Vodka "Alaska" & Friends
by androgeus

Comment:
Even amongst those whom most in Society would judge in a negative manner there is a quiet touch of concern for a fellow being. We don't all get to always choose all the circumstances of our Lives but we all have similiar needs and this photograph showcases a truly human moment.

The Watcher
by vawendy

Comment:
A tableau of winter Christmas fun just outside the window, and a silent figure inside sharing it - but not. We see an older person but from the back so we really cannot tell the expression - is it amusement? longing? the tension of waiting? This candid portrait is superb in that it gives no definitive answers except for what each watcher of the photograph interprets and brings into it. I like the view - and the backwards wreath and perfect house across the street add to this as do the muted plaid curtains which echo the person's lighting. Such stories to be told!

Remembering Youth
by AP

Comment:
This is a poignant moment taken at a time when busy celebration goes on all around us and very few pause to remember the ghosts of the past. The kinetic energy of the youngster on the right is in direct contrast with the quieter and much more studied and deliberate slower aura of the elder, yet there is a small overlap in the middle filled with stars, a generational sharing perhaps. The black and white choice is perfect for this as well. Superbly beautiful.

Don't Cry !
by bnilesh

Comment:
The expression on this is just priceless. Perfect capture.

Caring for Mom
by Tammer

Comment:
This is superb - so much & so many stories between the lines of the reaching out and the comforting hands, a lifetime of Love written there. May all of us be so connected near Journey's End.

Prepared for Rain
by Structor

Comment:
Prepared for rain as well he should be since his stand-in building has no roof to shelter him from the elements. Whimsical rainbow umbrella against the stark black almost silhouetted gentleman. The sky does not look like inclement weather is on the way and yet with the swirling clouds who can be quite sure? The graffiti on the shell adds a note of whimsy to the summoning wizard whose coat has caught the wind. This invites study as it is not as simple as first appears. I do like it.

Mannequin, Umbrella, Destroyed House.....
by NikonJeb

Comment:
Odd, unique juxtapositions in this composition. It is a very different point of view, the smooth & colourful brolley against the shadowed half man & the broken down house but it feels out of place and time, jarring somehow. What is the umbrella sheltering and why? Is this a forgotten attic somewhere in a house left to ruin? What is the backstory of the occupant(s) who once lived here and where did they go? Lots of curious questions, not many obvious answers here.

Portal
by Bear_Music

Comment:
It took me a few moments to realise where the umbrella was in this composition when it came up - my first impression of it was that it was a form of octagonal black stop sign - which slowed the viewing down so as to study it. By definition a portal is a doorway or entrance which is usually imposing and this fits quite well. I like the rest of the photograph also - the cloudscape & the reflection in the water; the textures of the earthen road leading up to the bridge and the lines of the backstop & guardrails.
I would go where this beckons.

Rainy Day Watercolours
by ekmai

Comment:
The kinetic energy and movement in this is fantastic - all the brilliant colours, shapes and lines blur together like wet watercolours. Abstract, understated and engaging.

Under the milk umbrella
by rrdjserv

Comment:
Well done execution here of a simple concept which could well prove very hard to capture correctly.