Watching
by MinsoPhoto

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: What a scene! Gothic and theatrical. Great POV and, great tones and interesting characters. So much story that I think I may be watching a play. The light is really strong too - great windows but plenty of light this side too. I like how we can see enough texture to touch too.

Critical stuff: I have to keep reassuring myself that this is your creation and that you haven;'t just snapped a play in progress - this problematical suggestion is still there though.

Overall: A powerful image.

Sleepyhead
by odriew

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: Communicates the night most acutely - like an image intensified scene - it makes me feel bekitted. I had some military experience in my distant youth and this has the feel of night manoeuvres including the 'I'd'rather be in bed feeling'! The person sat on the side of the road looks in complete contrast to the one of the left - like a pictorial power gradient. The noise and flare adds to the sense of cold darkness - almost foggy. I like the toning too.

Critical stuff: Nothing really

Overall: Intriguing and engaging - an image that sucks you into a more uncomfortable world.

(Apologies for my somewhat rambling comment though!)

Bastimentos
by nixter

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: I really like this image, I particularly enjoy the transected dog! The POV is stand out and the boy's gaze to the dog is captivating. The green coloration is excellent - I like the way the boy's top matches. Given the water below, I wonder where you are - on a jetty? On a boat?

Critical stuff: On a wide gamut monitor with most browsers, this image is too pink - it caused me to crank up a modified (colour handling) version of Firefox and the coloration there is much better. Browser colour handling can be an issue - I thought you should know.

Overall: This is a really high quality image.

We are all the sons and the daughters of time - Ray Bradbury
by PennyStreet

Comment:
There's something of humanity in this one (rather than just human beings).

Geoff & Doreen
by MichaelC

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: What a superb portrait of Geoff this is and what a superb capture of a relationship too. This is a double edged sword (see critical stuff) but the technicals of Geoff's portrait are completely stand out. The image overall is also witty and human - I really like that.

Critical stuff: Your fill lighting on Geoff is fabulous, but Doreen is left lacking - although she's in the background, she's integral to your story and could perhaps do with a bit of pop. The image is highly contrived - your subjects appear too posed but... (see below)

Overall: This IS a highly successful image - sure I've complained a little above but overall, I find I don't care about all that - the image has such immediacy and is so forthcoming that I think it really, really works. It's a little cliched in its poses but has bags of quirk to carry it through. An odd choice for a fav for me, but I just can't help myself.

Boy
by GinaRothfels

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: I inverted this, just to see what the positive would look like. This is much better. It adds interest to a much less engaging image. The floor, almost more than the boy, befits from your choice here. I like that you have taken an interventionist approach to this image.

Critical stuff: The flip-side of the same coin. The source image is somewhat unengaging and a consequence I wonder at its choice for your editing time...

Overall: It IS effective; I'm not sure I like it that much but I can't deny that you have pulled something off here.

The Final Trip to the Vet ~ RIP Sassy ~ 1995-2012
by klkitchens

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: Poignant title offers a lens through which to see this image. It's difficult to remain objective, though that matters little as there is much to like here. The clarity of the face and the alert gaze is excellent but I am most impressed on how you have retained detail in the shadows. The vents of the box are transformative to the image, adding depth and context - without them, this would be far less engaging.

Critical stuff: Some won't like the prominent border.

Overall: A fine tribute.

more than this
by jagar

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: Highly interesting composition - the dominance of the rearview mirror and the strange vehicle to the left frame a sub-composition. The is tension and interest in that juxtaposition. Her proximity to the wall and the plants adds to the curiosity. The glowishness of the highlights is similar to a jagar but the match is not perfect.

Critical stuff: The combination of strong sharpening, much texture and a 300k file size has caused some artefacting (criss-crossing) in the lower centre part of the image. I also struggle to discern a story here - not that it is mandatory, but I feel there is more confusion than mystery here.

Overall: Interesting but slightly unfulfilling.

What Fun You’d Have If You Could Pass... Like Alice, Through The Looking-Glass
by unbreakable

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: Crop this to include just the left two thirds of the image and it is a dull image but with the right third and the hand it becomes something else entirely. That sense of reveal as it is noticed (we are after all, as humans, drawn to the face first) is excellent. The border works too.

Critical stuff: As you know I like the border, but in this aspect ratio at a 800px limit, it has cost you some potentially useful screen real estate.

Overall: A very engaging image.

A Stroll Through the Fountain
by bjoern

Comment:
I'm going through the entries, stopping at those images I feel have had the benefit of an unconventional eye and dwelling a little longer to try to see and appreciate what you saw. This is one of those images.

Positives: A beautiful image, such detail in the silhouette, I really like the lift of the back foot and the slight transparency of the umbrella. The spray behind is immense and it makes us wonder if the umbrella is just for that or whether there is concomitant rain. Whatever, I want to know more about her - always a good sign.

Critical stuff: The DPC upload limits has given you two issues - because of your aspect ratio, the image is restricted in its overall size - perhaps chopping a bit off the top would have been a good trade(?) and then the 300K file size has caused your information rich specular background to manifest sharpening artefacts (criss-cross pattern) as a result of the jpeg compression.

Overall: A fine image that will place highly (I hope).