Three Capes Scenic Loop by Sergiy Kadulin
Captured during an October 2012 family journey along the Oregon coast, this image showcases the dramatic geological beauty of Cape Lookout. The photographer utilized a wide-angle lens to emphasize the vastness of the Pacific flyway, where ancient lava flows meet the expansive ocean. By carefully timing the shot to capture the rugged coastline, the image highlights the cape's unique vantage point, which offers panoramic views stretching forty miles in either direction. This photograph is award-worthy for its masterful composition and technical precision, effectively conveying the serene yet powerful atmosphere of one of the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic natural landmarks.
Sergiy Kadulin
Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 1967, Sergiy Kadulin balances a distinguished career in information technology with a profound dedication to landscape and travel photography. His artistic journey began with his grandfather’s vintage camera and evolved through formal education at the Kyiv School of Photography and the New York Institute of Photography. Driven by a desire to share his deep appreciation for nature and the human experience, Kadulin utilizes his technical expertise to capture the warmth and beauty of the world, often drawing inspiration from his extensive travels across the globe.
Resonance Score Breakdown
Transparency Note: The resonance score (11.8/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.
Expert Photography Reviews · 3
Where the Earth Meets Breath
There is a rhythm to the land that we often forget to hear. It is a slow, deep pulse, older than our hurried steps and quieter than our restless thoughts.
Read the reflection →The Edge of Ownership
We often mistake the wild for a void, a space waiting to be mapped or conquered. We look at the meeting point of land and sea and see only scenery, a backdrop for our own brief passage through time.
Read the reflection →Reviews & Comments
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You’ve captured the weight of that Oregon coast perfectly. Standing there, looking out at those ancient lava flows, I can almost feel the damp salt air hitting my own face. It’s not just a landscape; it’s a moment of quiet insignificance against the Pacific. You didn’t just snap a frame; you felt the scale of the place. And that’s what matters. There’s something honest happening here. You waited, and the camera caught the truth of it.
Cape Lookout’s rugged basalt demands respect, not just a wide-angle lens. While the composition is technically sound, I find myself yearning for a sign of the life that actually inhabits these cliffs. Where are the nesting seabirds? A landscape this vast feels hollow without the pulse of the creatures that call it home. It’s a pretty postcard, but it lacks the patient, quiet observation that turns a simple view into a true encounter.
1/640sec at f/13, 24mm, ISO 200. Stopping down to f/13 on a 5D Mark II is a calculated risk against diffraction, yet it’s necessary here to hold the foreground basalt and the distant horizon in focus. It’s a rigid, clinical choice that pays off. I’ve spent hours staring at these Oregon cliffs, and the sharpness across the frame is genuinely impressive. You didn’t waste the light. The technical execution is cold, precise, and entirely correct.