Building Bonds
by ltlmschrisss

Comment:
After absorbing the title and looking a while, I see where the idea of a sweet image is lurking. However, shallow depth of field and lack of color clues makes it hard for the actual image to convey the intent.

Emerald
by Kelli

Comment:
Nice set of curving green forms in the main subject. Background seems oversaturated, and recent run of challenge entries using green snakes like this one reduce the sense of originality.

On th Canal Bank
by Marston

Comment:
Peaceful impression. I get the feeling of competition for subject matter. If the boat is important, having it as a bigger part of the composition would help. If it is not important, waiting a little bit unitl it is gone then backing up a bit to get a full reflection (in calmer water) would be a valid alternative.

Take me home please
by Shutter-For-Hire

Comment:
Dead center composition seems weak in this case because the image area aside from the main subject are not very interesting. Consider a mcuh closer crop, and perhaps a color balance adjustment to reduce what to my eyes appears to be a mild magenta color cast.

Calvin
by phreak

Comment:
Soft puppy has appeal, but it might help to crop away the dark patch at lower left (hind haunch?) and to use post processing techniques to make the background less distracting.

deadly embrace
by roz

Comment:
This is very similar to the recent "Nightmare" challenge blue ribbon entry, perhaps with higher quality processing. I would expect a fair number of low votes based on this no longer being fresh and original but instead a revisit of a previously successful image. This version might be better for a print than the earlier version, but the grim content would probably limit sales.

Shot Heard Round the World
by hmurmur

Comment:
Nice variety of action in this reenactment image. Near the center of the image we have a distracting patch of bright color with magenta/green/orange speckles, consistent with chroma noise also seen in the blue coats and grass. I wonder if this is associated with a high ISO setting that might have been lower with a wider apeture and different shutter speed. Consider a salvage attempt with one of the many available noise reduction software approaches.

Slinky!
by turnofthesue

Comment:
Light appears to be from on-camera flash, making shadows harsh. Will make a nice family album memory, but could be improved for a challenge. Consider adjusting white balance and brightness to make the whites of the eyes whiter, and perhaps clone out the brown and black items from the background. Consider adding a diffuser to the flash, or, if camera allows, bouncing the flash off the ceiling (interim measures until able to practice with off camera flash).

Melissa
by chromeydome

Comment:
Although some of the highlights are a tad harsh, this striking portrait is one of my favorites of the April free study. Nice separation from background, excellend detail, and a subject whose eyes and perfectly ambiguous expression highten our level of interes.

Collier de Perles
by Gaby_G

Comment:
Elegant simplicity and technically well executed. Shadows on some of the lower pearl strands would call for moving the lights slightly if this were a commercial shot promoting necklaces. Just a hint of face and lots of skin showing make it easy for the viewer to meander around a host of potential narratives based on the image. Very well done.