The Magic Hour
by Jaded_Housewife

Comment:
I understand that with your title you mean magic light for photographers, but that's too narrow for me in this challenge. It's a very pretty sunset or sunrise, but not especially strong in the magic or mystery. 5.

Silhouette
by Breeee123

Comment:
It meets the challenge in that unicorns are magical. But the image itself doesn't really grab me. Maybe if the clouds had been sharp? 5.

Just some of my magic tricks...
by Dirt_Diver

Comment:
It clearly meets the challenge, which for me starts it at 5.

However, this is a pretty dead-on take on some magic tricks. Nothing too dramatic about the layout or the lighting (which is flat). Try playing with lights next time to create some shadows or try a lower angle.

It's reasonably sharp and decently lit, though, so it's still a 5.

The Magic of Fatherhood
by manic35

Comment:
I originally gave this a 5 because the image didn't convey magic or mystery to me, but it's a nice shot nonetheless. And I usually expect the picture to tell the story, with the title as icing on the cake. However, here the title got me to broaden my perspective (esp. since I have two young daughters!).

Now, looking at the photo itself, I like the lighting, how you placed the baby and the dad's face, and of course the baby's expression! B&W works nicely, too.

6.

"She turned me into a newt!"
by bvoi

Comment:
This image meets the challenge, because I can see it's somehow about magic, so I start with a 5. Her expression is funny, but a little blurry, and I don't really understand how the orange ball relates to her expression or the newt. I tend to prefer titles that are icing on the cake and have the image tell the story, and even with the title, it's missing something for me. I do like the composition - her face, the ball, and the newt are in good positions. 5.

Enchanted Waters
by wsteyn

Comment:
Interesting. To me, I get "enchanted forest with maybe a witch's cottage in it." So the title doesn't mesh with the image for me. Not counting against it for that reason, just mentioning it. As for the image, as I said, it does evoke magic, but not strongly, and the colors are so muted as to not really grab me. Just my opinion, of course. 5.

The mysterious Mr. Pepper
by h2

Comment:
Funny. The mystery here strikes me as wondering whose eye that is! Or is the stem really a periscope for some tiny explorer? I do like the pepper on the left edge - gives some where for the eye to peer into, but maybe I'd like it better if the negative space were a little smaller. 5.

Magic Cards
by enash

Comment:
I like how you blurred the hands to put the emphasis on the cards. I also like how they fan out - it's a nice shape. This is a good example of how centering the objects can work well. How'd you do it? 6.

Mask
by banmorn

Comment:
Nice! I like the composition and the lighting, especially how the shadow dominates the upper left corner. 6.

A Rare Sighting of the Mysterious 20 Foot Long Tiger
by timfythetoo

Comment:
LOL. Unlike many other entries, I got the mystery of this one even without the title! Not much to say about it - sometimes you get lucky with what you see, and you shoot. You framed the tiger nicely within his cave. 6.