Morning Dew
by Chiqui

Comment:
I really love this as an abstract. The strong light and shadow, especially with the focal point on the water droplet, the strong diagonal lines and the randomly positioned light circles create a composition that seems to resonate far more strongly with me than I entirely understand. One of my top 11 in the challenge.

Leaf
by gaurawa

Comment:
At first I looked at this and thought, "oh yeah, so they got a leaf and were able to get some diffused light spot in the background". But as I looked at it more it grew on me to a surprising extent. The lighting on the leaf is beautiful and that golden, sunlit colour just makes me feel warm and happy. But it's only with the addition of the pale, colour-coloured light spots that the composition suddenly achieves something more than just a leaf with some negative space included in the frame. It really works for me. One of my top 11 in this challenge.

What's the point?
by gajmaj

Comment:
This would be an interesting image without shallow depth of field simply because of the wonderful composition created by the strong points of focus and curving lines. But the way that shallow depth of field has transformed much of the image into this incredible soft yet textured blur just takes it to another level. The lines aren't just blurred, they seem to blend across each other in a most pleasing way. One of my top 11 in this challenge.

Tear Drop
by smokeditor

Comment:
Some might dismiss this as merely shallow DOF and not bokeh but since I'm using the broader definition of bokeh as the aesthetic contributions to overall image of the blurred areas of an image this works for me! And it's one of my top 5 favourite entries in the challenge. I just love the way the blurred branch curving away into the corner creates a sense of compositional balance and depth to the image. It's just gorgeous!

Mid Flow
by Manic

Comment:
On of my top 11 (yes 11) in this challenge. This captures wonderfully the interplay between moving water and light. I also really like the shapes in an abstract sense - I think the composition is very strong on that level. The lack of colour allows me to really concentrate on the light and forms here. Wonderful!

Strung Out
by MR_P

Comment:
I absolutely love how the stillness of the guitar body is offset by the motion of the strings! The pattern you have captured from that motion is incredible! Viewpoint is excellent and makes a very strong composition. Black background is just right and echoes the dark shadows within the lower half of the frame. One of my top 3 entries in this challenge.

The Forest Spectacle
by Joey Lawrence

Comment:
Absolutely wonderful framing! The texture and shapes are beautiful and the shallow depth of field reduces the background to an almost abstract series of vertical shapes. Certainly in my top 10 in this challenge.

Alone in a Crowd
by sgauria

Comment:
I adore this image - it's beautiful and that diamond shaped pattern in the background creates a strangely enclosed feel even though we're looking at an open area of flowers. It's beautiful and one of my very favourite entries in this challenge! Thank you!

rosebud
by JC_Homola

Comment:
Absolutely magical! The lighting on the central bud is just beautiful and defines the edges to just the right extent. The background is what lifts the shot to another plane though - the depth of the blue, the vivid green of the foliage below and the blurred stems and flowers of the rest of the plant all combine in just the right abstract shapes with just the right textures to ilicit a WOW! One of my favourite entries!

Nice Legs, Great Bouquet
by eggv

Comment:
Much too dark in my opinion. I can understand the idea of darkness for the background to add a little enigma but think the foreground would definitely benefit from some light.