Great Egret Beak'on of Color
by progersct

Comment:
Very wow! Good detail for all that white (I know how tough that is!). It seems like a very small view and the head is slightly chopped off, but that's quibbling nit. I have it as a 10! Rob the Swash

Yellow
by mirac

Comment:
Very nice! Lots of great detail. Strong yellow feel, the pollen on the wasp adds to the detailed wow! If anyone complains about your DOF or the antenna out of focus, just blow them off (it's just not possible!!) GREAT PHOTO! Easy 10!
Rob the Swash

Green .... and a wee bit of brown
by agwright

Comment:
Very nice shot! I feel green all over! Very interesting catapillar. The head seems just a tad fuzzy, but the body has more than enough detail. 10 Swash
(good luck! I hope you win!)

Shades of Flowers
by gmacpro

Comment:
This is a very cool effect, but I have my doubts about it's meeting site rules.
If legal, it's so very cool, it should win. The contrast between the black and white frame and the color photo is just wonderul. I do wonder about the shadow lines, i.e. why? but I like them. Score 10. Rob the Swash

Red Sparrow.jpg
by sherryk471

Comment:
It's a House Finch. Nice shot, good inclusion of the flowers.

Cacti
by dacrazyrn

Comment:
It's a beautiful shot. I didn't vote on the symmetry challenge (didn't enter it), but I think I would have scored this a 6, maybe a 7. The challenge aspect isn't that clear. I see the spikes and there is some pattern to it, but it doesn't stay consistant. Most spots have 4 similarly sized spikes, but some extra (small) spikes, too. Color saturation is very nice.

Purple Flame Ice
by shareinnc

Comment:
The lighting refracted within the ice is very nice. Stunning to look at, but even with your hint, it's hard to see this as an example of symmetry. Creativity is great, but on average, you have about 5 seconds to capture your audience. If you ask them to think more than 5 seconds, you're in trouble, score-wise. I didn't vote this challenge, but had I, I doubt I would have scored this higher than a 5, but then again, I'm an easy grader and feel that if I'm missing something, it's me.
For beauty alone, this is a very nice, colorful shot.

Skagit Valley Tulip - Up Close
by joanns

Comment:
Is it tulip festival time already? (I hope I didn't miss it!!) I love La Connor, a very interesting/fun town (with lots of good photo ops!)
Very nice color. I really like the extra buds in the background, nice touch!

Help! Mama!
by Antithesis

Comment:
Great shot! Wonderful detail!!! Seeing this makes me want to fill out my portfolio a bit more. (I have a somewhat similar shot, but the baby is even younger)

fear (or 'home alone')
by tomzinho

Comment:
Sharp photo! Seems overly exposed, I assume to help blank out the background, but to me, it makes it seem more unworldly (and less photographically). Looks like the painter needed more tape (or to actually use it - proof of good detail). It's very well done, but I'm not a fan of over-exposure (I feel this was deliberate). I'm going to offer you one extra point (due to my bias), score raised from 6 to 7. Rob the Swash