Unexpected encounter
by bormic

Comment:
Lovely composition. Just a little more contrast to bring out the bear more I think would make this even better. 8

Wise Old Owl
by Sonifo

Comment:
The composition here is amazing. The long narrow window draws the viewer's attention right to the owl. To me it needs to be a bit brighter. Fill flash maybe or a little bit of sunlight, just something to brighten it up a bit. 9

Nutcracker
by bpickard

Comment:
Great pose. Unfortunately the focus is on the tail.

Emotion
by jbsmithana

Comment:
You've done a wonderful job of capturing the expression of the Orangutan. Great catch light in the eyes. The only thing is I think it needs a little more DOF so the entire face is in focus and not just the eyes. Well done. 9

Grazing Gaze
by dartompkins

Comment:
The composition and the tones chosen are nice, however the glow doesn't seem natural and therefore the image appears to be overprocessed.

Sunset at Castle Hill
by BobsterLobster

Comment:
I was guessing this was sunrise. It just goes to show I don't generally read titles. Wonderful job and congrats on 1st place.

The Ruin
by e301

Comment:
Great texture and contrast. I think it would also work well in BW. The crop seems a little tight on the right and on top. A little less zoom I think would help here. Exposure seems bang on. 8

Solitude
by p_johns

Comment:
The silhouetted figure on the hilltop adds interest however the central location makes the image a bit static. Cropping part of the image at the right I think would add impact to it and it would remove the blown out part of the sky. 7

Bear River Marshes
by dsidwell

Comment:
Good sharpness from foreground to background which works well with this type of image. Nice leading line with the waterway. Zooming slightly to make the mountains more prominent on the horizon or a higher vantage point may provide more impact. The exposure seems bang on. 7

Wish I Knew What You Were Thinking
by flip89

Comment:
Great contrast and texture in the gorilla's fur. The catch light in the left eye seems off.

I think a tighter crop from the top would work here (just down to the dimple on the skull). A rule of thumb is to either include all of something or crop a fair bit so it doesn't look like a miss. This works for most subjects, not just portraits. 7