I, In My Own Way, Am Beautiful
by bruski

Comment:
... and missing part of a leg, it would seem. It's always quite hard to get beyond the sheer scientific interest in macros like this, so there is some immediate impact from that alone; i half-like the composition - certainly the graphic nature of the shot the bokeh, the red and green appeals, but I'm unconvinved, I think, of your precise choice of framing in your crop.

Amalfi Coast
by Chiqui

Comment:
I find the light a bit harsh here - and this coast can look stunning in the first sun of the day. Good colouring, and well presented detail for an image with our size restrictions, and the sheer interetst of Amalfi generally give the shot some impact, but my immediate and abiding thought is that with the right light it could have had a real touch of magic.

Black Beauty
by MikeO

Comment:
Nice shooting. I wonder if you placement of that head within frame is ideal - I'd perhaps have tried to frame the whole head more cemtrally, which would move the eye, the natural point of first focus, to a stronger place in frame, and, I think, have made a more interesting graphic contribution to the entirety of the composition of the dark line of the neck. Obviously, there may beother reasons forcing this crop, but I am talking about an ideal.

None of which is to subtract from the great sense of detail and texture you've captured here, of course.

sunshine
by sigrun_th

Comment:
A pretty scene, certainly, if over-exposed for my taste - the colour tones could certainly be stronger for a litle less brightness and, perhaps, more contrast. DOF effective, but the shot as a whole lacks a spark of inspsiration, for me.

Natures Design
by mpemberton

Comment:
Whilst there is no doubting the beauty of your subject, I find the photograph itself to be lacking that extra element that would really make me think 'beautiful!'. I'm not wholly sure what that might be - though certainly something more than the quite straightforward portrait presented here - perhaps more sense of the dynamic, such as a bit of motion blur in the background: this shot presents a very still feeling, presumably because a high shutter speed has wiped all sense of movement. Obviously it's technically OK - in focus, good detail, etc, although I would say it is overall a touch too bright for impact - pulling the exposure, or brightness back a touch would add some depth and life to the tree and sky colours, and make the detailing around the head and tail more easily noticeable - but the simply technically OK isn't enough to spark that moment of amazement when the world seems to stop for a fraction of a second. 6

Spring's Bounty
by Judith Polakoff

Comment:
The sense of a warm evening is so strong here: beautifully captured and managed. I hope people give it the time it deserves, rather than dismissing it as a centred composition and therefore uninteresting by default. I like it very much indeed.

Nature's Palette
by gaurawa

Comment:
Ah, properly competent photography - I have no doubt this has become exactly what you wanted. Love the tonality, the bokeh, composition, etc. etc. I would wish only for something a little more thought-provoking than a butterfly on a flower, to make it 'beautiful' rather than simply 'pretty', if you like. But this must surely score well.

Into the light of almost night
by Titia

Comment:
Whilst the capture of light here is near-exemplary, I wonder whether it was necessary to submit a full frame shot - II'm not sure exactly what is added by not cropping the left and bottom edges - a stronger composition, strnger movement through frame of the main subject, stronger placement of horizon, and no loss of the beauty of that great light. Still a strong shot, mind; I just think it could have been very effectively improved - oh, and would love to see it like that, also.

Withering Beauty
by Zapperzac

Comment:
The head-on flash adds a few very very strong shadows, whilst removing most sense of texture from the flower itself. You have at least managed to keep the detail there, even though I would say that bloom is over-exposed. The de-sat? Whilst well done, I just findd it strange in a composition where one would have thought the flower ought to stand out on it's own.

Father Sky
by ElGordo

Comment:
Blimey, that's mad. Good overall sense of tones, though the over-blown areas in the main cloud, although very small, are a shame in my eyes. There's a strangeness in the contrasting of the unusual sky and the so-very-humdrum world below: almost as though this is about aspiration and ambition.