NO Peeking ( Mom It's not time yet!!! )
by Jamie2772

Comment:
A beautiful llittle girl. It doesn't really capture the mood of 'too early' for me, because I can see she really isn't backstage (the kitchen tiles give it away). This is very severe cropping that doesn't do anything to enahance the composition. Some basic advice, compose your image carefully either in the viewfinder or on the LCD monitor before you take the shot and you can avoid this sort of weird post-editing crop (it takes a bit of practice with seeing how the camera sees,i.e., it sees everything that your mind's eye is able to ignore). Also, when photographing children (and pets), as a rule, you should compose the image from the child's point of view (which usually means squatting or even laying on the floor). There are expections to this rule, of course, but you should try not to make them too often. Lastly, flash really hurts this shot. Her dress as way too much glare and her eyes look washed out. The shiny dress and the bright blue patterned floor have become the main focus and that's a shame because she is such a beautiful little girl. She has such gorgeous coloring there is great potential for some beautiful portraits. It is worth buying a good book about photographing children. My suggestions for starters is use window light as available light to avoid using flash. Also, take some photos outside, in a shady spot if the lighting is harsh and full of contrasty shadows (have the sun behind your subject so she isn't squinting and then make sure you up your exupposure compesation

Waiting for the tide to turn...
by susanh

Comment:
Without the descriptive title I'm not too sure this clearly meets the challenge but I like to be open-minded about the subtlies of these things...
I think I would enjoy this more if there was some activity around the boat---people lpreparing to set sail, for example. Either that, some sort of animal life form, like a gull perched on the mast or pecking around the sand (darn those pesky birds for not accommodating your photography!). The boat itself isn't quite enough of a grabber for me in terms of subject matter. I understand using the vertical format to capture the masts (not sure if that's the right term) but I feel like this p.o.v. is a bit cramped. I would like to see more of an expanse of shoreline in the distance to really give me a sense of place (is this a beach with a rocky shoreline or gentle grass covered slopes?). I don't get the feeling of spaciousness of the seaside.
There is a lot of potential in this shot. There is the beginning of a nice mood and I do get a feeling of early morning light in this photo.

So much for the crowd pictures...
by Nobody

Comment:
Great mood you've achieved here.It almost looks like black and white but I think I see some pale color in the brick wall and in his jeans. I'm not sure about the laptop as a visual element...a sports writer too early for the game, perhaps? I guess for me it adds a weird element of modernity into an otherwise timeless sort of scene. It certainly doesn't affect my vote---just an observation.
Very nice.

Waiting....
by barbaraanne

Comment:
Very nice mood that you've achieved here.Looks like 5 am--way too early for me.
I like the way the figure is subtly limned with light. I like the gradiation of shadow to light on the brick wall and the pattern created by the awning. Nice use of the foreground. You are going to lose points with the tech-heads over the grain/noise factor (I'm guessing you had to use a really fast ISO rating?) For me it adds somewhat to the mood. Where it really hurts you is in the very dark areas like his jeans where it becomes quite pixelly looking. Because of the noise factor, it looks like this wouldn't print too well -- a sad fact of digital photography. Nice job!

Soft and Pink
by justinbrook

Comment:
Better rethink your title. There is nothing soft-looking about this artificial flower. I would suggest next time just going to the grocery store and spending a couple of bucks on the real thing to photograph. You obviously went to some effort to light it sinec the lighting looks good. It's wasted on the subject matter.

Pretty in pink
by marbo

Comment:
This is a nice close-up in terms of composition but it has a lifeless appearance. I believe this is a combination of flat lighting and fake flowers. The petals lack the luminous quality of the real thing.

Be my Valentine...
by Gordon

Comment:
A nice approach. I don't really care for the view of the dead grass. It interrupts the nice graphic quality of the image without adding anything.

A Little Pink for Relief
by JEFFJSB

Comment:
Very nice lighting and exposure. One suggestion is to tone down the bright highlights with the clone tool. Some highlights are needed to show texture but the ones in the paint near the rim of the jar detract.
I think the cropping is a teensy bit too close at the top of the frame. The interruption to the circle the cropping creates is visually jarring to me (sorry, pun not intended).

Princess
by crabappl3

Comment:
Cute model. I like her expression of comical dejection.The colors in the feathers and beads are a teensy bit washed out looking but her skin looks lovely so I think that's just nitpicking.

Hot Pink Panties
by DArcy10

Comment:
This would have worked better for me if the panties were the only fabric we could see. The flannel poodle pajamas don't add anything. Also, the goose pimples on her thighs aren't too appealing. Perhaps this could have been smooth out using your imaging softwear? I like the quality of the light and the shadows it creates.