instead, a heavy, velvet presence—a weight that settles over the landscape when the wind decides to hold its breath.
Read the reflection →The Breath of the Tide
There is a specific kind of silence that only lives where the land meets the salt. It is not an absence of sound, but a gathering of it—the way the roots of trees drink the dark, brackish water, holding the earth together while the tide pulls at the hem of the world.
Read the reflection →Reviews & Comments
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very nice, beautiful colors soothing
i like it
The long exposure flattens the water into a sterile plane, yet the mangroves refuse to settle. Their verticality creates a necessary friction against the horizontal blur. It’s a rigid architecture that holds the frame together. I’m genuinely irritated by the avian distraction; it disrupts the structural integrity of the canopy. Without those birds, the composition would achieve a cold, perfect silence. It’s nearly a triumph of geometry, provided one ignores the unnecessary narrative clutter.
Thirteen seconds of exposure turns the Khor Kalba tide into a shroud, yet the mangroves refuse to dissolve. They cling to the frame, jagged silhouettes against a dying light. It’s a haunting stillness; I’ve felt this exact, heavy silence in Tarkovsky’s frames. The darkness here doesn’t hide the trees—it defines their struggle to exist. It’s not peaceful, as the curators claim. It’s an act of resistance against the encroaching void. I find it deeply unsettling.
The mangroves of Khor Kalba bleed into a bruised, melancholic violet, reminiscent of a Morandi still life where the air itself has thickened into a viscous, humid silence. It’s the grey-green of moss-choked tidal silt that truly haunts me; I’ve felt my pulse slow against that muted, brackish palette. One finds a strange, aching solace in these long-exposure shadows, where the light doesn’t merely fall, it dissolves into the water’s glass-like, obsidian stillness.
Beautiful Colours almost unearthly!!! Keep up the good work http://www.lightandcomposition.com !!!
Its resting time
Tranquil pink sunsets
Motionless aqua body
Faraway from society
Taking diminutive steps
Return toward creation
Time it’s inactive