Mourning
by MaryO

Comment:
The soft focus and lack of precise detail hurt this image which would have been a very natural entry into the challenge. A little more precision would have made this a naturalists dream as the expression on the dove is very complimentary to the nature of the challenge.

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend
by csick

Comment:
A little more light on the subject as this image is much too dark to have true dramatic or emotional impact. This is probably an artifact of the viewing proccess - the longer the image is viewed, the more details come out and the better it looks - which is odd, but true - the eye becomes adjusted to the image over time and becomes a diffeent image with different impact. There are some schools of psychology that use a similar technique to gain some insight into the personalities of prospective practitioners. That being said, this probably isn't what the author intended, but that's the way it comes across.

Love in the darkness
by mitcsenkov

Comment:
Dropping out of third person mode for a single image, I'm always fascinated by the compare/contrast of title and image. In this case, the immediate impression was it's a good title, but a better one would have been "Isn't it Romantic". :>) Ahem - anyway, this image is very artistically impressive for several reasons. The partially lit faces, vague details, soaring staircase leading up, the foot against the wall - it's a perfect set piece that has all the appearance and feel of a candid portrait. The use of light and dark in addition to subtle color is sound, although the deep background could use a little more saturation. It's only natural to offer a suggestion and if the author has the chance to revisit this scene, a little (very little) foreground light would enhance the romantic effect. Originally an 8, it has been rerated to a 9.

Night Light
by scooter97

Comment:
Astrophotography is always appreciated by this reviewer and this is a perfect example of a subject that is not always captured properly. In this sense, the title and subject, while fairly common in several recent challenges, perfectly fits the challenge subject of darkness and is a inventive way to look at same. Normally, this reviewer has issues with over use of space, but, no pun intended, the space in this image is well used and very effective. Originally rated an 8, it has been rerated to a 9 for technical excellance if not artistic impression.

night
by dsh

Comment:
A nightmareish image of running in place is conveyed in this image very effectively and is a perfect expression of the dark and foreboding. The soft focus, direct side lighting and threatning background conveys a sense of dread and threat which meets the challenge of darkness. Originally rated an 8, it is rerated to a 9 due to a mistaken impression on the part of the reviewer. Well done.

What lies inside?
by bendobb

Comment:
At first glance, the impression was of catacombs and given the title, it still could apply. A very nice conversion and there is nothing wrong with it from a technical standpoint. From an artistic standpoint, it lacks in impact even though there is plenty to look at, it just seems like it's all the same. A suggestion might be to have taken this from a different angle and using bokeh to create a sense of depth and dimension which is lacking.

Night shot - Indian Wolves (Canis indica shot at ISO12,800)
by andrewt

Comment:
A naturalist portrait worthy of National Geographic, these wolves show a lot of character and as creatures of the night, are a worthy subject for this challenge. Rich and detailed, there is nothing wrong with this image from a technical standpoint and from an artistic standpoint, a very good portrait of a family of predators. Hard to believe it was shot as an ISO of 12,800 - it looks more like an ISO 100 portrait shot. Originally rated a 9, it has been rerated a 10. Well done.

Evanescent
by lovethelight

Comment:
Ethereal, dream like, there is not a lot not to like in this excellant black and white conversion. The sense of movement in time is very present and the title, which indicates a sense of fleeting memories or imperceptible emotion is a perfect match for the image. Very effective it was originally rated a 9, but has been bumped to a 10 for it's technical and artistic excellance. Well done.

Artist's Sanctuary
by npala101

Comment:
A competant black and white nicely composed and presented. The very light touch of grain adds some impact from an artistic standpoint. The slightly soft focus is very dream like and can be viewed from an impression standpoint in a variety of ways - very interesting effect. Well done.

Evil In The Darkness
by brumer0

Comment:
Very effective imagery fitting a horror genre. One minor nitpick - there is a white bloom in the left eye of this image that jumps right out and kind of ruins the intended effect - it one were picky that is. Very well constructed and composed, with that one little issue discarded as an anomaly. Really like the white floescent look to the teeth. Well done.