We are all the sons and the daughters of time - Ray Bradbury
by PennyStreet

Comment:
There's something of humanity in this one (rather than just human beings).

Geoff & Doreen
by MichaelC

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: What a superb portrait of Geoff this is and what a superb capture of a relationship too. This is a double edged sword (see critical stuff) but the technicals of Geoff's portrait are completely stand out. The image overall is also witty and human - I really like that.

Critical stuff: Your fill lighting on Geoff is fabulous, but Doreen is left lacking - although she's in the background, she's integral to your story and could perhaps do with a bit of pop. The image is highly contrived - your subjects appear too posed but... (see below)

Overall: This IS a highly successful image - sure I've complained a little above but overall, I find I don't care about all that - the image has such immediacy and is so forthcoming that I think it really, really works. It's a little cliched in its poses but has bags of quirk to carry it through. An odd choice for a fav for me, but I just can't help myself.

Boy
by GinaRothfels

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: I inverted this, just to see what the positive would look like. This is much better. It adds interest to a much less engaging image. The floor, almost more than the boy, befits from your choice here. I like that you have taken an interventionist approach to this image.

Critical stuff: The flip-side of the same coin. The source image is somewhat unengaging and a consequence I wonder at its choice for your editing time...

Overall: It IS effective; I'm not sure I like it that much but I can't deny that you have pulled something off here.

The Final Trip to the Vet ~ RIP Sassy ~ 1995-2012
by klkitchens

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: Poignant title offers a lens through which to see this image. It's difficult to remain objective, though that matters little as there is much to like here. The clarity of the face and the alert gaze is excellent but I am most impressed on how you have retained detail in the shadows. The vents of the box are transformative to the image, adding depth and context - without them, this would be far less engaging.

Critical stuff: Some won't like the prominent border.

Overall: A fine tribute.

more than this
by jagar

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: Highly interesting composition - the dominance of the rearview mirror and the strange vehicle to the left frame a sub-composition. The is tension and interest in that juxtaposition. Her proximity to the wall and the plants adds to the curiosity. The glowishness of the highlights is similar to a jagar but the match is not perfect.

Critical stuff: The combination of strong sharpening, much texture and a 300k file size has caused some artefacting (criss-crossing) in the lower centre part of the image. I also struggle to discern a story here - not that it is mandatory, but I feel there is more confusion than mystery here.

Overall: Interesting but slightly unfulfilling.

What Fun You’d Have If You Could Pass... Like Alice, Through The Looking-Glass
by unbreakable

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: Crop this to include just the left two thirds of the image and it is a dull image but with the right third and the hand it becomes something else entirely. That sense of reveal as it is noticed (we are after all, as humans, drawn to the face first) is excellent. The border works too.

Critical stuff: As you know I like the border, but in this aspect ratio at a 800px limit, it has cost you some potentially useful screen real estate.

Overall: A very engaging image.

A Stroll Through the Fountain
by bjoern

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: A beautiful image, such detail in the silhouette, I really like the lift of the back foot and the slight transparency of the umbrella. The spray behind is immense and it makes us wonder if the umbrella is just for that or whether there is concomitant rain. Whatever, I want to know more about her - always a good sign.

Critical stuff: The DPC upload limits has given you two issues - because of your aspect ratio, the image is restricted in its overall size - perhaps chopping a bit off the top would have been a good trade(?) and then the 300K file size has caused your information rich specular background to manifest sharpening artefacts (criss-cross pattern) as a result of the jpeg compression.

Overall: A fine image that will place highly (I hope).

Pigeon
by aznym

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: Way to show how composition can be king! I like how flat-out structural this is. Like block-based abstract art, the elements of the pattern itself is the picture - there is no pigeon, no wire - just your image... ...from which a pigeon and wire emerge. Like the Transformers of abstract art - this one hides in plain sight!

Critical stuff: Change nothing.

Overall: Inspired, clever, engaging and effective.

Pink Steps Through Soft Grasses
by dahlin

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: The bold coloration stands out and makes it clear that you've exercised choices with your image; it shouts "nothing accidental here". I love the red shoes (the overall hue makes my brain compensate to red from pink) and I like how deliberative the steps feel; it conveys the gait of a robot somehow with big swings from the hips. The degree of blur is charming - the waviness gives an organic overlay that I like.

Critical stuff: I think this borders on the over-contrived: I like contrived; I liken it to crafting but it's a fine line between artistic intent realised and playing to an anticipated audience. I don't think you've crossed it but I think you are close.

Overall: A highly pretty image.

LibertyDistortionsandPatterns2
by banmorn

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: We see quite a few reflected buildings at DPC and have a master of the genre within out midst ( PennyStreet) but this one made me pause - not because of its superb clarity but for its success in disorientating us. This image would work any way up - I like that. Coloration is great too - a limited palette deployed to good effect. I also really like the implicit (almost mathematical) perspective whereby the lines parallel to the frame at the top of the image become at an angle at the bottom. - it makes me wonder if we could work out our distance to the building...

Critical stuff: Being so focused on such a specific part of the world inevitably limited the amount of information and thus interest we can bring to bear. Though I suspect you have captured most of it, the inherent interest in the scene is nonetheless capped.

Overall: A fine micro-architectual image.