Calm Before the Storm
by lindsay

Comment:
I have voted this image a 4 because it doesn't have a hook to pull me in - either visually or emotionally. I understand the idea - an empty playing court which is silent now but will soon be heaving with noise and movement. So the idea itself works well.
However the image lacks visual appeal. There isn't really a focal point. Composition seems random (why did you choose to take it from that exact spot? what would it have looked like taken from other spots? what about getting lower to the ground? why did you position the pole/basket things where you did within the frame?) The background of kiddy play structure and mundane housing estate doesn't add anything positive. I'd say that you have definitely got the right idea in terms of meeting the challenge theme but that this entry doesn't manage to convey that theme whilst still offering an image that holds appeal in its own right. A question that may or may not be useful to you is this: Would this image be worth taking/ keeping/ sharing outside of this challenge? Would it mean anything/ hold any appeal?
Please feel free to completely ignore all/ any of my comments, I'm just stating my ideas, nothing more.

After the Music
by leaf

Comment:
Interesting image, lighting doesn't work for me - I just don't like that red-orange colour of skin. It may not have been possible to throw more light on the subject, perhaps a higher ISO rating might have helped?

.
by rhipster

Comment:
I didn't think much of this on first viewing but I certainly found myself coming back to it more than once during voting. (I perform a rough vote first and then run through the images a number of times to fine tune individual scores). This image certainly makes me wonder about the location, about the use of the space, about the empty chairs... I want to know whether the space is used regularly and is just experiencing a short lull or whether it's been standing empty for some time. I like the way the line of chairs leads me back into the darkness.

Stillness in White
by boyte1

Comment:
A looser interpretation of silence than many entries but nonetheless interesting. I like the white flowers against a white background.

Shhh!
by KoolDude

Comment:
Great lighting and the pose certainly communicates the theme. But I am not connecting with your little bear - it feels a little too clinical and therefore just doesn't hit me on an emotional level. It is beautifully taken though, nice lighting, framing etc.

unplugged
by miss parker

Comment:
I do like the strong vertical between black and white and the dynamic shapes of the circular speaker cones. The more free-form curves of the snaking cord contrasts quite well with the more precise lines of the speaker. Doesn't have an emotional punch for me - something that makes me come back to view it again and again, but it does appeal on a purely visual level.

Silent Sentries After the Wildfires
by boomer

Comment:
I like the stark shapes of the trees, particularly the bare trunks that are missing branches, but I think that composition is weak. There isn't really an effective focal point and the image doesn't feel that balanced. The scrub in the foreground also hold much less interest for me than those majestic trees behind it.

After the Funeral...
by seancgn68

Comment:
Seems like the house/ stairways are more important than the subject who is cropped off and almost incidental.

Resting
by silverleaf

Comment:
Too blue, too tilted, too over saturated in colour but an interesting set of textures.

Road into Silence
by russi

Comment:
Certainly a strong leading line - I'd find the image more interesting if I could see more clearly where it lead to, although I appreciate that the fact it leads into a mist-shrouded distance is how it meets the challenge.