Liz
by dsa157

Comment:
Very flattering, but for my artistic taste (entirely subjective), this feels too "posed" and hence "unnatural" for me. The subject's expression is nice...though distant.

... the boyfriend blues ...
by roz

Comment:
Beautifully executed, and the post-processing really draws the focus squarely to the eyes.

what is on man's mind
by eirasi

Comment:
Very well executed composition here. My only complaint (and it's a matter of artistic opinion, not photographic composition): the shadows feel TOO dark, especially in the eye. I rated this one a 7.

Pure Portrait
by crowis

Comment:
A bit blurry on the facial details (esp. the the nose and eyes)...and it doesn't quite look intentional. One approach I use to help make it look intentional is to apply a "diffuse" filter to the entire image. Otherwise, though, this is a very flattering image. Thanks for sharing it!

Miss Amy - Photographer...Friend
by rayg544

Comment:
It looks to me like a higher crop on the bottom would have made this a more flattering portrait of the subject, without losing the nice effect of those railroad tracks in the background. I love the lighting, though.

The 13th Day...the aftermath.
by annependleton

Comment:
This was one of my favorite submissions for this challenge, even if the interpretation is a bit of a stretch for me. This is a wonderful example of tasteful digital transformation of what might otherwise be a mediocre photo into something truly special. Keep up the good work, and I hope to see other experiments of this sort in the Free Studies in the future!

I hate bills...
by thegrandwazoo

Comment:
Interesting perspective. I'm not entirely persuaded because of the "busy-ness" of the foreground, though. Would you consider making everything but the "past due" black and white?

"I'll get it on the way home, they stay open late."
by mattforbes

Comment:
I think this one might have been more striking with tighter vertical crops at the left and right to draw focus more squarely on the very warmly illuminated shop. I might also have used a perspective crop to "straigten" the vantage (which appears a little crooked to the right). Overall, a 6 from me.

Got the truck runnin' yet?
by NikonJeb

Comment:
Breathtaking. I was going to attempt a very similar shot of an old truck like this in some overgrown weeds, but I don't think it would have come out nearly this striking. I will be sorely disappointed if this one doesn't ribbon. 10 from me.

Leave Home and Get That Record Deal
by xXxscarletxXx

Comment:
Composition is lovely. Not sure how I feel about the profile pose, but I don't think it necessarily detracts from the overall image effect. Next time, you might consider having your model sling that guitar over her shoulder and walk away toward the barn in the distance along the railroad. One minor editing complaint: the dodging around the subject's face and torso is giving her a sort of "glow" that may have been intentional, but if it was it's not convincing enough for me. Overall: a solid 7 from me.