Smuggling Oranges The Hard Way
by alphonzo

Comment:
Only a truly zany individual would think of smuggling oranges.

Very well done.

I think that a bit more overall brightness and contrast would help things. Especially in the Orange/balls.

I've been trying to learn how to use USM to perk things up a bit after the resize too. Seems that bringing it down in size sacrifices a fair bit of detail.

Birds-w-frame640.jpg
by shaver

Comment:
Really great pic, Fantastic colors. Super DOF.

There's a little something that bothers me about that Pampas grass on the Island.

I wonder if you have tried to slice it down to just under the bottom edge of the Island to make a Pano-like shot. There is some loss, because that pampas is awesome, but try it and see what you think.

It certainly won't look any better here due to the 640 limit, but a print might benefit in some ways.

I am wondering if you shot with your 5D on this one or was this a 20D shot?

...of flavor combinations
by AzCKelly

Comment:
I love the color combination here. Good eye for this.

Forbidden
by smyk

Comment:
Hilarious shot.

I love that ring on her finger.

I find this amusing because I was actually just speaking with someone this evening who just finished school at a private catholic school in Belize. She told me that many of the nuns got pregnant in the 7 years she was at the school. And seeing as there was only one man on campus, they all suspected it was the "father".

In the words of Lucien Vinet, former catholic priest, paraphrased, "It's neither natural nor scriptural to require abstinence and such naturally leads to a search for other outlets."

Nicely done.

50's Pearls in The Dark
by Krisby

Comment:
I agree on the cropping suggestion, I say that this pic is MUCH better with a crop right down to the hairline.

The "harsh" lighting is what drew me to the picture. I believe the correct term is actually "Dramatic". ;)

What has happened here with the colors is fantastic. The subtle muting of everything is very beautiful. I can still tell that she is a blonde.

I almost wonder if perhaps she has green eyes to match? I can't really tell. That would be the one thing that I would seek to work on. Is it possible to bump the greens just a hair? Play with the color channels just a bit. You don't want to love the soft coloring, but if there was a way to bring out the color in her eyes....

I don't agree that red lipstick would have made this photo. I like it very much just as it is.

On the subject of the Challenge though, it looks like the pearls have lost the center of attention for the pic. Tough call as this really works as a portrait. Don't know what it would look like if you increased the DOF to get those pearls...

I would have given it a 9 or 10 had I been voting.

You can do anything if you just have faith
by json

Comment:
It's true that you have a great illusion here and it's done very well, and your lighting totally rocks, but for me the star of the show is the model.

There is something about him that really speaks a type of faith that is very "Matrix children". He's got a kind of relaxed stance as he sits there in sock feet with a typical retro, 70's/early 80's style haircut that speaks of being totally unconcerned, be it with physics or anything else.

Great capture.

Gazpacho 4 your heart???
by Majanka

Comment:
Nice tribute to the Recipe Challenge.

LoveSwans - Heart making
by Gunnsi

Comment:
Hey, I just thought I'd say that I was impressed by the number of subliminal hearts that showed up in this pic. I think I saw at least 5 or 6 extra hearts in the water.

I like how you used that single swan to really give the feeling that the processing wasn't necessarily so extreme.

The Caped Crusader Within
by GIS_boy

Comment:
Absolutely freakin' brilliant.

I just watched Batman Returns for the first time a few days ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm also a big fan of the animated series which I felt was some of the best animation on TV.

I really like how the colors in the lighting match those in the movie so well. I ripped that movie to watch on my brand new PDA and that was when I realized how dark and tungsteny that whole movie is.

I know it probably would have taken a fair bit of work to work out, but I would have liked the bottom furling of the cape to look a bit better.

I actually liked the uneven earpeices.

Portal
by elsapo

Comment:
What an amazing idea. Brilliant!