Toad
by sfalice

Comment:
I totally mis-understood "Neon" and here you got it right and got beat up! (I gave up on voting during that challenge, bitter me.)

There's little to pick apart here...maybe the bubbles could have been fresher? Maybe the voters would have been better fooled without them? Who knows?

You have a talent for composition. And a sense of humor wonderfully displayed!

Thanks for playing "closest to 5" today!

Cut connection
by aKiwi

Comment:
Ahh, a perfect 5!

I thought so, too. But that's because, despite your rendition of a cell phone, I hate photos of cell phones and will never rate them higher. (For some people it's babies, cats, and other things I like. For me, it's cell phones.)

I suspect you won't want my technical comments after that, so I'll just say "Thank you for playing closest to 5 today!

Contemplation
by Bud

Comment:
I gave you a 6 but never left a comment...It's really hard to make a self-portrait, isn't it.

The moment in this photo is good..."Contemplation" is a perfect title. Not quite silhouette, the lack of detail on the near side of the profile makes the blocking-out of your head un-pleasing to me. Had you been on "this side" of the camera, I'm sure you would have realized that. It is the setting that is so appealing, here. The perfect moment in the morning when it's right to be alone....

A Girl And Her Jewelery
by letenele

Comment:
Challenge victim? With so few comments it's hard to tell. (I didn't enter or vote in this one.)

The problematic parts for me are: highlights blown out = loss of detail in the blouse, nose ring evidently missing, sub-par background detracting. (I know, you didn't ask.)

What makes it worthy (for me) are: the facial expression, the point of view, the detail in the hair, the unaffected casualness of it all. It's as if you captured a beautiful candid, while setting it up all the time.

Thanks for "playing" today in the "closest to 5" thread.

XX
by Sunniee

Comment:
This is a great "product" shot! (I'll admit, quietly, to being one of the people who gave you a five. I don't remember why...bad mood, New York in January, jealousy?) Bokeh was a brutal challenge! It's a word I'll never forget and, probably, never fully understand.

You do have crispness and color on your side in this image. I wish my "5" was so "terrible" as this....it would have been better. =)

Thanks for playing!

Double Take
by jenesis

Comment:
Road Signs was a difficult challenge this time around. Perhaps it always will be...such static subjects are hard to render with interest. You knew it wasn't the best quality image when you entered, so what can I add that would "instruct" you? Nothing.

I like signs. I like signs that make you do a "double take." Hard to put them in context for sure but you did tickle a number of voters. Isn't it nice to know that your concept was one that touched others?

Thank you for playing "closest to 5" today.

dog tired
by smilebig4me1x

Comment:
Thank you for playing the "closest to 5" game today! With 125 5's the voters are pushing the limits of the web page widths. (Ok. I'll admit I was one of those...but I don't remember why.)

What I love about photography is that it begs us to notice juxtapositions. It entreats us to place things to complete our vision (philosophy?) of objectiveness. If it weren't for the "minimalism" concept of the challenge, you might have played up the contrasting textures...the sense of life and dust...the dark and the light...the grit and the softness of the petals. I think you have a topic worth re-visiting in a future image.

Hey You...Moove Over!
by jemison

Comment:
When I saw you post this in the closest to 5 thread, I just assumed that it was for the "road sign" challenge. So much for assumptions! (I skipped "authority" as I had no clue or guts to enter.)

It's a funny pic and a funny title. The quibbles could be qualmed with some different post-processing (though those may not have been available to you during the challenge). I like photos of signs. I think they're very collectible. Though they are often static subjects, your interesting background with its textures and the sky with simple clouds transcends the usual humdrum.

(thanks for playing)

Midori Mixer
by CreativeFlyPhoto

Comment:
Long before my time at DPC!

The obvious impressers were the color and point of view....and I agree. A tighter crop from the left might have saved this...but what do I know, and you didn't ask.

Thanks for sharing in the "closest to 5" game, today. It's good for some of us to see humility shared. (and this ain't so humble)

Tug o' War
by Strikeslip

Comment:
I never voted on "apple" but I can say I would have given above a 5.

It's probably several minor flaws that contributed to its downfall, the oof apple, the too pink hand, the funky piece of grass on the face, the odd blue triangle to the right....all "fixable" with some creative editing.

What's great about it? The composition. The animal's expression. The concept of interaction over the apple. The detail in the fur.

Thanks for playing the "closest to 5" game!