Escape
by smokeditor

Comment:
excellent definition, even if your exposure/brightening has gone a touch too far in places IMO. Including the source might have given the image some sense of contet, instead of being simply a pretty pattern.

Poison Sky
by aznym

Comment:
Two Towers, huh? Simple, elegant, and ... well, just a touch bland for me. A bit obvious, you know? I'm sure it was difficult to shoot and all that, but that should never be a consideration in my book. A heap better than most others however. 8

The sound of gravel under your shoes.
by jjbeguin

Comment:
I'm surprised by the provenance of this ... the texture of the shot, the contrast, the detail, the sense of grain all seem to be your work. The green border ... (expression of horror)! I'm afraid I voted it way down, just for that: I cannot look at the image without my eye being drawn to that green square, and that makes it difficult. Where white or black serves to isolate from environment, alows you to choose the context of exhibition, this ... well, it baffles me. I'd love you to explain the thinking.

E

Where there's Smoke...
by atsxus

Comment:
I like this, though I wish you hadn't proveided such a mundane title for it. It has a feeling of landscape about it - which, in my opinion, is the secret of all near-figrative photography that isn't people-based. It reminds me of aurora shots, and in it's forms recalls the trumpets of Michelangelo's heralds. The composition is startlingly effective too. 9

Untitled
by kevinf

Comment:
I can see the hard lines of your selection around the smoke, adn that foils the effect. Use of levels, or curves would make the desired effect easier i think, and from the look of this you also need a deeper depth of field - very little is in focus - or you need a faster shutter speed - if it's motion blur. I know from my own experience that it's very tricky with smoke ... but my sympathy for your attempt grants you a few points.

Rising
by bongo

Comment:
Very like one of Kiwiness's shots, though the lighting is poorer here. That front flash is rather strong - and rather harsh; use of a reflector might have softened that light a touch, to remove those hard shadows.

Smoke On The Water
by MWitt

Comment:
Lovely shot ... but, well, smoke? I actually find that weird cloud formation distracting here - otherwise I think there might be a fine balance between the mountains, the birds and the sky.

Vancouver BC
by Cantique

Comment:
This was the best photo for this challenge, and should therefore have won, IMO. Eminently saleable, which is one of the points. Informative, well executed, thoroughly competent. Unfortunately for you, the voters seem to require something more spectacular :-)

Yorkshire, United Kingdom
by p_johns

Comment:
Congratulations Philip - I wondered where it was.

Worship, High In The Rockies
by dacrazyrn

Comment:
Congratulations Tracy - a shoock to realise that this is your first ribbon.