Shake it Up Redux
by vawendy

Comment:
This is really cool, a sterling take on the usual shaking off dog picture. The droplets spiral off this bird (tern?) in proof of aerodynamic mastery. Catching amimals living their lives is so much more rewarding than mere illustration, not that there can't be wonder in that, too. But it's the individuality that comes out, the kinship of us all. You allow us to imagine, to feel what it is to soar along, lifted by air and propulsion, performing everyday miracles. The darker portion of the background nicely sets off the brightnbess of the bird.
Thank you.

Mooching
by roz

Comment:
What an appealing portrailt of a sweet dog! What so much appeals to me here are the pose, the pale fabric upon which he or she lies and the cropping. They're all unusual enough to invite us in, and now our attention is riveted by her/his face, eyes, the trusting approach of the pose. It has a high key feel even though there's plenty of dark in the fur. It's a very interestilng presentation, and all in all you're fortunate to have such a beautiful/handsome companion. And I wonder if your title is a play on Mochi, my dog's name. Also a moocher.
Thank you.

King Street
by Abra

Comment:
A straightforward, ordinary moment excellently done. It's stripped of pretension and striving, honors this instant of time and I think promises the next and the next. The man is of a piece, creased with age, labor and sun, from feet to head. It helps that the light picks out his character and throws shadows at angles. Even the traffic works in harmony. Reminds me of Robert Frank without the drapery of symbolism. I only wish I had the ability to take a picture like this.
Thank you.

Openings
by Neat

Comment:
A straight up and very pleasing design, where the lines echo each other, both thin and wide. Flute and bassoon? The dark triangles of the openings are more percussive. Neither simple nor overbusy, I'd call it friendly. The way you've marched the vertical line along diagonally gives the image its dynamic energy. Recedes nicely to complex abstraction. Perfect in black and white.
Thank you.

speedo!
by PennyStreet

Comment:
Congratulations, Lynn, on winning the blue for this happy catch. The young man in the back makes it personal. Creamy background. Lovely feel.

Textures
by Cyrilda

Comment:
I'm a big fan of rust, how it eats away at practical perfection, how it reveals the beautiful potential hidden deep within iron's genome. Insidiously partnered with oxygen. If, as here, it's orange being flaked away, a happy tone poem arises. Of course if the shapes are artfully presented in a dyamic composition, now you've got something. I like the recession of planes born of the softening focus. The dark flats nicely set off the orange. There's even a sense of green or blue in them. Your perspective adds a monumental dimension. A strong statement.
Thank you.

at the shore
by Tiberius

Comment:
Funny how you sometimes turn the key, open the door, and you're inside a Tardis (Dr. Who reference), the new emormity a jolting surprise. My first impression here was of a skull somewhat arbitrarily placed as a display on a rock. Um, okay. Then, in a mind-bending optical shift, it becomes a fish, head left, smiling, holding still just above the ocean floor. From macabre to glee, a magical, fascinating toggle. Bravissimo!
Thank you.

About windows and lines
by Ammie

Comment:
What seems, at first glance, almost a mirrored image, reveals a nuanced music upon spending time with it. The lines of windows, roofs (or, more appealing, rooves) and corners are kind of a counterpoint to the overall scene, unprepossessing, one section of the orchestra. The halves of the picture are like twins who have developed personal variations on a theme. The tree on the right says, "I'm four minutes older," the building on the left is more extroverted. Nice textures and tones on the walls, soft in the early, or late, light. The three buildings conduct a conversation, visual and chatty. The darker lines on the grass in the foreground strongly anchor the composition. The sky, a beautiful purple/blue, is wonderfully encompassing.
Thank you.

Palm
by GinaRothfels

Comment:
Curtains are always tantalizing, as can be someone peeking out from behind a fan. The murky frond in the background is the watcher, a subtle cross hatching endowing the image with visual and emotional depth. So satisfying. But there's more! You've also involved us in a beautiful study of shapely and toned lines, as they welcome the light. I love how the composition is balanced by its opposite corners, background frond and triangle of vertical leaflets. The sepia presentation enhances the visual revelation of black and white with breathing, organic brown.
Thank you.

Strange Music
by ladpupmoe

Comment:
Yes, the deliberate disorientation throwing us into freefall, attempting to right ourselves and so again the world. If I may be so pretentious in making pronouncements, art often endeavors to shake us free, afford space to launch ourselves over the rutted pathways of hard set perception. How wonderful that mere rotation can be so successful. Another thing about your image that strikes me are the lines and patterns set up by your use of saturation. Seems bizarre that an aspect of black and white photography, banishing color to bring out line and form, can be brought to the fore by assertive saturation creating its own establishment of emphasis. So we're thrust into abstraction as well as disorientation. I really enjoy these transformations.
Thank you.