Play Ball
by ddmckinney1954

Comment:
More care and thought needs to go into a still-life. The background is very ugly and says nothing about the subject. Placing the subject in context (a baseball field, a child's bed to show preparation for a game, etc) or in front of a simple background (unpatterned neutral cloth or background paper)
would be much more effective. Your focus is sharp and the lighting is good if rather flat and mundane.

Row of Eight
by Rando D300

Comment:
This is very busy and the lighting is very flat (sun directly overhead washes out detail). It would have been better to find a spot where you could focus on one kayak and eliminate the distracting background. The eye goes right to the middle kayak because of its placement but there isn't much of interest to see in the all that whiteness. From there the eye wanders but there still isn't that much going on but a lot of harsh shadow and mundane objects (such as the green plastic container at the right edge and the whte kayak support with what looks like a falling down kayakl but it is hard to tell).

Mid Air
by marlin

Comment:
This looks rather overexposed. There is almost no detail. There are too many hot spots (the bright flares of lights on the balls). The composition seems rather haphazard. I have no idea what game this represents.

After the Big Game
by Jade

Comment:
This is a very mundane arrangement of a mundane subject. The most interesting thing about this photo is that the black and white chair echoes the black and white ball. the bottle of water ruins this effect and just looks like clutter.

hockey
by Deboh

Comment:
This flat white wall and uphostered chaird is a poor choice of background for this subject. If you can't place your subject in context than it would be better to have a very simple background. This is kind of a mundane arrangement. It doesn't make a lot of sense. Why place one skate on the arm of the chair instead of resting it near its partner. The lighting is very straightforward and dull. Sepia does not improve this poor image. I wish I could say something more positive. Keep trying.

Speed of Light
by BillE

Comment:
I gave you a five on this. I figured you used multiple sources of light to get such a good commercial looking shot. I was kind of bored by the subject, thus the 5. There was some stiff competition in this challenge so the curve was a little steeper but this was a very good studio shot that you should be happy with.

Drag
by Jesuispeure

Comment:
I liked this photo quite a bit and if I had been using my current voting methods for this challenge (didn't know I could revise votes for one thing) I probably would have scored it higher than the 6 I gave it.

I caught the opposite right away. The title helps without nailing the viewer over the head (although judging by some of the comments, it seems some people need to be slapped in the face with an idea before they get it).

I like the slight over exposure on the faces. I think it heightens the slight skewing of reality for the viewer. The tilted format achieves this as well. I don't know if you intended this but that's how it works for me.
I like how their black clothes disappear into the background. The models are beautiful.

Technicolor
by Jesuispeure

Comment:
Here's one I missed. I really should have voted on all the Centered entries. I keep discovering new ones.
This is really FAB-ulous. It would be incredible blown up really large. Love the square format. Love the guady, glitzy rainbow colors. Why be too-too precious about a flower? Need I mention the great lighting and sharp focus?

Super! Sorry I missed voting on it.

Melissa

River of Light
by Jesuispeure

Comment:
I liked this one better at first glance. I think it is a great idea but the cropping is a bit tight to get the real sense of flow. That may also be because of the vertical format. It seems a bit like it is falling out of the frame. It's a little too dark in the shadows.
Judging by your comments, I can't imagine you want to try again but it might be worth it. I gave this a five because the competition was so fierce in this challenge. I did a lot of careful viewing of photos for this challenge and revised a lot of votes. Initially, this got a 6 from me. I really liked the idea. I thought you had buried twinkle lights fairy lights so just the bulbs were showing. I didn't realize the lights were candles. Either way, I liked it.

"Can't Leave Well Enough Alone" or "Baby Needs a New Paint Job"
by Jesuispeure

Comment:
This got one of my higher scores (a 7). Partly, because it reminded me of my youngest daughter who does this constantly. I used to do it also but now I hardly ever paint my nails. Emotional responses aside I loved the bold red of her nails and the glass (is that a frozen daquiri?). You went beyond just showing a close-up of fingers and placed them in context. The fact that the contents of the glass she is holding is the same color red shows that you put some thought and care into the photo. Nice work!