Paranoia Room
by gyaban

Comment:
Pretty amazing technically and a fine image. Wow!

Dune Fence & Tide Flats, Early Spring
by Bear_Music

Comment:
Lovely photo Robert.

Bokeh - Deep DOF - Stop Action
by SamPawley

Comment:
Great action sports shot. I'd say it was more shallow DOF though but 8 anyway.

Portrait-Shallow DOF-Stop action
by idnic

Comment:
Not quite seeing this shallow DOF but it's a great wedding shot so 8.

do you believe in magic
by jmritz

Comment:
From my jury duty...

'This was my other top two choice and it is a completely different kettle of fish. Whilst 'Soporificity' is more immersive then expansive, 'do you believe in magic' (no question mark i note - of course not) is immersive then it pulls another trick. It might drag you in and give you a chair but that chair isn't really there and you end up looking around all confused. It's a photograph about memory - fleetingly improvised. At first look the photograph is confused, it takes you a moment or two to get balanced but then you zone in on the child and the childhood dreams and memories tug. A happy, sun lit day. But then there is another moment of confusion - that sharp white line cuts vertically down; like the dividing line in a film strip and another moment goes by before you realise that you are sat in a car or on a bike. Watching. The voyeurism that is inherent in photography shifts into consciousness and it's really quite icky. What's that about? From innocence to something that feels a bit wrong in the matter of milliseconds. That tonal, and emotional, shift in this photograph is what makes it so wonderfully great. It wrong foots you; makes you think about memories, makes you think about sunlight and then, makes you think about photography and makes you think about yourself.'

Soporificity
by mrchhas

Comment:
From my jury duty....

'This was one of my top two photos. It does the wonderful trick of being far more than it first seems to be. Some photographs drag you in; this one drags you in, gives you a chair and tells you that you are going to be here for quite a while. It's glossy, superbly photographed in its mechanical, architectural way but has layers upon layers of depth. Compositionally it is repetitive. This is great. I love repetition, whether it is visual, musical, literature or verbal. It's like a mantra. There is a common misconception that repetition fogs; it clouds and muddies to produce a fugue. This is often not the case - a mantra of a number of words repeated a thousand times eventually breathes new meaning and life into each one and each one morphs and changes with each breath. I'm reminded of that with this photo. Each window, each stairwell. There are a hundred stories being told - a knocked over chair, a clicking of high heels down a corridor, a desperation, a closing and opening of doors. The fact that there is not a single person to be seen heightens the glamour and story. It is building as narrative at its best. There is a coldness, of course; the cold steel and sickly yellow insect hum of the light. The sound of photocopiers and printers churning out endless reams of papers to fall in a pile on the floor when no one is there to pick them up. The title, 'Soporificity' does seem to be at odds to my interpretation somewhat. It's a good title but i'd say that this is one of the most uncontrollably awake photographs in the challenge. Of course, often you never feel more awake than when you are asleep. '

A Sign of the Times
by mrchhas

Comment:
Cracking image Chris. You're on a roll at the moment mate!

bubbles
by LevT

Comment:
Damn that's a great shot Lev. I also agree that it works better in colour but it's pretty great either way. A very worthy Blue in a challenge with many fine images indeed.

Seal Beach
by dafletchr

Comment:
Fantastic shot. Life's a beach.

The Best Seat in the House
by dafletchr

Comment:
Ha! I love this. That fallen 'I" is perfect. Makes for a wonderful narrative image.