swimming with the natives
by rider808

Comment:
Lovely image - made me think of this one:



Makes me want to get an underwater housing.

The figure and reflection is interesting enough in its own right but with the dolphins below it is flat out amazing. Very bold choice to go monochrome too.

A 10 from me.

Steve and Dange by the Hearth
by banmorn

Comment:
I think this is a flat-out fantastic portrait (of man and dog). The fire in the background offers a lot of context and gives the whole image a warm feel.

10 from me.

Bridal Veil
by daevans

Comment:
OK - I'm going out on a limb here and letting you know that I scored this a '1'. Only fair to let you know why.

First of all I should say that I use the full scale and that I am but one voter with my own expectations and 'luggage'.

The subject matter is one that really doesn't excite me (it will be on the money for plenty of other people though).

Although I think the upward looking POV is interesting enough, the bottom right rock formation encroaches on the area of interest and detracts from the scene.

Most of all though, I'm afraid I've against your editing choices - the blown highlights and blue fringing to the water are to my eye very unattractive.

Having said all of that and having spent the time writing this comment I do wonder if a 1 is a bit harsh.... Bumping to a 2.

decanting
by zeuszen

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: Immediately makes me think zeuszen or clive_patric_nolan. If I had to bet on just one I'd go for the former. I like the mystery of this image - because we can't discern what it is we can't help but focus on the pure form and the light. I really like the toning and coloration too - perfect for this shot.

Critical stuff: The slightly 'cruddy' pixelated background - it pulls may away from the banded edge of the vessel(?).

Overall: Not for everyone and I do find these sorts of images tend to constrain rather than liberate my eye and brain but having said that, this is certainly very well made.

River of Dreams
by Neil

Comment:
Landscapes normally leave me a little cold but this one is just soooo well done. I'd be astonished if this didn't ribbon.

Who left the tap on?
by Judi

Comment:
Highly journalistic. Indistinguishable from a news site image.

Very well made (Judi??)

On a non-photographic level, its horrific to think about the hardship associated with what we are seeing here.

beach
by bspurgeon

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: There are a lot of ways to shoot and present a beach but not everybody would be as brave as this. I like that. Wow, does this image show up marks on screens - I've had to float this around until I've found an area that doesn't make it look like you need to clean your sensor. Once I did, the image really sings - smooth but sharp, still but dynamic. Excellent.

Critical stuff: Nothing at all.

Overall: Beautifully subtle image.

What once was
by Yo_Spiff

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: This is a much stronger image than my first quick look through revealed - the interplay between the two orthogonal window frames is excellent - frames within frames within frames. It offers a wonderful sense of perspective.

The 'KTK' lettering in the middle jumps right out at you and the light, as it hits the residual glass, is lovely.

Critical stuff: Nothing at all.

Overal:: An image I've really gotten to like - a significant bump from 6 to 8.

Breaktime
by franktheyank

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 like how candid this image is, I could believe you were invisible. I like the high contrast treatment too. I particularly like the pipework to his left.

Critical stuff: The strange smoothness of the fabrics - looks like something you might get with Topaz. I'm afraid I'm not a fan of that look (though I do confess to having used it myself before.)

Overall: A very good candid capture.

Table for two
by Dennisheckman

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 really like the POV and the background colours in this shot - for some reason it looks too chilly to take a seat though! The focus on the chair with the wide open aperture works really well - the bokeh of the tree lights is a stand out feature.

Critical stuff: The verticals.... I really want to straighten this up.

Overall: A nice image but one that (for me) falls short of having wow factor.