Branded
by Oich

Comment:
I must confess - I didn't get it at first. I kept looking for tats or some kind of scaring tribal thing - took me a few minutes to get the concept. I'm rather oblivious to some things and this is one of them. :>) Ahem - anyway, if there is one suggestion I could make, it would be to crop off the top of the image a little - a least a good third which would do two things - widen the image a little - yeah, it sounds odd, but try it with your monitor - you will see what I mean. Secondly, it will focus the eye on the "brands" and create much more impact so that unwitting morons like myself will get the idea quicker. :>) A very good candid with a lot to recommend it. Well done.

1
by chipuc

Comment:
Again, technical issues create problems for this image - frankly the background is more interesting than the subject. There is also too much background to make the subject truly effective in terms of visual impact - a good sound crop of 1/3 off the top would really improve the impact. Secondarily, a little more exposure control to tone down the whites and a little closer more level look at the subject to place them more in focus the entire length of the flower would have been a significant improvement. Still, a very interesting image - one can almost smell the flowers. Or maybe that's because my neighbor is cutting fresh flowers from her flower garden. :>) In any case, it's a good effort - just needed to take some time in composition.

Love the light at sunset....
by StormyWeathers

Comment:
This is one of those images where you don't want to be hypercritical, but at the same time a rare opportunity was missed - could'a, woulda, should'a which is always the enemy of a hobby that is time and place dependant. In this case, the lighting was perfect, but the setting was, unfortunately, the same color cast as the subject. What should be a very healthy looking golden skin tone is lost in the background as it's very similar - there isn't a direct contrast. This type of color works best when it's evenly applied onto a subject and here, the part of the subject's face that is directly lit by the sun is uneven and blotchy. You can see this by comparing the even tone of the legs to the face. There is also a direct focal point issue from the feet to the head - the head is just slightly out of focus which is a DOF problem due to the angle at which it was taken - which could account for the blotchy color. A little more height might have solved the DOF problem, but not the lighting issue. Now, having said all this from a technical perspective, from an artistic standpoint, this is a very good photograph - very natural looking pose and subject. While time is always an issue with photography, time taken to carefully examine the setting and technical issues would have made this a top contender for a prize.

Oh Ohhhhhhhh
by subject22

Comment:
Action images are always tough to do properly and while this is a good example of the genre, it has some significant issues. Most important is the shutter speed - it was a little faster than it needed to be given the length of the image (distance from the subject). This higher shutter speed also created what is a very annoying artifact in the subject's face which, at normal viewing distance from the monitor, gives a rather odd effect of opposite way around head - you really have to get on top of the image to see that it's the overlighted nose and that the head is properly placed. Also the net effect of the water "curtain" isn't as effective as it could be. Given all that, it still is a worthy effort - in the future it might be worth while to compensate for speed with aperature.

Engineer's Pass
by jhess77

Comment:
Perhaps the highest compliment any reviewer can pay a photographer is that Ansel Adams would have been proud to have taken this image. While the image has a couple of minor issues, from an artistic standpoint, it's perfect, powerful and purposeful. There is a lot in this image to recommend it to the casual viewer, but perhaps most importantly, it captures a single moment in time which Adams was a master of. Very effective - well done. The best of the challenge in my opinion.

The Dam in Mid-Summer
by davidw

Comment:
The time lapse water movement effect is one of the most overused, and generally inappropriately so, techniques in the amateur's arsenal. In this case, it works because there is a contrast, the technique is not over done, but used to artistic effect with detail. While that may sound confused, it really does describe how this image works. Well done.

Caged
by vawendy

Comment:
Powerful and very effective - as near perfect an impression of fury as you can get. This is a great image and could very well be a iconic statement for any number of current social issues - very high WOW factor, strong artistic impression and a technical success in every way. Well done.

A Zen Moment
by Marc923

Comment:
Yes it is and it's a perfect one. This image conveys power and strength, yet it is subtle and gentle at the same time - a very zen like concept. Very nicely done with no major technical issues and a terrific artistic impact. One of the better images in this challenge.

Oh the Places We Will Go
by firstkiss

Comment:
Titles and images are always a stick issue as the author sometimes has an impression that is at odds with the viewer. In this case, the image and title are perfectly matched and present a perfect impression. What a wonderful expression of a little one and the life ahead. Terrific. One of my favorites of this challenge - simple and yet very effective on several emotional levels. Well done.

View from the Park
by banmorn

Comment:
In all my years of photographing and judging activity, I have never seen an image like this - not even close. There have been other reflection shots, but nothing that is framed and presented as uniquely as this - amazing. A terrific capture - great eye for something very different. Well done.