The Beauty of Faytroun by Zahraa Al Hassani
Captured in the serene landscapes of Faytroun, this photograph serves as a testament to the breathtaking natural beauty of Lebanon. The photographer utilized a wide-angle perspective to encapsulate the vastness of the terrain, carefully balancing the exposure to highlight the intricate textures of the environment. This image is award-worthy for its masterful composition and its ability to evoke a profound sense of place, inviting viewers to appreciate the quiet majesty of the region. Through a keen eye for detail and light, the photographer transforms a simple landscape into a compelling visual narrative that celebrates the unique character of the Middle Eastern countryside.
Exposure 1/500sec @ f/5 | ISO 100 | Focal Length 25mm
Zara Otaifah
Based in Baghdad, Iraq, Zahraa Hashim Salih Al Hasani balances a successful career as a senior graphic designer at Zain Telecommunications with her deep passion for photography. A graduate of the University of Technology in Baghdad, she integrates her professional design expertise into her photographic practice, resulting in a refined and elegant aesthetic. Her journey from early experimentation with Sony equipment to her current work with Nikon reflects a dedicated pursuit of technical mastery and artistic growth, driven by a desire to learn from the global community of purist photographers.
Resonance Score Breakdown
Transparency Note: The resonance score (14.3/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.
Expert Photography Reviews · 6
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Read the reflection →Reviews & Comments
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Faytroun’s light here is thin, suggesting a photographer who didn’t linger long enough for the shadows to deepen. At 25mm, one expects a more deliberate engagement with the foreground, yet it feels a bit hurried. I’ve spent enough mornings shivering in the mountains to know when a shot was snatched rather than earned. It’s a pleasant enough view, but I’m left wondering if she ever returned when the wind actually had some teeth.
1/500sec at f/5, 25mm. A Nikon D7100 with a 55-200mm lens shouldn’t be pushed to 25mm; the glass isn’t designed for it. The aperture is too wide for a landscape, leaving the background soft where it needs bite. It’s technically lazy. I’ve spent years looking at these files, and it’s frustrating to see potential wasted by poor gear choices. You’ve got the light, but you’ve missed the focus. It’s a shame.
The sky in Faytroun doesn’t demand attention. It simply recedes. I’ve spent minutes watching the light settle on the stone. It’s quiet here. The vast, pale expanse above the ridge isn’t a void; it’s a breath. I feel my own shoulders drop. Nothing here is accidental. The empty corner is not empty. It holds the weight of the mountain. Zahraa understands that to see the land, we must first learn to look away.
At f/5, the Nikon’s focal plane renders the Faytroun terrain with a sharpness that defies the sensor’s pixel pitch. The light’s transition across the limestone textures is mathematically precise, avoiding the diffraction limit that often plagues wide-angle landscapes. It’s rare to see such clarity at 25mm. Honestly, I’m moved by how the optics resolve the distant ridges; it’s as if the lens is whispering secrets about the geology that my own eyes simply couldn’t catch.
Faytroun isn’t just stone and sky; it’s a conversation held in silence. We look at these rugged textures and we feel the weight of a land that’s been listening to its people for centuries. Zahraa didn’t just capture a landscape; she sat with the earth until it revealed its character. I find myself holding my breath, feeling the quiet pulse of the mountains. It’s a portrait of a place that knows exactly who it is.
The ochre dust of Faytroun doesn’t merely sit upon the earth; it hums with the parched, sun-bleached intensity of a Morandi still life, vibrating against the sky’s pale, thin cerulean. It’s a chromatic ache I’ve felt in my own bones, that sudden, breathless suspension where light turns to liquid gold. One finds the palette so hauntingly honest, a quiet, dusty symphony of limestone and heat that makes me want to weep for the sheer, unadorned truth of it.
Thanks for your comment Clestyna ! you made my day !
Thanks for your comment Gayle ! you made my day
Thanks a million for your comment Harely , and the honor is mine !
Beautiful photo.
Amazing!!!
I like your photography Zahraa.
I want to go to that place.
Thank you Jed , I recommend you to go to Lebanon , it’s one of the best places in the world !
Did you take that photograph early in the morning?
Thank you for your comment and it’s a very good qouestion Bevon , no it was before sunset time around 6 pm, it’s looks like morning time as the sky is so clear on this hights because there is no factory pollution and its so high from sea level !
This is quite an altitude. What was the height there?
Thank you for your comment Obaidah , it’s called Mount Lebanon !
Beautiful Landscape.
Thank you so much Dwght Brandt for your comment !
Lebanon is definitely beautiful, but don’t you think Morocco is more beautiful?
Lebanon has a very beautiful nature , I haven’t been in Moroco before , Thank you for your comment !