Ella's World
by denbote

Comment:
Compelling work.

Soft
by abuscemi

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: See what you've made me do - offer one of these 'unconventional eye' comments on a baby portrait! The light, the composition / crop, the coloration (Is that Color Efex's ink filter dialled back a little?) all conspire to give something masterful. Those who enjoy taking portraits should use this as a reference piece.

Critical stuff: Nothing at all.

Overall: Dying to see who's this is. Great stuff.

morning tea
by sulamk

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: Bird pictures are 10 a penny in Free Studys, but not bird images like this. This one is altogether different and stopped me in my tracks. I need to try to explain why - which will be difficult, because I'm not entirely sure why it appeals so very much. If I try to analyse I find it, the rule of thirds thing is pretty well adhered too, perhaps that helps it settle in my brain, I also find the colour palette to be pleasing. If just cherry pick the things I like, I find myself dwelling on its imperfections... The blown areas, the chromatic aberration, the mainly soft focus, the shadow noise of an exposure-recovered image. There's your magic trick right there, you have turned technical limitations into a thing of beauty, you have crafted something with your edit and found, most perfectly, the sweet spot of your image.I haven't even spoken of the birdes themselves, the well-shown spread wing.... For me, the magic includes the way that your subjects become almost irrelevant.... It is the holistic nature of the image that so appeals, the balance, the resonance, the empathy of all the elements.

Critial stuff: there couldn't really be anything here.... To change one thing would be to change the whole.

Overall: I was ambushed by this image, it took me by surprise. That's a good thing.

Like Time And Tides...
by Covert_Oddity

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'm one of those folk who love the blurry black and white stuff. This is quite tremendous. The motion blur, the stark (almost comic strip) contrast, your intriguing POV all conspire to produce a fantastic image that is full of story.

Critical stuff: Nothing at all

Overall: nixterish in quality. Need I say more?

From the Light
by timfythetoo

Comment:
Really wonderful portrait. This may ribbon. I hope it does.

Swept Away
by banmorn

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 certainly like the idea behind the image and I like the characters in the story in this scene - the shadows are a really effective element to the image too.

Critical stuff: I think your lined up composition - lady, post, man doesn't serve the image that well - an image 1 second before or after this frame may have given a more pleasing composition. Also, perhaps I've been indoctrinated, but this feels like it would be better in monochrome.

Overall: I do like it, I just wish I liked it just a bit more.

The Other Side
by idealodds

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: This is an unusual composition with bold use of negative space, I like the contrast and the coloration too. The one gull with the stretched-out wings offers an effective anchor for the eye to wander from.

Critical stuff: Not much - intrinsic interest in the scene is on the low side but I do like what you've done with it,

Overall: A very nice Free Study offering.

Crop duster
by Pug-H

Comment:
Great sharpness and a fine composition - I liked your accompanying text too.

Flags At Rest
by dahlin

Comment:
Bold is the word that immediately came to mind for me too. Nice work.

5
by Kelli

Comment:
Fabulous sensitive portrait.