The Hornet
by rhipster

Comment:
Not into bugs but this is a great shot. I like the detail in his... er... face... and the tilted angle really conveys the way these critters can land on any surface. Interesting split-toned background too. DOF seems weird, it looks like there are two planes of focus which is impossible. Have you manually blurred any areas or am I just going mad? 8

A Proud Bird
by mariomel

Comment:
A beautifully presented portrait that really shows this bird off to it's best. The detail in teh eye is wonderful. The rich green background is just the right colour to show off the brown, white and yellows of the bird and the depth of field blurs it out excellently. 8

An eye on the cider press.
by jjbeguin

Comment:
I love the use of shadow to create an interestingly shaped negative space area. It makes the portrait more interesting overall. My only criticism would be that I can't see the detail of his eye, which I would really like to be able to see more clearly. Black and white works well with the subject. 8

Misty Morning
by jodiecoston

Comment:
What a beautiful "mood" shot. The mist is beautifully captured - the lighting and exposure are just right. The rocks on the left are really important for me within the coimposition - they serve to anchor the scene somehow. At first I wasn't sure that the horizon should be so centred but actually I realise that it's just the right composition. 8

Kookaburra
by moodville

Comment:
A lovely bird portrait with great focus, nice lighting - great catchlight in the eye and excellent composition - the position of the branch within the frame is superb. I like the blurred background a lot - the colours within it complement the bird but allow it to stand out from the background enough that we can appreciate it's form. 8

Sunset at Castle Hill
by BobsterLobster

Comment:
The composition of this is stunning - not just the positioning of that lone castle but also the strong clouds themselves. The rich golden light on the stonework is beautiful. The blue sky at the top contrasts well with that. The red seems unreal, I'm curious about whether it's an accurate representation or a creative use of a filter. Either way I like the result. Very striking. 8

Parrot Portraiture
by buzzrock

Comment:
Nice lighting, nice rich black background, just the right amount of reflection in his eye, good choice of viewpoint/ angle to the subject. 8

Peace Please
by Sonifo

Comment:
This is a charming image and beautifully presented. I think the idea of combining peace and please is a very clever way to communicate that the child is asking "can't we please have peace?". The composition works well with the child, paintpot and text positioned very well within the frame. This is also one of the few examples of selective desaturation that I have seen lately that really adds something to the impact of the finished image. 9

In the Fangs of Shadow
by librodo

Comment:
This image has a really high impact for me. The expression on the face conveys so much. It suggests to me that this child has experienced more in his short lifetime than any child should have to experience. The lighting and composition work well and the toned black and white does too. 9

Public Art & Architecture
by tyt2000

Comment:
Excellent use of unusual viewpoint to create a great composition. I really like the interplay of the round building, the triangular aspect of the regular building and the abstract element of the sculpture. Whereas normally I like a sky with some detail I think this plain sky works excellently in this image. Great mix of regular and abstract patterns both in the subject matter and your composition.

On of my top 10 this challenge.